OAKLAND – They’ve defied the odds all season, qualifying for the Western Conference playoffs despite losing a four-time All-Star to injury, then sweeping heavily-favored Portland in a first-round series, along the way putting together 10- and nine-game winning streaks. For their next trick, the New Orleans Pelicans will attempt to overcome a 3-1 deficit against the defending NBA champions. Before they contemplate winning three in a row vs. the Warriors, however, they’re focusing simply on Tuesday’s Game 5, the squad’s first literal must-win situation of 2017-18.
“We’re not thinking about winning three games; we’re thinking about winning one game,” Pelicans third-year head coach Alvin Gentry said in a Monday conference call.