Whereas many players would've fouled Lillard on the following possession, Holiday knew he'd try to draw the foul and baited him into taking a tough shot in the closing seconds of a one-point game.
Damian Lillard got right to the point. "Everybody's healthy and in a good place now so I think mentally he's in a good place". But I'm going to leave that for later. Wade had 28 points in 26 minutes in Game 2, but at age 36, there's no guarantee he'll consistently summon that sort of performance.
Can't help but wonder: What's more representative of this team? There were only two games separating them from the No. 8 Timberwolves by the season's end, but they entered the playoffs with expectations of making it out of the first round for the third time in the Lillard era.
"Playoff Jrue, I guess", Davis quipped after Holiday scored 33 — including a late, deep 3-pointer — in the Pelicans' Game 2 triumph in Portland on Tuesday night. "We know it's just like hitting in baseball — the ability to make shots", Popovich said. He's shooting just 32 percent from the field, and struggling to knock down his 3-pointers too.
Lillard, off the back off his best season in the National Basketball Association, has struggled mightily all series. They have to get back into the series by winning also games on the road.
But three games in and a one victory away from the Pelicans becoming the first six seed to advance to the next round in the current format, many around the country have changed their tune.
"It's going to be rocking to come back after a two wins in Portland, out there". The Pelicans knocked down 11 of 27 three point attempts in Game 3 and drained 16 of their 19 free throw attempts. The Pelicans called timeout, but E'Twaun Moore missed a runner that Nurkic rebounded.
Trail Blazers: The third seed in the West has won its first-round series for the past four seasons.
The Pelicans will attempt to procure their first playoff sweep in franchise history Saturday afternoon in New Orleans.
"I've seen traps. Two years ago in the playoffs, the Clippers trapped me pretty hard".
When Rondo scored on a reverse layup with 9:50 left, New Orleans had stoked its lead to 100-74. But, New Orleans has been very consistent with it and they've been very aggressive. Portland hasn't adapted to the New Orleans defensive schemes, at least not to a strategy that has worked.
"His presence on the court really opens things up for them", said Portland head coach Terry Stotts.
"They whooped our (rear) and beat us in every facet of the game", McCollum said, according to the Oregonian.
"We have a lot of weapons", said Davis. The Warriors are leading their series with the San Antonio Spurs 3-0. It's how they've effectively neutralized the Blazers most unsafe weapon, turning this series into a source of fascination around the league.