The New Orleans Pelicans picked up a 114-96 win over the San Antonio Spurs on Sunday night. They were trailing for the majority of the game, but a fourth-quarter comeback allowed them to come out on top. Head coach Willie Green explained what made the comeback possible and gave some credit to center Karlo Matkovic.
“We talked about it at halftime, cutting down on turnovers, offensively,” Green said. “We can still do a better job but in the first half I think we had 11 and only six in the second half. We did a better job there. Making sure we understand defensively that this is a multiple-effort game. They did a great job of drive, kick, drive, kick. Trying to get some easy baskets in transition.”
Matkovic had 19 points and six rebounds while shooting 8-of-9 from the field. Green praised him as well as center Yves Missi.
“Both of those guys are a bright spot and that’s what we want to see,” Green said. “We want to see some of our young guys step on the floor and work and build some momentum and continue to attack each and every opportunity that they get. Yves did a great job tonight, Karlo was fantastic tonight, even Jordan Hawkins stepping on the floor, gaining some momentum as we progress.”
The Pelicans’ defense also made a difference as they had a hole to dig themselves out of. Green believes the team’s 23-rebound advantage also played a role in them taking over the game.
“Our defense was really solid tonight,” Green said. “I thought we did a great job. The big emphasis all season has been finishing possessions. I thought we did a great job of that tonight. It’s evident in having 69 rebounds. That allows us to get out in transition. It allows us to run our sets, execute offensively and it starts with that.”
Overall, Green was pleased with the Pelicans’ overall effort against the Spurs.
“It was a total group effort,” Green said. “Those guys stepped on the floor collectively and they brought it. Not a great first half, but the second half we kept our poise and missed some easy baskets but it started to turn for us. All those guys stepped on the floor and did a good job of executing on both ends.”
The Pelicans return to action on Tuesday night when they host the Spurs again. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. CT.
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