The New Orleans Pelicans are officially out of the playoff race — at least according to head coach Alvin Gentry, who was fed up following his team’s 100-95 loss to the Rockets on Wednesday.
In his own words, Gentry is done talking about playoffs. It’s simply not happening.
“We come out here after every game and we talk about that we’re still in the playoff race, ‘No we’re not, ok,’ ” Gentry told reporters. “What we are is a team that when we have an opportunity to do something, we didn’t get it done. So that is the bottom line.”
At least some of Gentry’s comments had to be fueled by pure frustration. The Rockets were abysmal from beyond the arc (3-of-34) and average from the charity stripe (65.8 percent). Additionally, Houston had 21 turnovers. The thing is, the Pelicans weren’t any better, and those are the types of games where desperate teams have to capitalize on bad nights.
Understand, too, that coming out with big statements is kind of Gentry’s thing. If you’re willing to call out Anthony Davis, the rising star of the franchise, for coasting, then you’re probably not afraid to declare postseason hopes dead on arrival. And, frankly, Gentry is saying what everyone else is thinking.
But definitive statements aside, losing to the Rockets was a substantial blow to any remaining playoff aspirations. Houston, which currently sits eighth in the Western Conference, is now six games ahead of New Orleans and time is running out for the Pelicans to make a late surge.
(Via the Times-Picayune)
