What if I told you that for nearly all of Sunday's fourth quarter, the New Orleans Pelicans kept the Oklahoma City Thunder from kicking a field goal?
Unfortunately, the Pelicans' defensive effort was for naught because they were just as bad offensively in the last minutes of the game, leading to a devastating 94-92 defeat.
Game one's loss at Paycom Center will surely be a motivating factor for the Pelicans if they go on to lose the series in six or seven games.
Among the eight road teams who competed in the first weekend of the playoffs, it was the most courageous showing.
Regrettably, the Pels failed to produce any results despite their best efforts. They were defeated in the last minutes because they were unable to score when it mattered most.
The Pels' outstanding defensive performance earlier in the quarter was undone by their two-point performance in the final three and thirty-three seconds of the game.
In the last three and a half minutes of the game, CJ McCollum made the sole Pelicans basket, a 26-second jumper from 11 feet out that narrowed the Pels' lead to 93-92.
Select Red Wings eliminated from playoff race despite comeback victory against CanadiensRed Wings eliminated from playoff race despite comeback victory against Canadiens