On Sunday, March 30, the New Orleans Pelicans played their single most important game of the 2024-25 NBA season. Against all odds, with an injury report as lengthy as a CVS receipt, they emerged victorious, outlasting the Charlotte Hornets, 98-94. Unfortunately, this was a game that the Pelicans absolutely did NOT want to win.
With that W, New Orleans moved to 21-54 for the year. It didn't move them in the standings, neither in the Western Conference nor across the league overall. But it did widen the gap between them and Charlotte, who dropped to 18-56, 2.5 games behind the Pelicans for 27th in the NBA.
As there are only a handful of games left for each team in the season, there's a strong chance that the standings won't change again, at least at the bottom, where the basement-dwellers have worked hard to rack up as many losses as possible to maximize their odds in the NBA Draft lottery. If New Orleans wanted any chance of catching Charlotte and dropping into the top-three for the lottery, they needed to lose against the Hornets. This victory was absolutely crushing for the Pelicans and could wind up having devastating ramifications in the lottery that could drastically swing the team's fortunes for years to come. Understandably, the fans weren't too pleased with the outcome, but their outrage may be a bit unwarranted.
The Pelicans did all they could to lose against the Charlotte Hornets
Anyone who scrolled through Pelicans twitter following their win against the Hornets would have thought the team's brass opted to relocate the franchise. The fanbase was NOT in good spirits, and their disappointment was justifiable. From a loyal follower's point of view, New Orleans had let down its faithful all season.
The team was supposed to make a deep playoff run for the first time in nearly a decade, but the fans were forced to endure another season of bottoming out, their fifth year without a postseason appearance in the last seven. Then, when everyone was on board with losing for an improved probability of landing a new franchise cornerstone who could lead the Pelicans to glory, the team "decided" to win a meaningless game that could end up costing them a chance at Cooper Flagg. I get it.
But New Orleans truly did everything they could to lose this game. On top of Trey Murphy III, Dejounte Murray, and Herb Jones all missing this one with serious injuries, the Pelicans also held out Zion Williamson, CJ McCollum, Jordan Hawkins, and Brandon Boston Jr. with minor ailments. Sure, they could have also kept Kelly Olynyk, Bruce Brown Jr., and others on the sidelines, too, but that would have risked incurring a penalty from the NBA. The league has been more intentional about cracking down on roster manipulation and other tanking methods this season, and the next straw could be the one that breaks the camel's back.
Assistant Coach James Borrego — who was filling in for Willie Green, who missed the game for personal reasons — even went deep into his bench to try to give this one away. Kelly O only played 20 minutes, while players like Lester Quinones, Jeremiah Robinson-Earl, and Keion Brooks Jr. all got significant run.
What Borrego and the Pelicans' brass couldn't have seen coming was a career night from Brooks Jr., who put up 17 points on 7-12 shooting to go along with eight rebounds, two steals, and three blocks. Franchises might tank, but most players and coaches don't.
Against the Hornets and anytime he steps on the court, Keion Brooks Jr. is having a de facto tryout for his NBA future. He happened to have a fantastic audition against Charlotte, the Pelicans' lottery odds be damned. Even veterans like Olynyk and Bruce Brown Jr. aren't guaranteed their next contract, and every box score they accumulate could play a huge role in their career. The same goes for Coach Borrego, who's likely hoping for another shot as an NBA head coach. It's unfortunate that the Pelicans couldn't lose this game against the Hornets, but it wasn't for a lack of trying.