New Orleans Pelicans Clinch Play In Berth After Comeback Win Over Grizzlies

• The New Orleans Pelicans clinched a play-in berth after beating the Memphis Grizzlies
• Herb Jones was the unlikely hero for New Orleans as he scored a career-high 35 points
• The Pelicans could secure a winning season for the first time since the 2017/18 season

The New Orleans Pelicans produced a spectacular 19-point comeback to beat the Memphis Grizzlies 138-131 and clinch a play-in berth in the process.

Three starters scored 30-plus points to help the Pelicans secure an important victory, meaning they will finish the season no lower than ninth in the Western Conference.

However, they had to fight for their win. Willie Green's side led 124-118 with 4.7 seconds left on the clock.

Grizzlies guard, Dillon Brooks then drained a corner three but was fouled by Herb Jones. He intentionally missed the free throw since they had no timeouts left.

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Several miscues saw Memphis make three free throws to send the game to overtime.

The night belonged to Jones, who finished with a career-high 35 points, seven rebounds, three assists, and three blocks.

Trey Murphy III (30 points), CJ McCollum (31), and Brandon Ingram (24) were great in the win.

The top two picks in the 2019 NBA Draft missed the game. Zion Williamson is still recovering from a hamstring issue, while Ja Morant missed the game due to hip soreness, per NOLA.

Reactions from Pelicans vs. Grizzlies

The hosts took a 12-0 run to take control in overtime. Pelicans coach Green said it is a good achievement to play in the postseason.

"It's incredible to have an opportunity two years in a row to play in the postseason, the playoffs," Green said. "And we're continuing to build. For us it's a huge step in the right direction."

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Jones also hit a career-high in threes (five). He said he wanted to punish the Grizzlies for ignoring him on defense.

"It's super important to keep guys honest," Jones said. "I show up every day and put in a ton of work on my jump shot. I know Jaren. I don't think he came out and was meaning to be that far off me... But I just kind of felt disrespected because of the work that I put in. I just stayed aggressive, and the shots fell," he said via ESPN.

Williamson is still out and has now missed the last 43 games.

The Pelicans' last winning season was in 2017/18 when they finished 6th and shocked the Portland Trail Blazers in the first round.

Zion Williamson's injury concern

Sports Brief previously reported on the injury of Pelicans' star, Williamson, who has been plagued by injuries throughout his career.

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The former Duke star injured his hamstring on January 2 against the Philadelphia 76ers, with New Orleans struggling since.

His team's impressive start to the season was halted after he went down and an update should come before the season ends.