Home-Court Heroics
04/14/2022
By: Jeff Yoder
NBA Play-In: Hawks & Pelicans Advance as Home Teams Go 4-0 in Play-In Rounds
Two more play-in games brought two more wins for the home team on Wednesday. The Hawks and Pelicans advanced out of the 9-10 play-in rounds, and they’ve earned the right for another one-and-done showdown against the Cavaliers and Clippers on Friday night for the 8-seeds. The NBA gets a night off tonight before locking in the playoff picture tomorrow night. Here’s how the home teams dominated the play-in, once again.
The Hornets held Trae Young in check in the first half (just 8 points) en route to an eight-point deficit, but Atlanta blew the doors off Charlotte in the third period. Young caught fire, finishing with 24 points and 11 assists, while his Hawks teammates stepped up. De’Andre Hunter (22 points), Danillo Gallinari (18 points) and Clint Capela (15 points, 17 rebounds) gave the Hawks a boost. No Gordon Hayward for the Hornets spelled trouble. Atlanta shot 50 percent (16-for-32) from 3-point land, and the Hawks are moving on to face the Cavaliers for the East’s 8-seed.
The nightcap in New Orleans was all Pelicans as the C.J. McCollum show took over the first half. McCollum pushed the Pels to a double-digit halftime advantage behind 27 first-half points. He finished with a 32-7-6 line while Brandon Ingram (27 points) and Jonas Valanciunas (22 points, 14 rebounds) gave the New Orleans trio a combined 81 points. The Pelicans shot 54 percent while dominating San Antonio on the glass (53-34). New Orleans travels to L.A. to take on the Clippers for the West’s 8-seed.
8-Seed Play-In Schedule
Hawks at Cavaliers (Fri. 7:30 pm ET)
Pelicans at Clippers (Fri. 10:00 pm ET)
Additional Storylines
NBA: Zion Williamson’s 360 Windmill Dunk in Pelicans’ Warm-Up Goes Viral
ESPN: Charlotte’s Miles Bridges Gets Ejected, Hits Fan With Mouthpiece Upon Exit
Correction: Yesterday’s edition incorrectly stated that the Cavaliers and Clippers were eliminated from the postseason. The NBA play-in format features the losers of the 7-8 game (Cavs and Clippers) hosting the winners of last night’s games for the 8th and final seed.
Photo: Sean Gardner / Getty Images