More of the same, friendly surroundings can help Pelicans grab 3-0 series lead

NEW ORLEANS — The New Orleans Pelicans went to Portland hoping to steal one of the first two games of their first round series against the Trail Blazers. Instead, the Pelicans won two straight, leaving the Moda Center with 2-0 series lead and a lot of confidence as they return to the Smoothie King Center for tonight’s Game 3.

Throughout the history of the franchise, the Pelicans have never led a series 3-0. The Hornets had two opportunities during the 2008 playoffs, but dropped contests to Dallas and San Antonio respectively.

The sixth-seeded Pels have outplayed the third-seeded Blazers while Alvin Gentry and his staff have outcoached Terry Stotts and his assistants.

The most interesting development has been the dominance of the Pelicans’ backcourt. Jrue Holiday and Rajon Rondo have combined to average 38 points, 14 rebounds, 18.5 assists and 1.5 steals.

Their Portland counterparts, Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum are putting up 38 points, 7.5 boards, 9.5 assists, and 3.5 steals. The pair is shooting just over 36 percent from the floor (35 percent on threes). When matched up against Holiday, they’ve been virtually shut down.

Lillard went 0-4 with two turnovers with Holiday guarding him and Portland is shooting 6-for-24 against him in two games, according to ESPN.

To put themselves in position to close the series on Saturday, the Pelicans will have to continue to make things difficult for the Blazers guards. Letting either of them get hot could spell trouble for the home team.

New Orleans turned the tide in Game 2 by ending Portland’s dominance on the offensive glass, holding the Blazers to only three in the second half. Expect Portland to try to reestablish their physical dominance with their deep set of front court players. Jusuf Nurkic had 13 points in 15 minutes on Tuesday, and the rest of the front court shot a combined 8-of-17 from three point range.

That means the Pelicans will have to get better production from its bench, particularly Darius Miller, Solomon Hill, and Cheick Diallo. New Orleans’ front line reserves have not had much impact on the series in any category. They have to be able to provide quality minutes to ensure that the starters don’t wear down.

That being said, the Pelicans are rolling, having won seven straight going back to the regular season. The matchup with Portland was expected to be the most favorable for New Orleans entering the playoffs, and so far that has held true.

With a raucous home crowd behind them, I expect the Pelicans to win tonight. Three years ago, the Smoothie King Center was electric even as the Pelicans were swept by the Warriors. Now the Pels have a legitimate chance to advance to the second round for the second time in team history. They’ll take another step closer to that with a Game 3 victory.