One of the biggest storylines from the Pelicans' play-in victory over the Spurs was a sea of red and sellout crowd that turned the Smoothie King Center into San Antonio's house of horrors.
But long-time sports take-haver and short-time New Orleans sports player Kendrick Perkins can be counted among those unimpressed by the result. The now-analyst was conspicuously quiet throughout the game played by the team he is often so critical of, but he assured all his stance has not changed.
"It better be pack (sic) for an elimination game," Perkins wrote in response to a tweet pointing out the crowd for the Wednesday night game. "Carry on tho."
Attendance for the game was announced as 18,610, a group that made its presence heard and felt throughout. So why was Perkins so quiet throughout? He was on a flight, he said, enjoying "some Cokes." Yes, multiple.
In fairness, Perk isn't necessarily wrong. Had a play-in game not been enough to draw the crowd and energy it did this week, it'd have led to some awkward conversations and possibly even verification of the popular take that New Orleans doesn't really care about basketball. Most NBA cities should be expected to fill the seats for a playoff game, particularly a win-or-go-home scenario.
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But what it should do is help quiet the commonly held narrative that "New Orleans isn't a basketball city," one that Perkins himself has trumpeted based in large part on the 37 games he played in a Pelicans jersey during the 2015-'16 season.
Newly acquired star guard referred to the night as "the start of something special." That's a good way to phrase it, because that crowd doesn't answer the questions surrounding the energy level of the Smoothie King Center on a nightly basis, but it was a sight to behold with a playoff atmosphere on Wednesday night. And it could be the start of something more, with a team that looks primed to contend now and well into the future.
Pelicans color analyst Antonio Daniels, who had his own short run with the then-New Orleans Hornets in 2008-'09, said it best: "Words I never want to hear again: New Orleans isn't a basketball city. #WRONG."
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