The Pelicans might be done playing basketball this season, but that doesn't mean you can stop watching out for Jose Alvarado.
The pesky Pelicans guard's ability to sneak up on unsuspecting ball-handlers for back-court steals has been well-documented, and not even the retired Kenny "The Jet" Smith is immune.
As he made his jaunt to the video board during TNT's halftime show during Game 4 of Celtics-Bucks, Alvarado came out of nowhere to poke away the ball and get to the wall first.
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"Grand theft Alvarado," Ernie Johnson yelled as Alvardo stretched out his arms, grinned and celebrated his moment.
It was a bit of well-deserved levity and praise for Alvarado after he became a rookie sensation with the Pelicans after going undrafted out of Georgia Tech. His dogged defense against Chris Paul in the first-round series earned him cult hero status, including a signature backcourt steal from Paul in a Game 4 victory. The Pelicans pushed the top-seeded Suns, but fell in six games after battling through the play-in field for its first postseason appearance since the 2018-'19 season.
Alvarado and the rest of the young Pelicans are now enjoying an offseason with high expectations after a postseason run fueled by rookie contributions, and with the return of Zion Williamson highly anticipated for next season.
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