Great Perspective from Paul Flannery

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From the funeral atmosphere of the Pelicans' locker room where people talked in hushed whispers to the huge exhale from the other side, the difference can be measured in miles. It's the relative distance between a team that has been on that other side and experienced all the heartache that playoff basketball can deliver.

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Now he had the ball, isolated on Bogut at the top of the key. He went left like he had all season in similar situations. Bogut stayed with him. For all that he has in his game, Davis doesn't yet have that go-to move for these situations. With Bogut expertly matching his movements, Davis' shot had no chance, but at least he had it. These are the moments upon which careers are forged. He will have many, many more chances, but he will never get this first one back.   

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It's a devastating thing to see something that was earned over the course of 82 games get taken away in the blink of eight bad minutes, but these are the lessons that can only be learned this time of year. You can't get them in January and they aren't in evidence even in the midst of a galvanizing run that takes you through March and on into April.

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If they are true to their path, this moment and this game will stay with them over the summer. No one in this league is immune from this kind of experience. Years from now, if they are fortunate, they can look back and see it for what it was: a crushing loss that one day leads to better things and smarter play down the stretch. In the end it was the ultimate playoff lesson, delivered in the cruelest way possible.

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