Let Them Sleep

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“Let them sleep,” was Davis’ mantra throughout the Pelicans’ four-game sweep over the Portland Trail Blazers, which concluded with Saturday’s 131-123 win in the Smoothie King Center.

Davis is referring to prognosticators, who almost unanimously picked the Blazers to knock out the Pelicans. All 22 of ESPN’s NBA analysts and a myriad of others picked Portland to advance past New Orleans’ collection of postseason neophytes.

An emphatic sweep took much of the nation by surprise, earning laudatory headlines for Davis, Jrue Holiday and Rajon Rondo as New Orleans became the first No. 6 seed to sweep its opening series since the NBA moved to a best-of-seven format in the first round in 2003.

...The picks are certain to roll in the Warriors favor, assuming Golden State finishes off San Antonio, which averted a sweep with a Game 4 victory Sunday but still trails 3-1 in the series.

And that’s a role the Pelicans relish.

“It doesn’t matter what anyone else thinks except the guys in that locker room,” Davis said. “Like I’ve said before, we love being the underdogs. If they want to sleep on us, let them sleep.”

The words aren’t empty. Over and over again, the Pelicans have traipsed their way around adversity this season.

...Under the guidance of Rondo and coach Alvin Gentry, New Orleans has played its best when it has gotten out on the run.

...out-dueling the NBA’s best at their own game would seem to make for long odds. It’s a position the Pelicans have gotten used to.

“I came here to win a championship,” Rondo said. “I didn’t come here to beat a team in the first round or the second round. My expectation was high coming in, knowing the talent I was playing with. I think it got real when we went to Kentucky (before training camp in September) as far the talent we were playing with and the characteristics of the guys off of the court.

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