The Top 10 Plays and Moments from New Orleans Pelicans' 2014-15 Season

Now that it’s officially over, let’s be honest—the New Orleans Pelicans had a phenomenal season.

Anthony Davis took the leap from a promising All-Star to an unstoppable monster and led his team to the playoffs. The post-Chris Paul rebuild is over, and the AD era has officially begun.

The only thing Pelicans fans should be hurting over is Game 3. New Orleans had its foot on the Golden State Warriors’ throat, but Stephen Curry and Co. pulled a reversal and put the Pels in a shattering ankle-lock, Kurt Angle style.

Deadspin’s Tom Ley dove deep into that pool of agony. But like the early playoff heartbreaks that helped make LeBron James, The Brow won't forget this one.

There’s also a strong chance that the Warriors will go on to beat up a few more teams en route to the NBA Finals. So there’s no reason for the ‘Cans to hang their heads over a sweep.

This season wasn’t good—it was great. And now that the postseason wounds are nearly healed up, it’s time to reflect on just how awesome it was.

10. The Emergence of Alexis Ajinca

If you were well-versed in the history of Alexis Ajinca prior to this season, congratulations—you were one of a very select group.

In his second year with New Orleans, the lanky Frenchman went from zero to 100 hero quicker than Drake.

His numbers—6.5 points on 55 percent shooting, 4.6 boards and just less than one block per game—aren’t too loud, but they’re misleading. Ajinca's relatively low output for someone whose breakout is being celebrated can be attributed to getting almost exclusively garbage-time minutes early in the year.

Davis, Omer Asik and Ryan Anderson dominated the frontcourt rotation, leaving little room for the skinny 7-footer. But when the injury plague struck, he made the most of his opportunity.

Ajinca scored between 10 to 19 points 18 times this season and went north of 20 twice. All but four of those outings came after the New Year.

The 26-year-old will be an unrestricted free agent this summer, and it’s certain that he’ll get more than the sub-$1 million he got this year.

New Orleans would be wise to try to bring back the skilled, versatile big man.

9. Ryan Anderson’s Eruption in Game 3

This was a rough year for Ryan Anderson.

The stretch 4, known for being a deadeye three-point shooter, was plagued with accuracy woes nearly all season, particularly at home. He finished with the lowest shooting percentage of his seven-year career (34.0) from beyond the arc.

Sure, he had explosive games—word is that the Cleveland Cavaliers are still singed after getting Ryno’d back in November. But for the most part, Anderson struggled.

On top of it all, the veteran sprained his MCL and missed 21 contests from Feb. 23 to March 29.

In Game 3, he was cleansed of all that had troubled him before the 9:30 p.m. ET tipoff. Anderson channeled Dirk Nowitzki, hitting fadeaways and wild shots regardless of how tightly Draymond Green or other Warriors guarded him.

“I feel like I am and can be a big scoring threat,” Anderson said heading into the game, per John Reid of NOLA.com. “It has been tough for me to find a rhythm coming back from the knee injury, but that's no excuse.”

And a big scoring threat he was.

Anderson’s 26-point night was overshadowed by Golden State’s epic comeback, but his teammates could have avoided that if they kept feeding him the ball.

Including free throws, he nailed five straight shots in the fourth quarter but didn't attempt a field goal in the final four minutes. Shaquille O’Neal, Charles Barkley and the TNT crew were shouting to the high heavens afterward the Pels never should have stopped going to Anderson.

The loss stung more than the joy of Anderson’s outburst, but it still needs some recognition.

8. Pelicans Destroy the Rockets

Every once in a while, folks need a little reminder.

Since the Pelicans were scarcely featured on national television this season, it was easy for common fans to forget about them.

On Jan. 2, New Orleans channeled its inner Jay Z and issued a reminder so strong that it’s still ringing in our ears.

The Houston Rockets strolled into town, and the Pelicans bruised, battered and beat them down mercilessly. The final score, 111-83, was kind, as coach Monty Williams sat his players in the fourth.

"We brought it in the huddle and just said, Keep putting the pressure on them, don't stop being aggressive," Tyreke Evans said, per The Associated Press. "We did that. We got a big lead where we could sit down and rest."

The craziest part about this game was that Davis only had seven points on 2-of-7 shooting. Evans (25 points, five assists and four rebounds) and Anderson (22 points, five rebounds) carried the load.

“They came out and just kicked our tails up one side and down the other,” Rockets coach Kevin McHale said. “We didn't come to play."

Heading into that game, the Pels were just an even 16-16. For a young team, this blowout went a long way toward building confidence that New Orleans could hang with the league’s elite.

7. Jrue Holiday’s Return

One of the cruelest aspects of sports are injuries.

Having played just 74 combined games these past two years while dealing with never-ending trouble to his right leg, Jrue Holiday can testify.

The point guard went down back in January with a fracture and missed the next 42 games. But he did return to the court on April 10, just in time to help New Orleans win two of its last three, including the playoff-clincher over the Spurs.

Holiday suited up for the playoffs too, which was encouraging to fans who were concerned about the 24-year-old’s long-term health.

That was the good part. The bad is that Williams seemed nervous.

“I can't sit here and try to diminish that,” the coach said on April 28, per Reid. “There is concern there, just because he's unsure and he hasn't been able to play and our medical staff is evaluating daily trying to figure out how we can get him on the floor.”

Reid also reported that No. 11 is considering a drastic move over the summer: "With their season completed, Holiday is considering going through another surgical procedure this offseason to remove a screw that was put in to hold the steel rod in his right leg that was surgically implanted in his tibia to repair a stress fracture last season."

Ouch. Here’s hoping Holiday can return to full health next season.

6. Winning Streak Sans Davis

When Davis re-aggravated the shoulder injury that nagged him all year on Feb. 21, it felt like Westbrook and the Oklahoma City Thunder would run away with eighth place.

Without their superstar, Holiday and Anderson, how could the Pels keep their playoff hopes from flatlining?

Team basketball—that’s how.

With a different leading scorer each night, New Orleans shocked the world and ripped off five consecutive wins, which wound up as the longest such streak of the season.

Evans, in particular, was huge during this stretch. While subbing in for the injured Holiday, the beastly ball handler averaged 16.4 points and 9.4 assists while leading his squad to victories over playoff teams like the Nets and Toronto Raptors.

“It’s been great team basketball for us,” coach Monty Williams said at the time, per NBA.com. “Offensively, we’ve had a number of guys step up on any given night, and it’s good to see our guys play great team basketball.”

Davis returned with a 39-point, 13-rebound eruption on March 4. And the ‘Cans were in business.

Caught in the middle of the ocean, AD’s supporting cast kept the boat chugging before the superstar was able to provide the burst of wind that pushed them onto the postseason shore.

5. AD Defies the Laws of Physics

Gravity affects all of us...except The Brow, it seems.

Davis was a nightly highlight show, swatting shots into the 17th row and testing the stability of backboards to the absolute limit with thunderous dunks. He is the rare cross between a powerful big man and an athletic wing.

The little national attention New Orleans did get early in the year was due to Davis’ knack for making the impossible look easy.

Against the Brooklyn Nets on March 10, Davis put his inhuman reach and incredible vertical on display with an alley-oop that he snagged almost higher than the white square on the glass. Even the Brooklyn Library—er, Barclays Center—let out an audible gasp.

(Note: That play is No. 10 on the video.)

AD is becoming a national headliner, similar to LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, James Harden, Carmelo Anthony and Steph Curry. Opposing fans not only go to see their team but to see Davis too.

And rightfully so. Every time he takes the floor, something wild is bound to happen.

4. Ending Atlanta’s Winning Streak

Remember when the Atlanta Hawks were killing everyone?

The pride of the East had won a franchise-record 19 straight games heading into a nationally televised meeting with the Pels on Feb. 3. New Orleans came out on top, 115-110, and Davis let the world know he’s the real deal.

AD cracked open a 29-point, 13-rebound can of you-know-what while adding three assists, two blocks and a steal.

"We just need to continue to do what we've been doing," Davis said, per The Associated Press. "The past couple games, we've been rebounding, defending, sharing the ball. We don't care who scores. That's what we have to do."

Close followers of the league knew how dominant Davis had been, but that night in February he introduced himself to a whole new world of fans.

3. Late-Season Fan Turnout

In Game 3, a questionable fella was spotted with a chest of paint-hair resembling Davis’ trademark unibrow.

This guy alone doesn’t mean anything to the Pelicans this year. But he was one of many fans who filled the Smoothie King Center in support of their playoff team.

New Orleans sold out its final regular-season showdown with the San Antonio Spurs—which was essentially a playoff game—as well as Game 3 against Golden State. The home crowd had a “red-out” that night, and it seemed like everyone except for Mr. Uni-Bra took part.

Local icon and New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees was in attendance. The building was rocking. It was kind of a “we have arrived” moment for the Pels.

(Note: In the video above, you can ever hear the cheers over Ernie Johnson and the gang.)

Fans filled the arena up again for Game 4 despite having the wind knocked out of them two days prior, and this time they took part in a “white-out.”

After a season of relatively low attendance, the city finally got behind its team.

2. Beating the Spurs to Make the Playoffs

While discussing an early-season matchup between the Pels and the Spurs back in November, I unknowingly previewed what would eventually come to be their most important game all year:

"

San Antonio is at the top of the basketball world...The Pelicans have a long way to go before reaching those heights, but with a young core in place, New Orleans should look to the Spurs as a role model.

Drake gave a great example of this relationship on "Thank Me Now" (warning: strong language): “And that's around the time that your idols become your rivals / You make friends with Mike but got to A.I. him for your survival.”

Allen Iverson looked up to Michael Jordan, but when his opportunity came, A.I. shook his idol and drained a jumper right over him.

It’s time for the Pelicans to start making strides in that same direction with matchups like this one against San Antonio.

"

That’s exactly what New Orleans did to San Antonio on the final day of the regular season. All it took was one win to get a taste of the playoffs after starving for four years—but the Spurs were still fighting for a higher seed.

And that’s what made the Pels’ win so impressive.

“Man, it is an unbelievable win,” Davis said after pouring in 31 points and 13 rebounds, per Jim Eichenhofer of NBA.com. “For us to come out and play the way that we played, we played hard against a tough Spurs team that was battling for something.”

Forward Quincy Pondexter talked about how hard the Spurs came at his team:

"

They needed it real bad. They are playing for a lot. ... They came out swinging. (Gregg) Pop(ovich) did some things, he pretty much did everything to try win that game, even going to hack-a-shack early. It just shows how far we have come and how much more mature we are. We are getting pieces back that we didn’t have (before). It is one helluva ride.

"

This was, by far, the biggest game of the year. Credit the Pelicans for seizing the moment and pulling out a tough 108-103 victory.

1. AD's Legendary Buzzer-Beater

Clutch.

We throw around a lot of words when talking about Davis’ greatness, but none are as concrete as that one. Debates of how high the 22-year-old’s ceiling is—is there even one?—are subjective.

But the numbers don’t lie. With the game on the line, AD is one cold-blooded dude.

With the scored knotted at 113-113 and 1.2 ticks remaining, it appeared that overtime was imminent between the Pelicans and Thunder on Feb. 6.

But Davis didn't feel like extending the game any longer.

Evans found No. 23 somewhere between the three-point line and OKC’s midcourt logo, and in one motion Davis caught it, leaped, double-clutched and buried the bomb.

The Pelicans went crazy, and rightfully so. That game won the regular-season series against OKC and ultimately earned New Orleans its playoff berth as the two teams finished with the same record of 45-37.

That shot was consistent with what Davis had done all night during his 41-point mauling of the Thunder. The buzzer-beater was his only made three-pointer of the season.

“If you don’t want to be great, step aside and let somebody else be great,” Davis said, per AP. “Everybody just wanted to be great tonight. I know I had to be great. I want to be great, so you have to be able to accept the challenges.”

That’s probably the best way to sum up that shot, Davis' campaign and the Pelicans’ season: great.

All stats are accurate via Basketball-Reference.com.