New Orleans Hot Start Not Enough To Avoid Four Game Sweep
May 21st, 2028 | Delta Arena, Salt Lake City, UT.
Western Conference Finals | Game 4 | New Orleans Pelicans (0-3) @ Utah Jazz (3-0)
NOP | 33 | 22 | 21 | 27 |
103
UTA | 26 | 34 | 31 | 33 |
124
Ace Bailey secured the Magic Johnson MVP Trophy after pouring in 35.5 PPG, 5.7 REB, and 7.8 AST in the clean four game sweep of the Pelicans.
|
| Name | Points | Reb | Ast | Stl | Blk | TO | FG | 3PT | FT |
| PG Darryn Peterson | 7 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 3/10 | 1/3 | 0/0 |
| SG Dejounte Murray | 9 | 4 | 8 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 4/11 | 1/7 | 0/0 |
| SF Trey Murphy III | 7 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3/6 | 0/2 | 1/1 |
| PF Zion Williamson | 38 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 16/29 | 2/3 | 4/6 |
| C Yves Missi | 20 | 13 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 10/14 | 0/1 | 0/1 |
| G Jeremiah Fears | 10 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3/8 | 1/3 | 3/3 |
| Total | 103 | 41 | 28 | 5 | 2 | 6 | 43/90(48%) | 8/28(29%) | 9/13(69%) |
|
| Name | Points | Reb | Ast | Stl | Blk | TO | FG | 3PT | FT |
| PG Anthony Black | 30 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 10/16 | 6/9 | 4/5 |
| SG Cam Thomas | 19 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7/12 | 5/9 | 0/0 |
| SF Ace Bailey | 29 | 6 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 12/24 | 2/7 | 3/3 |
| PF Robert Williams III | 6 | 11 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 3/3 | 0/0 | 0/0 |
| C Bam Adebayo | 20 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 8/11 | 1/2 | 3/4 |
| PG Keyonte George | 5 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2/12 | 0/7 | 1/1 |
| Total | 124 | 50 | 32 | 5 | 2 | 7 | 48/95(50%) | 15/44(34%) | 13/15(87%) |
Salt Lake CIty, UT. - The New Orleans Pelicans flew out of the starting block in Game 4, desperately trying to avoid the dreaded four-game sweep. For one quarter, they had hope.
Dejounte Murray scored 6 points, Yves Missi added 8, and Zion Williamson contributed 10 as New Orleans built a 7-point lead. Then everything fell apart.
The Jazz methodically dismantled the Pelicans' early momentum, overcoming the seven-point deficit to take a 5-point halftime lead before building a dominant 15-point advantage in the fourth quarter en route to the sweep.
Murray's hot start proved to be a mirage—he scored just 3 more points for the remainder of the game, finishing with 9 total. Jeremiah Fears had 10. Darryn Peterson managed 7. The supporting cast simply couldn't maintain the early intensity.
Williamson tried to slay the Jazz single-handedly, pouring in 38 points on efficient 16-for-29 shooting, including two three-pointers during a 10-2 third-quarter run. Missi continued his solid play with 20 points and 13 rebounds. But it wasn't enough.
Once the Pelicans three-point shot disappeared, going 4/20 after the first quarter, the writing was on the wall. The Jazz were simply too balanced.
Anthony Black poured in 30 points. Ace Bailey added 29. Bam Adebayo contributed 20, and Cam Thomas chipped in 19. Utah's depth proved insurmountable.
Ace Bailey claimed the Western Conference Finals MVP award, capping a historic postseason run that saw him average an eye-popping 41 points per game.
When asked about Bailey's dominant scoring, head coach Joe Mazzulla pivoted to his star's other contributions.
"Everyone talks about the scoring, and it's been historic," Mazzulla said. "But what I want people to see is everything else. Six rebounds a night, nearly eight assists. That's a star player who understands he can't do it alone. He gets his teammates involved. He makes winning plays. That's what separates good from great."
Bailey, holding his Finals MVP trophy, offered his perspective on the Pelicans' Game 1 surge.
"They came out with everything they had, and we just stayed composed," Bailey said. "We talked about absorbing their initial push, letting them wear themselves out, and then executing down the stretch. That's a championship mentality."
With the sweep complete, the Jazz advance to the NBA Finals as the Western Conference Champions.
Across the bracket, the No. 1 seed Atlanta Hawks completed their own dominant sweep of the Indiana Pacers, winning by an average margin of 17 points per game. Trae Young earned the Eastern Conference Finals MVP award behind 27 points per game, 10 assists, and elite 46/41/87 shooting splits.
The NBA Finals are set: Ace Bailey and the Utah Jazz against Trae Young and the Atlanta Hawks.
With Bailey averaging 41 points per game and Young putting up 27 with elite efficiency, the upcoming Finals matchup promises to be an offensive showcase.
