Play-in tournament history is repeating itself Wednesday for Jonas Valanciunas, who for a second straight year is preparing to start at center for a ninth-seeded Western Conference club hosting 10th-seeded San Antonio.
Last May, the results were spectacular individually and team-wise, as Valanciunas dominated the Spurs with a 23-point, 23-rebound, three-block performance, spearheading Memphis to a 100-96 victory. The Grizzlies later advanced to the West playoffs and a matchup against the conference’s top seed (Utah).
New Orleans would love a repeat of that scenario this week, but first the Pelicans must defeat a Spurs team that has given them problems in 2021-22, including San Antonio prevailing twice since mid-February in the Smoothie King Center.