The inbound is something that’s largely taken for granted in the sport of basketball. It happens so often over the course of a full game that the importance of well-executed inbounds can be understated until the end.
New Orleans Pelicans guard Jose Alvarado found a way to turn routine inbounds into must-see stuff, but otherwise nobody’s really checking for how teams throw the ball in. That is until it’s time to execute and defend plays on the inbound.
Those clutch moments allowed the inbound to take center stage on Tuesday with playoff games on the line. One team executed the inbound to a tee, another failed horribly, and a third inbound wasn’t nearly as important but didn’t lack for equal entertainment. This was the good, bad and ugly of inbounds.