Tearful Pelicans coach Willie Green shares emotional moments with Suns after Game 6 loss

NEW ORLEANS — Willie Green tried, but he couldn’t control the tears immediately after having his first season as an NBA head coach in New Orleans end in defeat Thursday night.

Monty Williams has been there.

It’s an emotional pain only those in their shoes can truly understand.

So, it was only fitting the Suns' head coach was there to comfort his dear friend in that emotional moment.

“It’s hard, when you have to compete against someone you love,” Williams said. “There were tons of emotions with this game. I’m glad we won, but I know what it’s like to be on the other side. I just felt for Willie, but I was unbelievably elated for our team. It’s just this weird back and forth with my feelings and my heart right now, but I’m just grateful to get this win. It was a really cool win for us.”

Williams and Green have a bond no playoff series can break.

And even though Williams won this time, he didn’t hesitate to comfort his former lead assistant from the previous two seasons.

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“I know what Willie brought to the table for our program,” Williams said. “And you saw it this year with his program. I had a lot of conversations with him earlier in the season when things weren’t going well, and Willie Green is one of more steady people that I’ve ever been around and he was consistent and stable and strong through it all. That’s one of the reasons why they continue to get better.”

The Pelicans started 1-12, played without injured All-Star Zion Williamson (foot) all season, but managed to reach the play-in tournament as a ninth seed. They topped San Antonio and then traveled to Los Angeles to stun the Clippers to capture the eighth seed in the Western Conference playoffs.

New Orleans was the only playoff team with a losing record, but pushed the top overall seed beyond its comfort level before losing the series in six games.

“Our future is bright,” said Green after Game 6. “We'll soak this up, a number of things. The playoff experience was great for us, elimination games, the play-in experience leading up to that and then this loss. We feel it, so like I told our guys in the locker room, I will work this summer. It's going to determine what happens next season, and we'll be back in the gym getting it in, getting ready.”

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Green’s postgame comments came minutes after the sudden realization the season is over.

Williams has been there.

So even though his Suns advanced to the conference semifinals to face Dallas, he took time to be there for Green right after the game.

“I just know that feeling,” said Williams, who lost both of his playoff series as a head coach in New Orleans. “So, to see him in that place, that’s a tough spot for all of us cause at the end of the day, we’re all friends, we’re all brothers and after we’re done coaching, we’re going to be that way.”

After his moment with Williams, Green hugged Chris Paul and Devin Booker with tears still in his eyes.

As close as Green is to Williams, he has a deeper connection with Paul.

The two were teammates under Williams in New Orleans and later with the Los Angeles Clippers.

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“I don’t think people will ever really understand that relationship with me and Willie,” Paul said. “I’m not in Phoenix if not for Willie. He’s the first person that ever even knew about the thought of me coming to Phoenix. He’s a coach, but he’s my teammate and my brother, first and foremost.”

Paul then noted seeing Green’s son, Mason, during the game.

“Willie is my family,” Paul said. “So not talking to him or communicating with him throughout a series is tough. You know at the end of a series, somebody isn’t going to win, so this is probably one of the weirdest things I’ve ever been a part of.”

Being brothers also means they’re competitors.

So being on opposite ends of this best-of-7, Green didn’t hit Paul up.

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He instead informed rookie Jose Alvarado of every trick in the book on how to defend the 17-year veteran.

“I’m telling him everything and you can tell Chris that,” said Green before Game 6. “I’m telling him everything that he does. Chris and I are not friends right now, by the way. We’re not speaking, we’re not talking and I’m telling Jose and our guys everything it takes because that’s what he expects. I expect to give our best and I want our guys to be prepared.”

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As for Booker, his relationship doesn’t run nearly as deep with Green as Paul’s does, but the two established a strong connection over the course of those two years they were together in Phoenix.

“I spent a lot of time on the court just picking his brain and understanding his IQ for the game and trying to learn from it,” Booker said.

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Booker said Green even reached out to him after he strained his right hamstring in Game 2.

“He told me that even though we’re competing, he was praying for me and hoped that it healed up quick," Booker said. "He’s just a stand-up guy and always has been.”

Booker applauded how Green performed as a first-year head coach – and realizes the Pelicans aren’t going anywhere with him at the helm.

“Willie is that guy,” Booker said. “It’s going to be fun playing against New Orleans for the next few years.”

Have opinion about current state of the Suns? Reach Suns Insider Duane Rankin at dmrankin@gannett.com or contact him at 480-787-1240. Follow him on Twitter at @DuaneRankin.

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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Pelicans coach Willie Green, Suns have emotional moment after Game 6