The New Orleans Pelicans snapped their two-game losing streak with an impressive 115-92 victory over the New York Knicks on Tuesday night. However, there was no time to savor the win as the Pels had to immediately fly out of NYC and head to the midwest for tonight’s opponent, the Indiana Pacers.
This is the first of a home-and-home series, with the Pelicans and Pacers facing off again on Friday night at the Smoothie King Center.
New Orleans (18-12 on the road) could be without three starters as they face a Pacers squad that has gone 7-4 in February. Indiana possesses one of the NBA’s best and most versatile offenses, as they rank second in the league in offensive rating (120.6). They will present a stout test for the Pelicans on that end, though they are far less effective at making stops. The Pacers only rank above the Hawks, Hornets, Pistons, and Wizards in defensive rating.
That’s good news for the Pels, who seemed to finally find some offensive cohesion against the Knicks, especially Trey Murphy III. “Trigga” scored a game-high 26 points (6-11 3PA), his first 20-point game since Feb. 10 and only his fourth of the season. Murphy had averaged 9.8 points on 25% shooting from beyond the arc over his previous five games.
Indiana has plenty of talent with Tyrese Haliburton making the leap to bonafied star status this season, two-time All-NBA selection Pascal Siakam, and two-time shot blocking champion Myles Turner. Bennedict Mathurin has grown into his role as well, averaging almost 15 points per game this season.
Both teams want to dominate the paint, so the pressure will be on Herb Jones and Zion Williamson in particular to cut off penetration. Williamson, Jonas Valanciunas, and Larry Nance Jr. will have a difficult task with Siakam and Turner both capable of scoring from all three levels.
Turner in particular has taken it up a level after the All-Star break, averaging 21.4 points and 8.6 rebounds per game.
New Orleans is undoubtedly tired, and is playing its fifth game in the last seven days. But the battle for playoff positioning is unyielding. It will take every bit of resolve for the Pelicans to maintain their spot outside of the play-in tournament.
The Pelicans and Pacers have split their season series in each of the last three seasons, so whomever grabs a win tonight will get a crack at ending that streak on Friday.
Most Recent Starting Lineups
| New Orleans Pelicans | Indiana Pacers |
| G – Herb Jones | G – Andrew Nembhard |
| G – Trey Murphy III | G – Tyrese Haliburton |
| F – Brandon Ingram | F – Bennedict Mathurin |
| F – Zion Williamson | F – Pascal Siakam |
| C – Jonas Valanciunas | C – Myles Turner |
Injuries
New Orleans Pelicans: Brandon Ingram (right ankle sprain), CJ McCollum (left ankle sprain) and Zion Williamson (left foot contusion) are QUESTIONABLE. Jose Alvarado (league suspension) and Dyson Daniels (left meniscus tear) are OUT.
Indiana Pacers: Aaron Nesmith (right ankle sprain) is QUESTIONABLE. Doug McDermott (right calf strain) is out.
Who: New Orleans Pelicans (35-24) at Indiana Pacers (33-26)
Season Series
- Feb. 28: New Orleans Pelicans at Indiana Pacers
- Mar. 1: Indiana Pacers at New Orleans Pelicans
Where: Gainbridge Fieldhouse
When: Feb. 28, 6:30 PM CST
Where to watch: Bally Sports New Orleans, ESPN
Where to listen: WRNO 99.5
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