BOSTON – January can’t come to an end soon enough for the New Orleans Pelicans. The Pels have been riding a roller coaster all month, particularly over the last 11 games, as they’ve lost six of those games including their last two in a row.
They’ve fallen from fifth to seventh in the Western Conference standings as they’ve put together one of their most inconsistent stretches of basketball this season.
Saturday, the Pelicans surrendered a season-high 141 points to the Milwaukee Bucks in a 24-point loss. Five of their six losses this month have come by double figures, with New Orleans allowing 122.0 ppg in those defeats and losing by an average of 15.8 points. Their top five defense has dropped to 18th during this 11-game stretch (117.4).
Beating “good” teams has been a tremendous problem for the Pels, as they’ve gone 4-6 versus teams above .500.
Tonight, they’ll try to end their two-game skid in a most difficult place against the team with the best record in the NBA. The Pelicans have lost four in a row to the Celtics, dropping their last two in Beantown by a combined 23 points.
The Boston Celtics have lost just twice at the TD Garden this season, though they are coming off a 19-point loss to the Los Angeles Clippers.
Boston has the league’s second-best defense, and arguably its best defensive backcourt with multiple All-Defense selections in Jrue Holiday and Derrick White. Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum are among the best two-way forwards in the NBA, with Tatum a leading candidate for Most Valuable Player.
Meanwhile, the Pelicans have been looking for more consistent play from their stars. Brandon Ingram, Zion Williamson, and CJ McCollum have combined for 54.8 ppg this month down from 62.0 ppg in December.
Trey Murphy III is averaging 10.3 pts while shooting 29.4% from three-point range as he deals with the lingering effects of tendinitis in his knee and an offense that goes from fluid to stagnant without notice.
Willie Green did get some good news today as sharpshooter Matt Ryan was called up from the Birmingham Squadron.
But offense alone will not turn things around. The Pelicans have to establish themselves defensively from the opening tip. New Orleans has given up 30 or more points in four of their last five quarters, and have been outscored in six of their last eight.
With the top of the West pulling away, and the rest of the West getting closer, the Pelicans can’t afford an extended losing streak.
Tonight, they need to draw a line in the sand and show if they are mentally and physically capable of turning this thing around.
Most Recent Starting Lineups
| Boston Celtics | New Orleans Pelicans |
| G – Jrue Holiday | G – CJ McCollum |
| G – Derrick White | G – Herb Jones |
| F – Jaylen Brown | F – Brandon Ingram |
| F – Jayson Tatum | F – Zion Williamson |
| C – Al Horford | C – Jonas Valanciunas |
Injuries
New Orleans Pelicans: None listed
Boston Celtics: Al Horford (left neck sprain) and Kristaps Porzingis (left ankle sprain) are QUESTIONABLE. Luke Kornet (left hamstring tightness) is DOUBTFUL.
Who: New Orleans Pelicans (26-20) at Boston Celtics (35-11)
Season Series:
- Jan. 29: Pelicans at Celtics
- Mar. 30: Celtics at Pelicans
Where: TD Garden
When: Jan. 29, 6:30 PM CST
Where to watch: Bally Sports New Orleans
Where to listen: WRNO 99.5
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- Mile High Mission: Pelicans Can Tie Franchise Road Streak Record With Win Over Nuggets
- A Healthy Larry Nance Jr. Brings a Bit of Everything to The Pelicans
- Dethroning Kings Would Be A Great Start to Pelicans’ 5-Game Road Trip
- Trigga’d: Trey Murphy III’s Elite Shooting Sparks Pelicans
- Zion Williamson, Brandon Ingram, Pelicans Coaches Must Do Better to Reverse Late-Game Woes
- Jordan Hawkins’ Flight Path Hasn’t Been Smooth, But He’s Still Ascending
Great first quarter because we rebounded, because BI found his inner spirit animal, and because we made offensive possessions count.
More please.
LNJ mishandles more balls at the rim…grrr
Unconscionable that Hawkins got no run in the second half..fireabale offense
In 2003-2004, the average number of points scored per game by an NBA team was 93.4 points and eFG% was .471.
This season, in 2023-2024, the average number of points scored per game by an NBA team is 115.6 points and eFG% is .547.
For better or worse, the game has changed and Willie and his coaching staff need to adapt. You need to play more to outscore the other team, and get scorers on the floor to do so. That does not mean that defense doesn’t matter, but expectations about defense have to be reasonable. And if you hamstring your offense to shut down the other team, you are pushing on a rope.
Last night, in the fourth quarter, we had one one lineup on the floor with Dyson, Naji and Herb. Yet, we gave up 37 points, and predictably the Pels scored 25 points. That can’t happen.
Players like Tatum, Brown, etc are going to score their points in today’s NBA. Why we can’t understand that is a mystery to me.
One last point–last night, Willie rolled out once again (unsuccessfully) LNJ to start the second half. For the game, LNJ was -7, Val was +6. The one area we had a clear advantage was inside–and Willie said, no thanks.
He is overmatched. And he won’t change. So he needs to go. Or we are not going to see those packed crowds in the Blender much longer.
Join the 2020s WIllie..you might find that you actually like it.
I have a trade. Anyone feel free to comment on. I also had Naji on it in place of EJ and both were accepted.
https://fanspo.com/nba/trades/YAcRRrzSZ399hk