NEW ORLEANS – The New Orleans Pelicans have been having a great month of February. Only the Golden State Warriors (9) and Boston Celtics (8) have more wins than the Pels (7) this month, and New Orleans remains in the top 10 in both defensive and net rating.
The Pelicans are holders of one of the best road records in the NBA and sit fifth in the Western Conference standings with 25 games left to play in the regular season. Willie Green has his team on pace to win 48 games, a number that the franchise hasn’t reached since 2017-18 and only three times in its history.
However, some trends have yet to be broken. Following their loss to the Miami Heat on Friday, the Pelicans dropped to 0-4 when given the opportunity to win five games in a row. They also lost for the sixth time in their last seven games played on Friday night.
New Orleans is going to need to win this evening to hold on to the fifth seed unless the Mavericks, Kings, and Suns all lose as well.
The task got harder as the Pelicans were hit with some bad news Sunday afternoon. As a result of their participation in the altercation with the Heat on Friday, Naji Marshall (one-game) and Jose Alvarado (three-game) have each been handed suspensions by the NBA.
Beating the Bulls is made more important considering the Pelicans 17-11 home record. Including today’s game, the Pelicans play postseason contenders in 10 of their final 12 at the Smoothie King Center. They have to win 10 of those to match last season’s home win total.
Considering the amount of support the Pelicans have gotten at The Blender and the energy of the crowds, its surprising that home court has not been more of an advantage. With Mardi Gras and football season firmly in the rear view, the focus of the city and the country is now on the Pelicans. Winning at home is what good teams do.
Their overall record shows that the Pelicans are a good team. Their performance at home shows that they can be better. Today is one of those days they need to prove that they are.
Keys to Victory
Follow Herb’s Lead. Herb Jones has gone from defensive star to complete NBA player. Jones is coming off of another incredible performance, and this season he’s one of only six players in the league playing at least 29 minutes per game while shooting better than 50% from the floor, 40% from three-point range, and 85% at the free throw line. Jones comes to play every night and has arguably been the most consistent player on the roster all season long. If the Pelicans are even more shorthanded than anticipated, Herb Jones will be a major factor in deciding the outcome. When Jones scores, the Pelicans usually win. In games he’s scored at least 17 points this season, New Orleans is 8-2. They’re 13-3 when Jones scores 14 or more.
Corral Coby White. Down three starters, the Bulls’ offense has had to rely much more heavily on Coby White this season. White has doubled his scoring output from a season ago, putting up 19.6 points per game for Chicago this season. In the Bulls’ win over the Pelicans back in December, White had 31 points.
Take Advantage in Transition. Without CJ McCollum, and possibly Brandon Ingram and Zion Williamson, the Pelicans are going to have to get as many easy scoring opportunities as possible. They need to control the glass and move the ball quickly to attack a mediocre Bulls defense. Chicago isn’t great at anything in particular, but they have players who can get hot. New Orleans also has limited ball handlers, so expect half court execution to be inconsistent.
Most Recent Starting Lineups
| Chicago Bulls | New Orleans Pelicans |
| G – Coby White | G – CJ McCollum |
| G – Alex Caruso | G – Herbert Jones |
| F – DeMar DeRozan | F – Trey Murphy III |
| F – Ayo Dosunmu | F – Zion Williamson |
| C – Nikola Vucevic | C – Jonas Valanciunas |
The Pelicans are 28-15 with CJ McCollum in the lineup, 6-8 without him. They are 0-1 without both Brandon Ingram and McCollum.
Injuries
Chicago Bulls: Lonzo Ball (knee), Torrey Craig (knee), Zach LaVine (ankle), and Patrick Williams (foot) are OUT.
New Orleans Pelicans: Brandon Ingram (non-Covid illness) and Zion Williamson (left foot contusion) are QUESTIONABLE. Dyson Daniels (left meniscus tear) and CJ McCollum (left ankle sprain) are OUT.
Who: Chicago Bulls (26-30) at New Orleans Pelicans (34-23)
Season Series
- Dec. 2: Bulls def. Pelicans, 124-118
- Feb. 25: Chicago Bulls at New Orleans Pelicans
Where: Smoothie King Center
When: Feb. 25, 6:00 PM CST
Where to watch: Bally Sports New Orleans
Where to listen: WRNO 99.5
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