NEW ORLEANS – Maybe the fifth time will be the charm for the New Orleans Pelicans.
Four times this season the Pelicans have entered a game riding a four-game win streak, and four times this season the Pels have gone down to defeat.
Tonight the Pelicans get their fifth chance to take a bite of that apple as they host the ailing Cleveland Cavaliers.
The Cavs have lost three of their last four and could be without All-Star Donovan Mitchell, and will play without interior force Evan Mobley and outside shooter Max Straus.
The Pelicans are as hot as they’ve been this season; having won four in a row and five of their last six. Over those last six games, the Pelicans rank second in the NBA in offensive rating (121.8), defensive rating (104.4), and tops in net rating (17.3) by a solid margin over the Boston Celtics.
New Orleans has gotten huge contributions from its reserves, with the backups sitting second to the Celtics in plus/minus. Trey Murphy has been the driving force as of late, averaging a team-high 22.8 ppg over his last six contests. Willie Green has also gotten plenty from Naji Marshall, Jose Alvarado, and Larry Nance Jr., who have combined for almost 21 ppg themselves.
But the tone is set by the starters, and both Brandon Ingram and Zion Williamson have been playing at high levels as well, with both shooting above 50% from the floor, 33% from beyond the arc, and 75% at the charity stripe while combining for nearly 12 rebounds and 12 assists per game.
Sitting two games behind the Los Angeles Clippers in the race for the Western Conference’s fourth-seed, the Pelicans need to get a three-game sweep of this winnable home series starting with the Cavs tonight, followed by those Clippers on Friday, and closing with a back-to-back on Saturday against the Portland Trail Blazers.
New Orleans still has a chance at its first 50-win season since 2007-08 and just the second in the history of the franchise if they can win 11 of their last 18. The march towards history continues tonight.
Most Recent Starting Lineups
| Cleveland Cavaliers | New Orleans Pelicans |
| G – Darius Garland | G – CJ McCollum |
| G – Caris LeVert | G – Herb Jones |
| F – Isaac Okoro | F – Brandon Ingram |
| F – Georges Niang | F – Zion Williamson |
| C – Jarrett Allen | C – Jonas Valanciunas |
Injuries
New Orleans Pelicans: Dyson Daniels (left knee meniscectomy) is OUT.
Cleveland Cavaliers: Donovan Mitchell (knee) is QUESTIONABLE. Ty Jerome (right ankle), Evan Mobley (sprained left ankle), Max Straus (knee), and Dean Wade (personal) are OUT.
Who: Cleveland Cavaliers (41-24) at New Orleans Pelicans (39-25)
Season Series
- Dec. 21: Pelicans def. Cavaliers, 123-104
- Mar. 13: Cleveland Cavaliers at New Orleans Pelicans
Where: Smoothie King Center
When: Mar. 13, 7:00 PM CST
Where to watch: Bally Sports New Orleans
Where to listen: WRNO 99.5
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I really think something is wrong with Willie Green mindset. He continues to rotate same guys out like clockwork. Cavs shooting lights out from 3 and he won’t counter with their own 3 point shooters. Defensive scheme was trash. Guys giving up too much space between them and the shooter. Too much switching. CJ was outmatched every time. I think Wille is retarded sometimes