The games scheduled with Golden State this week marked the last hope for the Pelicans to try and make one last push toward a play-in trip. But losing to them on Monday night all but doomed their season. The teams will meet in New Orleans on Tuesday night to finish off a back-to-back set.
Golden State is playing without a number of key guys, including Damion Lee and Kelly Oubre Jr., and yet the wins continue to come in frequently enough that they can breathe easy. There is some talent around Stephen Curry, but not too much of it. Clearly, enough that they are able to win some games from time to time to appease the fans that want Curry to do it all every night.
New Orleans has been a disappointment once again this year, currently sitting at 29-36. Whether or not you put the blame on Stan Van Gundy, though, is a personal choice. Both Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram have played great basketball, while pretty much every other player on the roster has been inconsistent. Lonzo Ball has emerged as a star of late, but that is really all. No bench punch exists here, and Eric Bledsoe is almost useless in most games.
ODDS
The Pelicans are the home team and are -3 favorites as such. The spread is set at 235 points.
Dubs Seeking Another Win Over NOLA
It was less than 24 hours ago that the Warriors left the court, having beaten the Pelicans. Now, they look to make it two wins in as many days, ruining the year for their opponents. The Dubs should probably have more wins than they do, but a chance to see Curry carry his team to a pair of wins in a play-in tournament and a likely first-round matchup with Utah or Phoenix would be worth it, though.
He certainly won’t win the award, but Steph has been good enough to be an MVP finalist. He’s the scoring leader and is the first guy to ever average 31+ points in his 12th season or later. Wiggins has been a decent running mate, while the now-injured Oubre will be missed because of great athleticism and finishing ability around the rim.
Can they win this one, too?
Pels Looking for Home Victory
Favored by three points, perhaps the Pelicans can enter this game with more confidence. If they want to avoid finishing with a losing record, they will need to go 7-0 over the next two weeks. That’s how many games they have left, now sitting with a not-so-pretty 29-36 record.
Everybody wants Zion in the playoffs. Watching him go against big stars is what the fans want. The league execs just want to see him on national TV, playing games with higher stakes. Everybody in those crowds is upset now because the Pelicans are on the verge of another missed postseason.
They should be able to retool this offseason, but for tonight, they have to stop Curry and just score at will.
DUBS WIN AGAIN
Sorry Pels, but you’ll lose again. Curry will drop 35 to guide the Warriors to a smooth win.
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OVER/UNDER: UNDER 235
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