Pelica Debrief
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New Orleans Pelicans: 5 games the team can’t lose in midst of playoff race

By Willie Lutz

HOUSTON, TEXAS - FEBRUARY 02: Zion Williamson #1 of the New Orleans Pelicans talks with Jrue Holiday #11 in the first half against the Houston Rockets at Toyota Center on February 02, 2020 in Houston, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images)
HOUSTON, TEXAS - FEBRUARY 02: Zion Williamson #1 of the New Orleans Pelicans talks with Jrue Holiday #11 in the first half against the Houston Rockets at Toyota Center on February 02, 2020 in Houston, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images) /
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Alvin Gentry, New Orleans Pelicans
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – FEBRUARY 04: Head coach Alvin Gentry of the New Orleans Pelicans reacts against the Milwaukee Bucks during a game at the Smoothie King Center on February 04, 2020 in New Orleans, Louisiana. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images) /

Monday, April 13,  2020, Washington Wizards @ New Orleans Pelicans

Playing twice in the New Orleans Pelicans’ final seven games of the 2019-2020 season, the Washington Wizards are a team that has been feisty in their own right.

Currently standing 22-38 and ninth in the Eastern Conference, the Wizards are 4.5 games behind the Orlando Magic for the eighth seed.

However, by the time the team plays in New Orleans in the second-to-last game of the season for both teams, there’s a good chance the Wizards’ playoff hopes will have fallen by the wayside.

There are some really tough shooters on the Washington roster, as their superstar in Bradley Beal has given teams a lot to handle even in losses this season.

Further, Dāvis Bertāns is shooting 42.6% from three-point range this season and averaging 15.2 points, looking like a fearless forward.

Washington does have a pretty paper-thin defense on the other hand, which should be great news for scorers like Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram, who seem highly capable of dismantling the unit as they’ve proven against other soft-coverage clubs.

Ranking dead-last in the league with a 115.2 defensive rating, it’ll be key for the Pelicans to run up the score, as Washington can get hot and shoot an opponent out of a game.

This is one of the final two games of the season for the New Orleans Pelicans, who could very likely need a win in this game to solidify their final run at the eighth seed in the playoffs; they just can’t afford to let that one slip away like they did on Tuesday against Minnesota.

New Orleans Pelicans: Next 8 Games Could Determine Playoffs. dark. Next

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