New Orleans Pelicans: 3 Keys to Victory Against Minnesota

The New Orleans Pelicans will try to exact revenge on the Minnesota Timberwolves as they continue to chase the eight seed in the Western Conference.

After the last meeting with the Timberwolves the New Orleans Pelicans were left reeling and wondering if their chances at the playoffs had just disappeared.

The New Orleans Pelicans also learned an important lesson about the NBA: games are not played on paper.

The Timberwolves have been bad this season, and the young Pelicans may have overlooked them en route to a primetime matchup with Dallas.

Minnesota made them pay.

The New Orleans Pelicans forgot to play defense and the Timberwolves dropped 139 points on their way to handing the Pelicans a devastating home loss.

It was an ugly effort for the Pelicans, who went into cruise control after taking an early lead and were never able to find the energy on the defensive end.

Tied for the 10th seed, 4.5 games behind Memphis with only 19 games to go, the New Orleans Pelicans definitely cannot afford to drop another game to one of the NBA’s worst teams that is missing their best player, Karl-Anthony Towns.

Five Thirty Eight still gives the Pelicans a 55 percent chance at the playoffs, but if they don’t win today that number may as well be zero.

The Pelicans need to maintain focus, never let their foot off the gas, and not play around with lesser opponents, including the Timberwolves.

Here are three keys to victory on a lovely Sunday afternoon in Minneapolis.

Learn and Adjust

The New Orleans Pelicans couldn’t stop anyone in the last game against Minnesota. The entire Timberwolves’ starting five scored in double digits and in total Minnesota had eight players with at least 11 points.

The Timberwolves shot 41.2 percent from 3-point range as a team and added 72 points in the paint, two numbers that the Pelicans will have to change if they want to take care of business against Minnesota.

The Pelicans were unable to defend the mid pick-and-roll against Minnesota, which resulted in late rotations that left the Timberwolves (particularly Malik Beasley) open for 3-pointers as well as easy drives to the hoop that often went uncontested.

It was a night to forget for the New Orleans Pelicans’ defense, but if they don’t remember how to guard the pick-and-roll, they are going to get a repeat performance.

Minnesota has a talented backcourt in D’Angelo Russell and Beasley, both of who can score from anywhere on the court. The New Orleans Pelicans must do a better job of going over screens to stop the Minnesota guards from getting open 3-pointers or uncontested drives to the hoop.

If Alvin Gentry and the New Orleans Pelicans do not adjust their pick-and-roll defense then it is going to be another long game.