New Orleans Pelicans: Disney Schedule and Predictions
New Orleans Pelicans’ Schedule and Predictions: The Need to Wins
The Pelicans absolutely must win the three games mentioned previously to have a realistic chance at overtaking Portland and holding off Sacramento and San Antonio.
The next two games are also ones they will need to win, but they could potentially drop one of these as long as they made it up somewhere else.
Game 6: San Antonio Spurs
The Pelicans lost their only matchup to the Spurs this season in Zion Williamson’s debut. Zion played well, but forgotten in all the hype was that the Pelicans lost the game.
The good news is that the guy who dropped 32 points and 14 rebounds on them, LaMarcus Aldridge, will not be playing.
If the Pelicans can keep the Spurs’ guards under control, they should be able to win this one, as the Spurs have no one who can stop Zion.
But don’t ever count the Spurs out.
This one would fall into the “must-win” category except that the Spurs are a half game behind the Pelicans. It is still a game the Pelicans need to win and if they don’t they’ll have a much more difficult road to the playoffs.
Game 8: Orlando Magic
The Magic were the 8th seed in the Eastern Conference heading into the break though they were five games below .500 for the season.
Orlando doesn’t have a superstar but they have a reliable cast of very good players who share the ball and the scoring load.
The Magic beat the Pelicans in their only matchup this season behind eight players in double figures. The Pels were without Zion at the time, so it will be a much different game, but the Magic were playing well heading into the hiatus and sit atop the list of “teams that could ruin someone’s season.”
The Pelicans need to win these two, but if they don’t, they’ll have to make it up by winning one against an elite Western Conference opponent.