The New Orleans Pelicans have lost four-in-a-row and are barely clinging to their dying playoff chances.
The Pels are 3.5 games behind the 10th place Spurs for the final play-in spot and with time running out, it is now or never for the Pels.
Let’s face it, the only reason they still have any chance at all is because they still have games remaining against some of the teams they are chasing, otherwise we’d already be looking forward to the draft.
But a loss to the Orlando Magic tonight would probably be the final nail in the coffin, especially considering the Magic have been terrible lately and are actively trying to lose.
If the Pelicans lose this one, it is officially a wrap on this season.
Here are three things to watch in a must-win game against the Orlando Magic.
New Orleans Pelicans: Can the Pelicans execute against a bad team?
The New Orleans Pelicans have shown that they can hang with any team in the NBA, but have also shown they can get beaten by anyone.
The Pelicans have lost most of their games against teams below .500 including this very Magic team the last time they played.
Part of this is because the Pelicans cannot hold a lead, something we’ve seen time and time again as they have blown double-digit advantages in nearly half of their losses.
If the Pelicans had just won a few of those, this season would look a lot different, but could have and should have don’t matter in the Win/Loss column.
The Pelicans need to play smarter, to execute in the half court, to not turn the ball over so much and to not completely fall apart down the stretch.
This is a game against a team they should beat and it would be nice to see the Pelicans come out and play a smart, focused game from beginning to end.