Pelicans at Timberwolves
The New Orleans Pelicans snapped a three-game slide on Friday and need to put together a long winning streak to have any hope of jumping over the pack and earning a playoff spot in the Western Conference. The Pelicans will try to make it back-to-back wins when they visit the Minnesota Timberwolves on Sunday in the opener of a four-game road trip.
New Orleans sits four games behind the eighth-place Memphis Grizzlies with 19 games left on the schedule entering play on Saturday and will likely see things decided over the next nine contests, which include two games against the Grizzlies, two against Sacramento and one versus San Antonio along with matchups at West powers Utah and the Los Angeles Clippers. "Who's not thinking about it?" Pelicans guard Jrue Holiday said to reporters when asked about the postseason race. "We had a conversation about it (Friday). I think everybody knows where we stand, what we have to do to get in the playoffs. We play two teams that are ahead of us in the standings and we have to take that seriously. This team, I feel like we come in professional every single day, try to lock in and get wins." The Timberwolves are not a part of the postseason race but that didn't stop them from earning a 139-134 victory at New Orleans on Tuesday. Minnesota is trying to build chemistry with a rebuilt roster and is 3-3 in its last six games but is coming off a 132-118 home loss to the Orlando Magic on Friday.
TIME: 3:30 p.m. ET. TV: FS New Orleans, FS North
ABOUT THE PELICANS (27-36): Teams are making an effort to get the ball out of rookie Zion Williamson's hands and the rest of his New Orleans teammates are stepping up in support. Williamson still managed 17 points on 7-of-9 shooting Friday against Miami, but Holiday stepped up with 20 points and Josh Hart came off the bench to collect 19 points and 12 rebounds. "I think we just look for opportunities," Holiday told reporters. "I think we saw that, especially last game and the game before, they're going to collapse on (Williamson). He's a beast under there. Really just to be in his vision so he can make those kick-outs, make those cuts to the basket to try to get to a space he can throw it to. I think we are starting to figure it out."
ABOUT THE TIMBERWOLVES (19-43): Minnesota may have found a gem at the trade deadline in guard Malik Beasley, who led the team with 29 points on 14-of-21 shooting in 28 minutes on Friday and is averaging 22 points in 12 games since arriving from Denver at the trade deadline. The Timberwolves also brought in veteran James Johnson, and he and Beasley were upset about the team's effort on the defensive end after watching Orlando shoot 60.7 percent from the floor on Friday. "Bad body language from the start," Johnson told reporters. "You can use whatever excuse you want. We just didn't come out - this is the second game at home that we did that and it's unacceptable. We've got to do better. We're going to get better, and it's going to start (Saturday)."
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Pelicans All-Star SF Brandon Ingram went 4-of-20 from the floor on Friday after knocking down a combined 20-of-39 in the previous two games.
2. Timberwolves G D'Angelo Russell scored a season-low five points on 2-of-14 shooting Friday.
3. New Orleans earned a 107-99 win at Minnesota on Dec. 18 behind 34 points from Ingram.