The Boston Celtics (57-16, first in the Eastern Conference) will face off against the New Orleans Pelicans (45-28, fifth in the Western Conference) in a non-conference matchup in New Orleans on Saturday at 5 p.m. EDT.
The Pelicans have a strong record of 21-14 in home games but have struggled in close games, with a 1-6 record in games decided by less than 4 points. On the other hand, the Celtics have a 25-13 record on the road and are fifth in the Eastern Conference with 15.5 fast break points per game, led by Jaylen Brown who averages 4.4.
This will be the second meeting between the two teams this season, with the Celtics winning the last matchup 118-112 on Jan. 30. The top performers to watch include Jonas Valanciunas and Zion Williamson for the Pelicans, and Derrick White and Sam Hauser for the Celtics.
In terms of recent performance, both teams have been putting up impressive offensive numbers, with the Pelicans averaging 110.3 points and the Celtics averaging 123.5 points in their last 10 games. However, it’s worth noting that Brandon Ingram and Jose Alvarado are out for New Orleans while Jaden Springer and Al Horford are out for Boston.
Despite their impressive records on paper, both teams have had their fair share of struggles recently – New Orleans has gone 7-3 over their last ten games while Boston has won only two of those same ten matches – which may make this matchup more interesting than expected as they strive to get back on track before playoffs season begins next month