Top Takeaway From Cleveland Cavaliers' Win Over New Orleans Pelicans

The Cleveland Cavaliers capped off their recent road trip with a 111-106 weekend win over the New Orleans Pelicans.

The Cavs have won four of their last five games after alternating between wins and losses since late February. The duo of Donovan Mitchell and James Harden ended the night with a combined 47 points, while Sam Merrill notched the first double-double of his career.

The entire Pelicans' starting five responded with double-figure nights of their own.

Mar 21, 2026; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard James Harden (1) shoots against New Orleans Pelicans guard Dejounte Murray (5) during the second half at Smoothie King Center. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images | Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images

Not Over 'Til It's Over

It's never truly over until the clock hits zero.

Cleveland nearly learned that the hard way against a division counterpart in the Chicago Bulls, who nearly swiped a game from the Cavs' grasp before stalling out at the least opportune moments. Cleveland entered the fourth quarter of its duel in New Orleans down 12 as the Pelicans pushed ahead by pounding the paint, a specialty for a squad that ranks just behind the Detroit Pistons for the 2nd-strongest paint attack in the NBA.

The Cavs were down by as many as 15 points in the fourth quarter despite pushing out to comfortable leads of their own in the first half.

Mitchell and Harden earned about half of their combined points in the fourth quarter as they drove and shot their way to victory. The two closers would add four combined assists in the quarter as they found one another for some much-needed buckets. New Orleans, in turn, was forced to only earn paint points from the floor as the Cavs locked down every other part of the halfcourt.

The difference between being a good team and a great one in the postseason will be how often, and how willing, Cleveland will be able to seal victories when it matters most.

The Cavs have barely outpaced the Minnesota Timberwolves for the most 4th-quarter points per game this season while ranking at about third in field goal percentage. While they rank at about 22nd in the league in clutch scoring, they've taken it to another level with just under 12 points per game in the last five games, which puts them on par with the Toronto Raptors for about fourth in the NBA.

They'll still need to overcome some slower second quarters when they face the Orlando Magic, where the Cavs rank near the bottom of the league in scoring despite outpacing the Magic in the quarter in all three of their matchups this season.

The Cavs will tip off against the Magic at 8:00 p.m. EDT on Tuesday in Rocket Arena. The game will be broadcast on NBC, Peacock and FanDuel Sports Network - Ohio.