New Orleans Pelicans Winning Streak On The Line In Battle With Cleveland Cavaliers
New Orleans, LA - The New Orleans Pelicans (39-25) return home after a perfect road trip to face the Cleveland Cavaliers (41-24) Wednesday night at the Smoothie King Center. New Orleans has the longest current win streak in the NBA at four games, and the No. 4 spot in the Western Conference standings is within reach. Meanwhile, the Cavs hope to get their star forward, Donovan Mitchell, back in the lineup. Mitchell missed the last seven games with a knee injury but is questionable for Wednesday's game.
Despite his absence, the Cavs recorded a couple of impressive wins, including victories over the top-seeded Boston Celtics and Western Conference contender Minnesota Timberwolves. Cleveland hangs its hat on their defense, where they rank No. 5 in the league in opponent points per game and No. 4 in opponent field goal percentage. The anchor in the middle is center Jarrett Allen, who averages over a block per game. Cleveland allows the second-least points in the paint in the league, presenting a unique challenge for the Pelicans.
New Orleans star Zion Williamson averages the second-most points in the paint, scoring 17.1 points in the restricted area. Williamson has diversified his game nicely, apart from his scoring ability. He recorded a season-high 12 assists last Friday against the 76ers, and defensively, his seven blocks over the last three games are the most over a three-game stretch in his career. Williamson is slowly getting to optimum shape and performance, just in time for the Pelicans playoff run.
Cleveland is close to getting Mitchell back, in a big boost for their offense. Mitchell averages 28 points and 6.2 assists per game for the Cavs this season and 24 points versus the Pelicans in his career. Herb Jones will get the bulk of the defensive assignment if Mitchell does play on Wednesday. Jones has proven to be much more than a defensive juggernaut. He's making a solid case to be All-NBA First Team, while also adding a big boost to the Pels offense with his outside shooting. Jones shoots 43.5% from beyond the three-point line, ranking No. 7 overall in the NBA. As a team, the Pelicans are No. 5 in the league in three-point shooting.
Wednesday's game starts an important three-game homestand for the Pelicans. On Friday, they face the Los Angeles Clippers, the team directly above them in the standings and a potential playoff opponent. The Pelicans have their best record at this point of the season in over five years.
