Pelicans Seek Victory Against The Streaking Jazz To Avoid Losing Season Series

New Orleans, LA - The New Orleans Pelicans (25-18) host the Utah Jazz (22-22) Tuesday night in the Smoothie King Center. New Orleans is looking to bounce back after a blowout loss to the Phoenix Suns last Friday night. Meanwhile, the Jazz are one of the hottest teams in the NBA. They've won 12 of their last 16 games, tying them for the best record in the league over that stretch. Utah has won five of their last six games versus the Pelicans.

New Orleans ranks Top 10 in both offensive and defensive rating in the NBA. Despite that, the Pelicans are one of the worst clutch teams in the league, with a 6-9 record in clutch games this year, including a 0-6 record for games decided by three points or less. Four of the last five wins for Utah against the Pelicans have come by five points or less.

If the Pelicans want to get back on track Tuesday night, they must contend with a physical Jazz team. Utah is second in the NBA in rebounds per game and tied for sixth in the league for blocked shots. Physicality is an issue for New Orleans that Coach Willie Green often points out after games. The Pels big men must match the strength of the Jazz interior. That starts with Zion Williamson.

Williamson is averaging career lows in points, shot attempts, and shooting percentage this season. One area of improvement needs to be his assertiveness on offense and rebounding. Zion has just five double-doubles this season and none this month. In the Pels' last four losses, Williamson averages just four rebounds per game. That won't cut it against a Jazz team that has three players that average more than seven rebounds a game. The Pelicans have one.

Offensively, the Jazz are one of the best teams in the league over the last 16 games. They rank No. 3 in offensive rating (121.6), thanks in part to guard Colin Sexton, who is averaging 29 points per game over his last four games. Since being named a Jazz starter in December, Sexton is sixth in the league in points per 36 minutes (29.2). All-Star forward Lauri Markkanen leads the Jazz in points (24) and rebounds (8.9) this season.

One major factor from the three previous matchups is the three-point shooting. Utah is +48 from beyond the arc this season against New Orleans. The Pelicans are averaging just nine three-point makes against the Jazz this season. While the Pels' three-point percentage is among the best in the league (No. 4), they are near the bottom in attempts per game (No. 27). New Orleans must shoot a higher volume of threes to level the playing field against Utah on Tuesday.

The Pelicans are 1-1 on this current four-game home stand. After Tuesday's matchup with Utah, they face the high-flying Oklahoma City Thunder on Friday night before hitting the road again.