Pelicans Return Home To Host Top Seed Timberwolves

Pelicans look to rebound from terrible tournament performance by hosting Minnesota, who has the best record in the NBA.

New Orleans, LA - The New Orleans Pelicans (12-11) host the Minnesota Timberwolves (17-4) Monday night in the Smoothie King Center. New Orleans is fresh off an embarrassing performance in the semifinals of the NBA In-Season Tournament against the Lakers. They return home to face the top-seed Timberwolves, who have won four straight games against New Orleans.

Despite the Wolves winning streak in this series, Zion Williamson has not played in the last four games versus Minnesota. The last time Williamson played the Wolves, he scored a career-high 43 points in the Pelicans victory back in December 2022. While New Orleans has its superstar back, the Wolves could be without theirs.

All-Star forward Anthony Edwards is questionable for the game with a hip injury. Edwards will be a game-time decision for the Wolves, who have won five straight games heading into Monday. The former Georgia standout is averaging 24.4 points for a Wolves team with the second-highest margin of victory (+7.8) in the NBA. 

Minnesota boasts one of the best defenses in the league, leading the NBA in opponent points per game (105.2), opponent shooting percentage (42.8%), and overall defensive efficiency. The Wolves' two seven-footers Rudy Gobert and Karl-Anthony Towns pose issues for opponents trying to score in the paint. New Orleans is tenth in the league in points scored in the paint, with Williamson scoring the second-most point paints per contest. 

If New Orleans can't score in the paint, they must shoot better from beyond the arc. The Pelicans have dropped to 20th in the league in three-point shooting. Both losses earlier in the season saw below-average shooting from the three-point line for New Orleans. In the two losses, the Pels averaged 34% shooting from three, which would place the Pelicans No. 27 in the league with that percentage.

Sharpshooter Trey Murphy III has returned from injury and is averaging 16 points per game. Murphy III can shoot the ball as well as any player in the league, so incoporating him more into the offense can allow New Orleans to score on the stingy Wolves defense. The Pelicans must also try to get easy transition baskets before Minnesota's elite defense can set themselves.

One way New Orleans can do this is by turning the Wolves over. Minnesota averages 15 turnovers contest, which is No. 23 in the NBA. New Orleans is No. 8 in the league in steals, so creating extra possessions for their offense will provide success over the course of the game. 

New Orleans plays one game before heading on the road for a three-game road trip. The Pelicans don't play back in the Smoothie King Center again until Dec. 19 against the Memphis Grizzlies.