NEW ORLEANS — Just a few weeks ago, it looked like the New Orleans Pelicans wouldn't be playing any postseason basketball. Now, they are just one win away from clinching a spot in the Play-In Tournament.
The Pels are currently 40-38 and 8th in the Western Conference as they head into the last week of the regular season. They are 7-3 in their last ten games, and it's the first time they have been two games over .500 since February 13.
Brandon Ingram has played some of the best basketball of his career during this stretch. He's had two triple-doubles and is averaging 29.5 points, 8 assists, and 6 rebounds in the last ten games.
He's [Brandon Ingram] right up there at the top of that list. You add the wins on top of what he's doing offensively, defensively, his passing, his rebounding. He's playing like one of the best players in the league right now," Green said after Monday's practice.
Their playoff push continues Tuesday night in the Smoothie King Center when the team starts a three-game home stand with the Sacramento Kings. They'll play the Memphis Grizzlies the following night, and their last regular season home game is on Friday night against the New York Knicks. The Pels end the season on the road against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
"We have four games. It's a cliche, but we're just looking at one game at a time," Green said.
One win will clinch at least the 10th seed, but with an undefeated week, they could climb as high as the 5th seed. A 3-1 week could also potentially get them the fifth seed.
The Pels are jockeying with the LA Clippers, Golden State Warriors, and the LA Lakers for the 5th and 6th seed. Right now, they are just a half-game back of the Clippers and Warriors. The Pelicans only own the tiebreaker over the Clippers.
Here's who the Pelicans could potentially play if they avoided the Play-In Tournament:
- 5th seed, they would play the 4th seed Phoenix Suns
- 6th seed, they would play the 3rd seed Sacramento Kings
If the Pelicans are unable to move higher than 7th in the standings, they'll participate in the Play-In Tournament for the second straight season.
Here is how the play-in tournament works:
7th seed plays the 8th seed, and the 9th seed plays the 10th seed. The winner of the 7-8 game gets the 7th seed, while the loser plays the winner of the 9-10 game for the 8th seed.
So if the season ended today, the Pelicans would play the Los Angles Lakers in LA for the 7th seed. If the Pelicans were to win that game, they would clinch the 7th seed, but if they lost, they would host the winner of the Minnesota Timberwolves/Oklahoma City Thunder for the 8th seed.
The Play-In Tournament is scheduled to begin on Tuesday, April 11, and end on Friday, April 14.
Injury Report:
We could learn if Zion Williamson will return to the court this season in a few days. Williamson is reportedly scheduled to be re-evaluated Wednesday. After Monday's practice, Green was asked if Williamson was able to do anything in practice, and he said, "No, he didn't go through practice today."
Last week he was seen working out pregame in Denver. ESPN NBA reporter Andrew Lopez tweeted a video of the star forward finishing his workout with a dunk.
Williamson had a strong start to the 2022-2023 season, averaging 26 points, 7 rebounds, and 4.6 assists per game. But due to his injury, he has only played 29 games this season.
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