It was a relatively mundane weeknight game on the NBA schedule in early winter, but what happened in the Smoothie King Center last Dec. 7 could’ve served as a 48-minute referendum for what the New Orleans Pelicans were then – and what they hope to be in the future. In a matchup against a fiercely intense Boston team, the Celtics posted a 111-93, steal-your-lunch-money win over the Pelicans, outhustling and outworking the home team. Of New Orleans’ 14 turnovers in that game, several consisted of Boston players simply ripping the ball away and racing to the other end of the court for a basket.
2016-17 Pelicans season preview: New Orleans wants intensity, grit to be hallmarks of revamped team
