The New Orleans Pelicans and New York Knicks are both entering tonight’s matchup on two-game losing streaks.
For the Pelicans, the issue is simply that they can’t find a way to beat Eastern Conference teams on the road. They’re now 1-8 in such games, after falling to the Celtics on MLK Day. Although New Orleans will head home after tonight, three of the next six contests include matchups in Philadelphia, Cleveland and Detroit.
The Knicks had won five of six games before suffering successive losses to the Hornets and Timberwolves. The Minnesota defeat was particularly hard for New York fans because their team had seized control of the game after a monster third quarter but failed to close well.