While at first glance the New Orleans Pelicans matchup against the Cleveland Cavaliers tonight doesn’t appear all that interesting to the common fan, realize that only a couple of games separate the Pelicans from the 9th seed in the Western Conference standings. And the team currently occupying that position, the San Antonio Spurs, tips off against the Mavericks an hour from now in Dallas.
If the Pelicans take care of business in Cleveland and the Spurs fall in Big D, New Orleans will sit just a game in back of both the Warriors and Spurs for the important 9th and 10th seeds.