SALT LAKE CITY – NBA players and coaches like to say they don’t treat any game with more importance than another, but the fact remains, some nights are more significant than others when it comes to the standings. Case in point: every New Orleans Pelicans game from now through Christmas Eve will take place against a team that is currently somewhere between eighth through 11th place in the Western Conference. The Pelicans (6-18) are 14th at the moment, but have a chance to make baby steps toward contention if they can put together a successful stretch.
That four-game span begins tonight in Utah, where New Orleans dropped a game Nov.