Since the last standings watch, the New Orleans Pelicans have gained two games in the loss column on the 8th seed in the Western Conference race. They have won five of their last seven games including wins over the Detroit Pistons and Sacramento Kings. Although they currently sit 3 games behind the Portland Trail Blazers, it's more important to note the difference in losses (it's just 2) for teams interested in controlling their own destiny.
The main reason for their recent stretch of wins has been the schedule -- it finally lightened up once the calendar flipped to 2016.