New Orleans lost its first six home games of 2021-22 and was just 3-9 in the Smoothie King Center after a Dec. 8 overtime loss to Denver, not regularly rewarding fans for making the trip to the Pelicans’ home venue. What a difference a few months can make.
The Pelicans are 14-11 at home since that 3-9 start. Less tangibly, they’ve begun to create a more raucous atmosphere in their arena, a bigger factor in gaining a nightly homecourt advantage. Thursday’s 126-109 victory over Chicago was the latest example, with several New Orleans players commenting afterward about the impact made by 13,973 fans.