On Tuesday, one of the NBA’s best offenses over the past 10 days will face a defense that generally gives everyone difficulty, as surging New Orleans (29-41) hosts normally stingy Memphis (40-30) in the Smoothie King Center. The Grizzlies (fifth in the league in defensive efficiency, at 104.1 points per 100 possessions, via NBA.com) will provide the stiffest test yet for the Pelicans during a stretch in which New Orleans has gone 4-1 and averaged 113.6 points per 100 possessions.
In three previous Memphis-New Orleans matchups, the outcome hasn’t been decided until the last possession, including two overtime games.