During the first month of the regular season, everything seemed to be going against New Orleans, whether it was key injuries, a daunting schedule that tilted toward elite opponents and long road trips, or a bad record in close games. As the NBA All-Star break approaches, it all appears to be headed in the other direction.
The Pelicans have gotten healthier lately and are winning clutch games with much greater frequency. Just as they’ve moved into the No. 10 spot in the Western Conference for the first time in 2021-22, they’re about to spend a multi-week stretch in Louisiana, featuring their longest homestand (six games) of the entire campaign.