All of a sudden, New Orleans is playing some of the stingiest, most aggressive defense in the NBA. As a result, the wins are starting to come – even against some of the league’s premier teams. Three days after stunning Denver on the Nuggets’ home floor in a Christmas matchup, the Pelicans knocked off another opponent that was 10-plus games over .500 Saturday, putting the clamps on Indiana’s offense in the final three quarters.
Since losing a heartbreaking overtime game to Brooklyn on Dec. 17, New Orleans has gone 4-1, including road victories at Minnesota, Portland and the aforementioned Denver.