Ball Brothers Set to Battle
Pelicans Try to Stay Alive vs Hornets
The New Orleans Pelicans try to keep their faint play-in tournament hopes alive when they visit the Charlotte Hornets for a key contest on Sunday. The game is scheduled for a 7 p.m. ET tip-off at the Spectrum Center in Charlotte, N.C.
The Pelicans have lost two of their last three, including a two-point setback to the Philadelphia 76ers on Friday night. New Orleans fell to 30-37 with the loss and is in 11th place in the Western Conference standings, two games behind the 10th-place San Antonio Spurs entering Sunday’s action. Both teams have five games remaining in the regular season.
The Hornets have all but clinched a spot in the play-in tournament, though they want to stay in the top eight in the conference standings to avoid needing two wins to qualify for the playoffs. Charlotte is coming off a win over Orlando on Friday that put it at 33-34, good for eighth place in the East, 1½ games ahead of the Washington Wizards and two ahead of the Indiana Pacers.
Looking at the NBA odds for this one, the Hornets are 3½-point favorites at home, with the over/under set at 222½.
Hard Times
The New Orleans Pelicans are trying to rally for a spot in the play-in tournament with three of their five starters likely sidelined for this one with injuries. Zion Williamson is definitely out with a fractured finger while Brandon Ingram is considered doubtful with an ankle injury and Steven Adams is questionable with a toe injury.
If the trio sits out again, as they did on Friday night, that’s 58.4 points, 21.0 rebounds and 10.5 assists of production that will be missing for coach Stan Van Gundy’s squad.
Guard Lonzo Ball has been trying to make up for that lost scoring, averaging 25.5 points, 6.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists over the last two. Ball is averaging 14.7 points, 4.8 rebounds and 5.8 assists for the season but is looking for his shot more with so many teammates sidelined.
Center Jaxson Hayes had a big game against Philadelphia on Friday, finishing with 19 points, eight rebounds, three assists and three blocks in his third start. If Adams can’t go — and even if he can — Hayes will likely garner more minutes.
Getting Close
The Hornets are very close to playing past the end of the regular season for the first time since 2016. The worry is how healthy they’ll be when they get to that point.
Guard LaMelo Ball came back early from a fractured wrist that was expected to put him out for the rest of the season in March. He’s played well since returning, averaging 15.8 points, 6.0 rebounds and 6.8 assists in his five games back.
“Maybe because he was injured there for a while, he’s fresh now,” Hornets coach James Borrego said of his rookie guard. “But his consistency is one of his strengths: When he has an off night, he finds a way to come back and respond every single time.”
Guard Terry Rozier leads the Hornets in scoring with 20.3 points per game and he’s coming off a 28-point performance in Friday’s win. Forward P.J. Washington has gone over the 20-point mark in each of his last three games. His production will be important while fellow forwards Miles Bridges (COVID-19 protocols) and Gordon Hayward (foot) continue to sit out.
Younger Ball Gets Win
In the first meeting between the Ball brothers this season, LaMelo had the edge both in the team win and in the scoring column (12-5). Both should score more in this one, but the team result should stay the same.
The Pelicans are struggling to keep a healthy lineup together and the loss of Williamson is going to be too big to overcome in this one. Charlotte gets a step closer to the play-in with a victory.
When making your NBA betting picks, go with the Hornets to win and cover in this one.
Pick: Charlotte Hornets -3½
