A look at three key numbers related to Wednesday’s game at the Target Center between New Orleans and Minnesota (7 p.m. Central, Fox Sports New Orleans, ESPN Radio New Orleans 100.3 FM):
553: Career three-pointers made in a New Orleans uniform for both Peja Stojakovic and Jrue Holiday. The latter will set the Pelicans franchise record for three-point baskets the next time he drains one, which could happen Wednesday in Minneapolis. Holiday tied Stojakovic on the New Orleans all-time three-point field goal list by going 2/7 from beyond the arc in Tuesday’s loss to Brooklyn. The seven-year member of the Pelicans has made multiple threes in three of the past four games; over the course of the season, he’s connected on at least one trey in 18 of the 26 games he’s played.
4, 7: Rank among the 30 NBA teams in pace for Minnesota and New Orleans, respectively. The Pelicans entered 2019-20 with a goal of being the league’s fastest-paced team, but they’ve settled into the top seven, averaging 103.56 possessions per 48 minutes, via NBA.com. Meanwhile, Minnesota is averaging 104.22 possessions per 48 minutes, trailing only Milwaukee, Washington and Houston in tempo. In recent years, a majority of the teams that have played fast have sported winning records, but it’s mostly been the opposite this season – nine of the top 13 teams in pace are below .500. Given how much New Orleans has struggled defensively, however, the Pelicans have needed to generate big numbers offensively to remain competitive on a nightly basis, having won only once this season when tallying less than 115 points. Minnesota has just two victories while scoring fewer than 115.
0: Wins in December for New Orleans and Minnesota. Something has to give Wednesday, because the Pelicans have dropped a team-record 13 consecutive games, while the Timberwolves have lost seven in a row. New Orleans’ last victory occurred Nov. 21 at Phoenix, while Minnesota’s most recent win was Nov. 27 in San Antonio. Oddly, the Wolves have been much better in away games lately than in their own arena, having not won in Target Center since Nov. 13, also against the Spurs. Incredibly, Minnesota actually ranks sixth in the NBA in December offensive efficiency (113.4 points per 100 possessions, via NBA.com), but has no wins due to being last in defensive efficiency (123.5 points allowed per 100 possessions) during the same timeframe. New Orleans ranks in the bottom four on both sides of the ball in December.
