1) Week 8 of the NBA schedule for New Orleans (10-12) features a mishmash of opponents from both conferences, starting with Tuesday’s 6:30 p.m. home game vs. Houston (11-11). Tickets are available for the conclusion of a brief two-game homestand. The week continues with the first three games of a four-game road trip, including stops in Chicago (9-13), Dallas (10-14) and Detroit (5-18). That Pistons game on Sunday evening was a recent addition to the slate. The finale of the four-game road excursion is Tuesday, Feb. 16 in Memphis.
2) Speaking of the Grizzlies, the Pelicans picked up a quality victory Saturday by rallying in the fourth quarter to beat them 118-109.
3) A third straight win has vaulted New Orleans to 12th place in the Western Conference and only one game out of the final play-in spot. The No. 10 team, Houston, visits Tuesday night, but first the Rockets are at Charlotte tonight. The Pelicans are also only 1.5 games behind eighth-place Golden State (12-11) and two back of sixth-place Portland (12-10). Remember, places 1-6 automatically reach the playoffs, while 7-10 will be part of the May 18-21 play-in tournament and vie for the final two playoff seeds.
4) New Orleans will practice this morning, followed by media availability that will be streamed live on Pelicans.com and social media channels.
5) Read about player “scoring soundbites” on the Smoothie King Center PA system this season. Josh Hart holds the No. 1 spot in a “top 10 countdown” of the best selections by the Pelicans.
