A pair of Western Conference teams will meet up on Friday as part of the NBA in-season tournament. These two teams are battling out of Group B in the Western Conference. The Pelicans are tied with the Nuggets at 2-1 in the standings, while the Clippers are 1-2.
Overall, the Pelicans are 8-7 on the season, which is 9th in the Western Conference. The Pelicans have won back to back games, with their most recent coming on Wednesday at home to the Sacramento Kings. New Orleans is 2-3 this season on the road.
For the Los Angeles Clippers, they are 6-7 on the season. They are a game behind the Pelicans for the 9th spot in the West. The Clippers are 4-1 at home, and have won three straight games. Los Angeles is coming off a win over the Spurs on Wednesday night.
The Los Angeles Clippers are -6 in this game at home. The total for the game is set at 225.
Veteran Clippers Squad
Kawhi Leonard was hearing the boo’s all game in San Antonio, but that didn’t bother him, as he led the game with 26 points. Leonard and Paul George are leading the Clippers offensive attack, as they are combining for more than 45 points per game. It was the second time in three games Leonard led the team in scoring. James Harden has come and joined the crew and scored 16 points per game, and leads with nearly 6 assists per game.
Russell Westbrook is coming off the bench now for the Clippers, and bringing some life to that group. The point guard is playing more than 29 minutes per game, scoring 12.8 points, grabbing 6.2 rebounds and dishing out 5.5 assists per game. The Clippers big man Ivica Zubac leads the team with 8.5 rebounds per game.
The Clippers are at home for three straight games. Los Angeles will welcome the Mavericks and Nuggets to town next, before going on the road to take on the Kings and Warriors next week.
New Orleans Pelicans Looking to Stay Consistent
For the New Orleans Pelicans, they would love to find some more consistency. The Pelicans went through a stretch where they fell in five straight games, allowing 122 points or more in four out of the five. Now, the Pelicans have won four out of five games, and hold all four opponents they beat to 112 points or less.
The Pelicans won their second straight behind Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram on Wednesday. Those two guys lead the team in scoring with 24 and 22.4 points per game respectively. The Pelicans have five other guys scoring double digits per game, with CJ McCollum at 21.7 per game.
New Orleans will start a three game road trip here. The Clippers on Friday, followed by back to back games in Utah. New Orleans then finishes the month at home against Philadelphia on Wednesday.
Los Angeles over New Orleans
The Los Angeles Clippers seem to be hitting their stride a little bit. The Clippers have a ton of experience, and a ton of talent. They will find themselves near the top of the Western Conference standings before it is all said and done.
Look for the Clippers to win this game at home with their ability to score and get stops when they need to. With the Clippers winning, the standings in Group B will be interesting. Bet the Los Angeles Clippers -6 over the New Orleans Pelicans on Friday.
