The Boston Celtics (57-16, first in the Eastern Conference) are set to face off against the New Orleans Pelicans (45-28, fifth in the Western Conference) in a non-conference matchup at the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans on Saturday at 5 p.m. EDT.
The Pelicans have a strong record of 21-14 at home but have struggled in close games, with a 1-6 record in games decided by less than 4 points. In contrast, the Celtics have a 25-13 record on the road and are fifth in the Eastern Conference with 15.5 fast break points per game, led by Jaylen Brown who averages 4.4.
This will be the second meeting between the two teams this season, with the Celtics winning the last matchup 118-112 on Jan. 30. The top performers to watch include Jonas Valanciunas and Zion Williamson for the Pelicans, and Derrick White and Sam Hauser for the Celtics.
In terms of recent performance, both teams have been putting up impressive offensive numbers, with the Pelicans averaging 110.3 points and