The 29 win Pelicans – fresh off a 14 point loss to the lowly 76ers – walked into the Garden tonight with a starting lineup of Omer Asik, James Ennis, Toney Douglas, Alexis Ajinca, and Dante Cunningham. And that jumbled mess of mediocrity proceeded to engage the Celtics in a fight to the death. Fortunately, talent prevailed as the Celtics won 104 – 97.
On most nights a team that forces 22 TOs while committing just 9 wins easily. But not tonight. Every time the Celtics would pull away, the Pelicans would scratch and claw back. They played like… the Celtics.