Let’s stick to the facts. After a four-game losing streak, the New Orleans Pelicans (43-34) face a must-win situation against the tanking Memphis Grizzlies (21-56) at home on Wednesday night.
Memphis is bottom-five in points per game, assists per game, rebounds per game, field goal percentage and three-point percentage. It’s pretty bad, but don’t let that entirely fool you. The Grizzlies are 2-3 over their last five games, and those two wins were both against playoff squads in Minnesota and Portland. With the abysmal home-court record of the Pelicans, the current four-game slide and playoff positioning on the line, New Orleans cannot afford to put forth anything less than their best effort.