A worry among New Orleans Pelicans fans was that the team was complacent about achieving more than a playoff appearance. Their ability to play up or down to the quality of their opponent was stunning. They seemed completely fine with hanging around .500 for the duration of the season.
Then, the schedule eased up slightly and the Pelicans began to roll quickly. Continuing their winning ways on Wednesday night against a Charlotte Hornets team that played sufficiently well but simply could not beat the Pelicans down the stretch, who are a top 10 team in net rating in the clutch this season.