LOS ANGELES – It was merely victory No. 21 for New Orleans, just past the midway point of the long 82-game schedule, but the Pelicans are hopeful Monday’s win on the LA Clippers’ home floor will represent more than just another triumph. Not only did New Orleans snap a lengthy losing streak on the road against Western Conference opponents, but the Pelicans also prevailed in clutch time – a rarity for much of 2018-19 – while simultaneously gaining ground on a team ahead of them in the standings and clinching a head-to-head tiebreaker.
New Orleans registered a 121-117 win in Staples Center by outscoring LA down the stretch, winning for only the eighth time in 24 games that have been within five points in the final five minutes this season (a 33.