NEW ORLEANS -- The New Orleans Pelicans (28-25) have lost four of five games since losing center DeMarcus Cousins to a season-ending Achilles tendon injury, and when they host the Indiana Pacers (30-25) Wednesday night at the Smoothie King Center, coach Alvin Gentry hopes they will feel a sense of desperation.
Since Cousins went down on Jan. 26, the Pelicans have slipped to the eighth playoff spot in the Western Conference, just a half-game ahead of the ninth-place Los Angeles Clippers. Gentry told his players after practice on Tuesday that they must play with a greater sense of urgency, even while they are getting familiar with recently acquired forward Nikola Mirotic.