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We know what happened to the New Orleans Pelicans — some injuries, some bad luck, perhaps a lapse in talent, and of course the entire ongoing Anthony Davis Trade Saga. Back when they visited Toronto and handily beat the Raptors, it felt like the Pelicans were on to something special. Except now they’re 30-37 and in 12th place in the Western Conference.
As such, we have to ask this question and then just walk away: what happened to the New Orleans Pelicans?
Turning our attention to the Raptors, it’s been something of a rough week for our guys. After the high of battering the Celtics and surviving the Blazers, Toronto went and dropped games to Pistons and Rockets. There are questions at hand here too, though the answers are less metaphysical. Rapid fire, let’s go: what’s the deal with the Raptors bench? Will the team start Marc Gasol or Serge Ibaka? How much load management does Kawhi Leonard need? Should we all just relax because the Raps are getting the two-seed and that’s that? The mind races!
What we do know: the Pelicans are playing tonight without Jrue Holiday and E’Twaun Moore, both bonafide Raptor Killers. On top of that, they’re playing Davis something like 20 minutes a night now, which isn’t exactly the best thing for team morale. Still, New Orleans has gone 5-5 over their last ten, so who knows — which is of course the theme of this entire post.
Below are your updated details. Here’s the full preview from Joel Stephens this morning.
Now, let’s watch.
Where to Watch:
Sportsnet One at 8:00pm EST
Lineups:
Toronto — Kyle Lowry, Danny Green, Kawhi Leonard, Pascal Siakam, Marc Gasol
New Orleans — Elfrid Payton, Frank Jackson, Kenrich Williams, Anthony Davis, Julius Randle
Injuries:
Toronto — Fred VanVleet (out - thumb)
New Orleans — E’Twaun Moore (out - quadriceps), Jahlil Okafor (questionable - right ankle), Jrue Holiday - (out - abdominal), Dairis Bertans (out - personal)