HOUSTON – Win and you’re realistically part of the conversation in the multi-team Western Conference playoff race. Lose and you’ll likely be counted out – understandably – by a majority of NBA observers.
That’s the scenario facing the New Orleans Pelicans (23-35) entering Wednesday’s critical road game against the Houston Rockets (29-31). If the Pelicans win, they’ll pull within four games of the eighth-place Rockets in the West standings (and only three in the loss column). If the Pelicans lose, they’ll not only be six games behind the Rockets, but it will essentially be a seven-game deficit – because it would mean Houston has clinched the head-to-head tiebreaker 3-1.
In other words, standings-wise it’s really three games wrapped up into one at the Toyota Center, in a mid-week contest that is arguably New Orleans’ most important outcome to date of the regular season. As Pelicans Coach Alvin Gentry put it, his players want to compete in meaningful games over the final six weeks of the regular season, instead of just “playing out the string.” Wednesday’s game could go a long way toward making that possible.
Although he is listed as questionable, it appears Anthony Davis may be on the floor for the Pelicans, who were without the three-time All-Star for the second half of a one-point home defeat Jan. 25 vs. Houston, due to a concussion. Davis missed Saturday’s two-point loss to Minnesota after spraining his right big toe in warmups, but seems to be ready to return to action.
“He’s fine. I think it probably scared him more than anything, like ‘Here we go again,’ ” Gentry said Tuesday of Davis’ pregame injury. “It’s turf toe. He seemed fine today. No pain, no anything.”
Houston and ninth-place Utah left the door open somewhat for teams like No. 10 Sacramento and New Orleans by losing consecutive games over the past three days, instead of creating a bigger cushion. In a way, though, that’s made some of the Pelicans’ recent narrow defeats feel even more like missed chances.
“I think that’s what’s the most frustrating: We’ve had opportunities where we’ve lost some tough games,” Gentry said, alluding partly to Saturday’s Minnesota fourth-quarter comeback victory.
Even with a road win at Houston, New Orleans would have considerably more work to do to become a major player in the final month-plus of the season, but Wednesday’s game seems like almost a prerequisite to be in position to make a dent in the distance between it and eighth place.
“They’re in our division, in our conference, so these games do mean an awful lot,” Gentry said of the Rockets. “Especially when you’re on the bottom looking up. For us, every game is going to be that way – doesn’t matter if we’re playing a Western Conference or Eastern Conference (opponent). We’ve just got to have wins, if you’re going to be any kind of factor as far as getting back into the playoff race.”