Cavs rounding into form down the stretch, but feisty Pelicans await
The Cleveland Cavaliers can complete a perfect three-game road trip as their trek for higher seeding in the NBA playoffs continues on Saturday in New Orleans vs. the Pelicans.
Heading into the final 12 games of the regular season, Cleveland (43-27) already has clinched no worse than a spot in a play-in game. They are two games behind third-place New York and 3 1/2 behind second-place Boston through Thursday's slate.
Cleveland kept pace on Thursday, but needed to hold off a furious, fourth-quarter comeback at Chicago. The Cavaliers led by as many as 29 points in the second half before the Bulls rallied to pull within a one-possession margin late in regulation.
James Harden knocked down seven 3-pointers and scored 36 points -- both individual highs since joining the Cavaliers last month in a trade from the Los Angeles Clippers -- to buoy Cleveland with Donovan Mitchell sidelined.
"He kind of saved us (but) we can't rely on that," Cavaliers coach Kenny Atkinson said of Harden. "That's what he does, what's who he is, but the people around him have got to play better. He can't bail us out."
Harden received primary scoring help from Evan Mobley, who finished with 26 points. Atkinson said following Cleveland's 123-116 win at Milwaukee on Tuesday, which kicked off the team's current three-game trip, he has been impressed with the growing on-court connection between Harden and Mobley.
Mobley's play of late, with three games of 26-plus points in Cleveland's last four, has been crucial with fellow post presence Jarrett Allen sidelined due to right-knee tendonitis.
Mitchell (eye) is questionable for the Pelicans game while Allen is out.
The Pelicans (25-46) have been red-hot in the Big Easy of late, riding a three-game winning streak into the last date of a four-game homestand. New Orleans has won each of its last seven home games with the most recent loss coming Feb. 20.
"More than anything, there's just a care factor, an urgency, a mindset of belief," New Orleans coach James Borrego said of the home-court winning streak, coming with the Pelicans out of contention for the postseason. "This matters right now. We want to be competitive, we want to get better...There's just an overall mentality to finish strong."
New Orleans sits tied for 11th place in the Western Conference, 8 1/2 games behind the Golden State Warriors for 10th place and the final play-in round spot. Despite being all but eliminated, the squad is playing a role in the postseason chase as a spoiler.
The Pelicans took back-to-back games from Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday and Thursday, punctuating the latter victory with a stout defensive effort.
New Orleans limited the Clippers to 99 points in a six-point win, paced by Trey Murphy III's 27 points and Saddiq Bey's 20. Murphy has scored 23 points in three of the Pelicans' last five outings. All three win came in New Orleans wins.
Murphy's 22.0 points per game lead the Pelicans, just ahead of Zion Williamson at 21.3 points a contest.
The Cavs won the earlier meeting, 141-118 in Cleveland on Dec. 23.