NEW ORLEANS vs CHICAGO
When: 2/10/2021 9:00 PM
Where: United Center, Chicago

TV: 9:00 PM
LINE: Pelicans -3
PREDICTION: CHICAGO , NEW ORLEANS

Oddsmakers currently have the CHICAGO listed as 3 point favorites versus the NEW ORLEANS, while the game’s total is sitting at 231.

The Bulls are 3-8 on their home court. Chicago is sixth in the Eastern Conference shooting 37.4% from deep, led by Zach LaVine shooting 40.9% from 3-point range.

The Pelicans are 4-7 on the road. New Orleans ranks eighth in the Western Conference giving up only 111.8 points while holding opponents to 45.6% shooting.

The Bulls and Pelicans square off Wednesday for the first time this season.

TOP PERFORMERS:

Coby White leads the Bulls with 5.3 assists and scores 14.9 points per game. LaVine is averaging 3.2 made 3-pointers and 28 points over the last 10 games for Chicago.

Brandon Ingram leads the Pelicans averaging 23.8 points and is adding 5.5 rebounds. Zion Williamson is shooting 60.2% and averaging 23.7 points over the last 10 games for New Orleans.

LAST 10 GAMES:

Bulls: 4-6, averaging 111.4 points, 43.4 rebounds, 26.6 assists, 7.3 steals and 3.9 blocks per game while shooting 47.3% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 110.2 points on 47.2% shooting.

Pelicans: 6-4, averaging 118.9 points, 46.3 rebounds, 26.7 assists, 7.2 steals and 4.9 blocks per game while shooting 48.6% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 114.9 points on 45.6% shooting.

INJURIES:

Bulls: Chandler Hutchison: out indefinitely (personal), Wendell Carter Jr.: out (quad), Lauri Markkanen: out (shoulder), Otto Porter Jr.: day to day (back).

Pelicans: None listed.

BOTTOM LINE: New Orleans will attempt to prolong its four-game win streak with a victory against Chicago.

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HOUSTON vs NEW ORLEANS
When: 2/9/2021 7:30 PM
Where: New Orleans

TV: 7:30 PM
LINE:
PREDICTION: NEW ORLEANS , HOUSTON

Oddsmakers currently have the NEW ORLEANS listed as 5.5 point favorites versus the HOUSTON, while the game’s total is sitting at 222.5.

The Pelicans are 2-1 in division play. New Orleans ranks third in the league with 11.4 offensive rebounds per game led by Steven Adams averaging 4.4 offensive boards.

The Rockets are 4-3 against the rest of their division. Houston has a 3-1 record in games decided by less than 4 points.

The teams meet for the second time this season. The Rockets won 126-112 in the last matchup on Jan. 30. Christian Wood led Houston with 27 points, and Zion Williamson led New Orleans with 26 points.

TOP PERFORMERS:

Brandon Ingram is shooting 46.9% and averaging 23.9 points. Williamson is averaging 24.9 points and 6 rebounds while shooting 61.6% over the last 10 games for New Orleans.

DeMarcus Cousins ranks second on the Rockets with 7.4 rebounds and averages 8.9 points. Jae’Sean Tate is averaging 5.3 rebounds and 9 points per game over the last 10 games for Houston.

LAST 10 GAMES:

Pelicans: 5-5, averaging 116.1 points, 44.6 rebounds, 25.3 assists, 7.3 steals and 4.6 blocks per game while shooting 48.1% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 116.6 points on 46.5% shooting.

Rockets: 7-3, averaging 111.1 points, 45.9 rebounds, 23.7 assists, 8.2 steals and 5.5 blocks per game while shooting 44.4% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 105.4 points on 43.0% shooting.

INJURIES:

Pelicans: Josh Hart: day to day (back spasms).

Rockets: Dante Exum: out (calf), Christian Wood: out (ankle).

BOTTOM LINE: New Orleans heads into a matchup against Houston as winners of three straight games.

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PHOENIX vs NEW ORLEANS
When: 2/3/2021 9:30 PM
Where:

TV: 9:30 PM
LINE: 3.5
PREDICTION: NEW ORLEANS , PHOENIX

Oddsmakers currently have the NEW ORLEANS listed as 3.5 point favorites versus the PHOENIX, while the game’s total is sitting at 223.

Boston guard Kemba Walker played a season-high 31 minutes on Tuesday night, and he might be dressed in street clothes when the Celtics visit the Sacramento Kings on Wednesday.

Walker hasn’t played on consecutive nights this season, but coach Brad Stevens didn’t rule out the possibility after Boston’s 111-107 victory over the Golden State Warriors on Tuesday. The win came in the opener of the Celtics’ five-game western swing.

Of course, Walker’s availability will depend on how his troublesome left knee is feeling. Trainers will surely examine him closely to see if the knee looks ready for a second straight night of pounding on the court.

Walker has played in just seven games this season and is still rounding into form while averaging 15 points per game.

Walker scored 19 against Golden State but hit just 6 of 18 field-goal attempts. Still, that was an improvement from his awful 1-of-12 effort while scoring a season-low four points Saturday in the Celtics’ 96-95 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers.

So naturally, Walker felt he took a welcome step forward.

“After tough ones, you have to bounce back,” Walker said. “I’m not perfect. I wish I was. I just want to do what I can to help us win.”

Stevens saw the look on Walker’s face prior to the Tuesday game and sensed he was ready to rebound from the Saturday showing.

“You could tell he was waiting for another chance to play,” Stevens said. “I thought he did a good job. … I’m sure he would say he would have liked to have shot it better, but I think he looked good.”

It was a much-needed win after Boston dropped five of its previous seven contests.

The Celtics’ Jayson Tatum recorded 27 points and nine rebounds against the Warriors. Fellow star Jaylen Brown scored 18 points, just shy of his 11th consecutive 20-point outing.

Boston, on the latter end of the back-to-back, will have to contend with the speed of dynamic Kings point guard De’Aaron Fox.

Fox poured in 38 points Monday during Sacramento’s 118-109 comeback road victory over the New Orleans Pelicans.

The rising star took over the game with a 3-pointer with 7:07 left to begin a stretch in which he scored 17 straight Sacramento points over a span of 6:34.

The explosive effort marked Fox’s second-highest outing of the season and raised his scoring average to 22.1.

“Just trying to do whatever it takes to put us on top, and sometimes it’s hitting another gear in the fourth (quarter),” Fox said. “When it’s time to make plays, you’ve got to be ready.”

Fox outscored New Orleans all by himself in the final quarter as the Kings finished with a 31-15 flurry to post their fourth win in five games.

Fox is averaging 28.3 points and 8.4 assists over the past seven games. He logged 12 assists against the Pelicans, one shy of his season high.

“I think he’s proven he’s taken that next step,” Kings rookie Tyrese Haliburton said of Fox. “He’s been an All-Star this year.”

Harrison Barnes scored 24 points against New Orleans and big man Richaun Holmes added 17 points and 10 rebounds and had a career-best six blocked shots for the third time this season.

Sacramento will play seven of its next eight games at home. The lone road outing is a short plane flight to Los Angeles to play the Clippers on Sunday.

Boston has won eight of its past 10 meetings with Sacramento.

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SACRAMENTO vs NEW ORLEANS
When: 2/1/2021 8:00 PM
Where:

TV: 8:00 PM
LINE: -3.5
PREDICTION: NEW ORLEANS , SACRAMENTO

Oddsmakers currently have the NEW ORLEANS listed as -3.5 point favorites versus the SACRAMENTO, while the game’s total is sitting at 232.5.

The Sacramento Kings and the New Orleans Pelicans were both showing improvement.

Then they both lost Saturday night.

Now they’ll both try to bounce back when the Kings visit the Pelicans on Monday night.

The Kings saw a season-best, three-game winning streak end when Jimmy Butler returned from a 10-game COVID-related absence to lead the host Miami Heat to a last-minute 105-104 victory that ended their five-game losing streak.

“Absolutely love the energy and the fight after a hard back-to-back,” said Sacramento coach Luke Walton, whose team had beaten Toronto 126-124 in Tampa the night before. “The issues of turnovers and points off turnovers (27 points allowed) killed us. That’s a tough game to win.”

The Kings, who started their streak with wins at home against the Knicks (103-94) and at the Magic (121-107), were in position to win after De’Aaron Fox scored 17 of his 30 points in the fourth quarter.

He helped them battle back from a 11-point fourth-quarter deficit, Sacramento’s first double-digit deficit in four games.

But Butler scored a basket inside with 42 seconds remaining to reach 30 points for the game and put Miami on top.

Fox was doubled-teamed on the final possession and passed to Richaun Holmes, whose shot was tipped by Bam Adebayo and fell short.

Marvin Bagley III continued his improved play for the Kings by scoring 17 points, Buddy Hield scored 18 and Harrison Barnes 11.

Walton lamented the fact that the Kings, who rank fifth in the league in free-throw attempts, took just 11 and made five free throws.

“We live in the paint,” Walton said.

The Kings hosted New Orleans on Jan. 17 when Fox scored a career-high 43 points and added 13 assists, but it wasn’t enough as the Pelicans prevailed 128-123.

Zion Williamson scored 31 points and made 13 of 15 field-goal attempts, despite spending much of the fourth quarter on the bench in foul trouble, to lead the Pelicans.

He had 26 points to lead New Orleans on Saturday, but that wasn’t enough in 126-112 loss to Houston. The Rockets took control of the game by scoring 48 points in the second quarter, one night after the Pelicans won despite Milwaukee scoring 44 points in the third quarter.

“We’ve been on a pretty steady defensive decline since the sixth or seventh game of the season,” Pelicans first-year coach Stan Van Gundy said. “It’s frustrating to me because the way I looked at this job coming in is a big part of my job was to try to get us to improve at the defensive end of the floor. I thought we came out of camp guarding at a pretty high level, especially for early in the season, and the level we are guarding at now, it’s not acceptable.”

Steven Adams, who missed most of the second half against the Rockets because of soreness in his calf, isn’t available.

“Honestly it’s one thing if a team is hitting shots,” Williamson said, “(but) when they’re playing harder than us and hitting shots, we’re not even giving ourselves a chance. Simple as that.”

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HOUSTON vs NEW ORLEANS
When: 1/30/2021 8:00 PM
Where:

TV: 8:00 PM
LINE: 1
PREDICTION: NEW ORLEANS , HOUSTON

Oddsmakers currently have the NEW ORLEANS listed as 1 point favorites versus the HOUSTON, while the game’s total is sitting at 223.

The Houston Rockets look stable after a rocky start to the season.

The New Orleans Pelicans are showing signs of improvement as they host the Rockets on Saturday.

Houston has won four consecutive games, matching the win total it produced over the previous 13 games.

The Rockets lost three of their first four games after they sent star guard James Harden to the Brooklyn Nets in a four-team trade on Jan. 13. Then came the winning streak, which includes a 104-101 home victory over Portland on Thursday. Houston overcame an early 20-point deficit to beat the Trail Blazers.

“The guys have grit and they’re determined,” Rockets coach Stephen Silas said. “The adversity part is something that we’ve been talking a lot about. I think earlier in the season adversity would hit and we would succumb to that adversity. But (against the Trail Blazers) we put forth the right energy to overcome it.”

Harden’s trade demand hovered over the Rockets throughout the early part of the season.

“It was kind of hard to play through that and find a chemistry,” Houston guard John Wall said. “And once we made the trade happen and we got the team that we wanted and the guys that wanted to be here and once we all committed to what we wanted to do, we were going to be a good team. Everybody has something to prove.”

Victor Oladipo, one of the key players acquired in the Harden trade, led the Rockets with 25 points against Portland.

The Pelicans lost eight of nine games before registering home victories against the Washington Wizards on Wednesday and the Milwaukee Bucks on Friday.

“We’re trying to get back on track,” said New Orleans guard Lonzo Ball, who has been the subject of trade rumors.

The Pelicans raced to a 29-point lead Friday and held off a furious Bucks comeback to prevail 131-126.

“I think the first 30 minutes of the game showed the possibilities at least of what we can be,” first-year New Orleans coach Stan Van Gundy said. “Granted, we were making a lot of shots, but for 30 minutes we even guarded pretty well. Then, we didn’t really guard at all in the last 18 minutes. But for 30 minutes, I think it showed the possibilities of what we can be.”

Brandon Ingram scored a team-high 28 points for the Pelicans. Ball added 27, making 7 of 13 3-point attempts, and Eric Bledsoe had 25, going 7-for-14 from 3-point range.

“I have to continue doing what I did tonight,” Ball said.

Zion Williamson scored 21 and had a career-high seven assists, Josh Hart scored 15 and Steven Adams collected 20 rebounds after grabbing 18 against the Wizards.

“It’s big for us to have the ball movement,” Williamson said. “Everybody was touching the ball, everybody’s getting the feel for it. It gives everybody confidence on the offensive end, which translates to the defensive end.”

The Pelicans made 21 of 48 3-point attempts, tying a franchise record for made 3-pointers and attempting a season-high for the second consecutive game.

The Friday game is the middle contest in a five-game homestand for New Orleans and the opener on a four-game road trip for Houston.

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NEW ORLEANS vs UTAH
When: 1/19/2021 9:00 PM
Where:

TV: 9:00 PM
LINE: -6
PREDICTION: UTAH , NEW ORLEANS

Oddsmakers currently have the UTAH listed as -6 point favorites versus the NEW ORLEANS, while the game’s total is sitting at 217.5.

Whether for skiing or attending the Sundance Film Festival, it is common for visitors to spend time in Utah during January.

And the New Orleans Pelicans?

They are in Salt Lake City for an extended business trip, playing games against the Utah Jazz on both Tuesday and Thursday.

If things go well for the Pelicans in both games they can leave with the same number of wins in Utah as the Jazz have: two.

Although Utah is riding a Rocky Mountain high all the way home after beating Northwest Division rival Denver on Sunday for a fifth-consecutive victory, the Jazz haven’t had as much success at home (2-2) as on the road (7-2).

Winning twice in Utah won’t be an easy task for New Orleans, which snapped a five-game losing streak with a 128-123 victory at Sacramento on Sunday. It came on the same night the Jazz earned their fifth straight victory when they defeated the Nuggets.

The Jazz will have to be wary of a letdown. Utah’s 108-104 road win came in the first rematch since Denver rallied out of a 3-1 deficit to win their classic first-round playoff series last season. It was one of those circle-the-date-on-the-calendar games.

“It’s still the Jazz and the Nuggets. Whether you need to reference (the playoffs) or not, your players remember,” Jazz coach Quin Snyder said after Sunday’s victory. “Given the fact that it is the first time we have played them since then, I don’t know if it’s in the front of your mind, but it is certainly something you have thought about.”

The win over the Nuggets highlighted the improved versatility of the Jazz roster. All-Star Donovan Mitchell had a rough shooting night to finish with 18 points, but reserve Jordan Clarkson scored 23 points, All-Defensive Team member center Rudy Gobert had 15 points and 13 rebounds, Bojan Bogdanovic added 17 points and Mike Conley dished out eight assists with 14 points. Royce O’Neale, Georges Niang, and even rookie Miye Oni, played key roles.

“It’s not always going to be sunshine and rainbows where we execute the game plan 110 percent,” said Mitchell, who struggled to a two-point first half. “We went out there and for us, just asserting our will, finding ways to win the game by any means necessary.”

The Pelicans needed a variety of big nights to overcome a career-best 43-point performance by Sacramento’s De’Aaron Fox on Sunday.

Three New Orleans players had 20-plus points as Zion Williamson led the way with 31. That was one point short of a season-high as he made 13-of-15 shots. Brandon Ingram added 22 points and Eric Bledsoe scored 21.

“He finds his way to the rim regardless of the defense and he’s a good finisher,” New Orleans coach Stan Van Gundy said of Williamson. “He probably should shoot twice as many free throws as he does. He’s not even getting calls and he’s efficient.”

The game could be the first time Derrick Favors faces New Orleans after playing for the Pelicans last year in between stints with Utah. Favors is listed as day-to-day because of his ailing knee.

Joe Ingles (Achilles) and Juwan Morgan (COVID-19 protocol) are out for Utah, and Lonzo Ball won’t play for the Pelicans due to a knee injury.

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NEW ORLEANS vs SACRAMENTO
When: 1/17/2021 9:00 PM
Where:

TV: 9:00 PM
LINE: 2
PREDICTION: SACRAMENTO , NEW ORLEANS

Oddsmakers currently have the SACRAMENTO listed as 2 point favorites versus the NEW ORLEANS, while the game’s total is sitting at 227.5.

Somebody is about to find out how bad things really are, as a clash of struggling teams is set to take place Sunday between the New Orleans Pelicans and host Sacramento Kings.

The Pelicans are on a five-game losing streak and are 0-2 to start a demanding six-game road trip that was supposed to be seven games before their contest at Dallas on Monday was postponed.

Meanwhile, the Kings have given up at least 122 points in each of their last seven games, although they managed to win two of those with an onslaught of offense themselves. The games they did not win were the four in that stretch where they gave up 125 or more, including 144 last week to the previously struggling Toronto Raptors.

The Pelicans are playing their third consecutive game in California after consecutive defeats at Los Angeles against the Clippers on Wednesday and the Lakers on Friday. Once 4-2 to open the season the Pelicans are 4-7 after their 112-95 loss to the Lakers.

New Orleans forward Brandon Ingram scored 20 points against his former team, including 17 in the first half. Second-year forward Zion Williamson added 21 points and 12 rebounds after he sat out the game against the Clippers because of health and safety protocols.

The Pelicans led 58-57 at the half Friday by shooting 60.9 percent from the field but managed to shoot just 35.6 percent in the second half as the game slipped away.

“I was encouraged by the first half today because we were really, really good on the offensive and defensive end against a really, really good team,” Ingram said. “If we continue to bring that intensity and pressure every single night then we have no choice but to get sharper.”

The Pelicans’ Lonzo Ball, a Southern California native, did not play either game in his homecoming because of knee tendonitis, although Eric Bledsoe returned Friday after missing one game because of right eye irritation.

The Kings’ frustration was obvious after their blowout 138-100 home loss to the Clippers on Friday.

“Nobody’s going to come out here and do it for us,” said Marvin Bagley III, who had a team-high 20 points. “We’ve got to figure it out and just lock up. I think it’s as simple as that.”

Said Richaun Holmes, who had 17 points: “You lose by 38 points, there better be some frustration in the locker room. It’s well placed (frustration). We know we didn’t give our best effort.”

Over their last seven games, the Kings are giving up an average of 131.7 points per contest. They entered play Saturday last in the NBA with 123.2 points allowed per game. Opponents average 27.8 assists per game against Sacramento, second to last in the league.

The Kings have installed a new defensive approach under head coach Luke Walton, but the players seem to be getting worse at it, not better. Even in the confines of a single game against the Clippers, the Kings regressed on both sides of the floor, getting outscored 37-16 in the third quarter and 69-39 in the second half.

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TAMPA BAY vs NEW ORLEANS
When: 1/17/2021 6:40 PM
Where:

TV: 6:40 PM
LINE: -3
PREDICTION: NEW ORLEANS , TAMPA BAY

Oddsmakers currently have the NEW ORLEANS listed as -3 point favorites versus the TAMPA BAY, while the game’s total is sitting at 52.

The New Orleans Saints are the only team to have beaten Tom Brady twice in the same season.

They will try to beat Brady a third time this season when they host the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in an NFC divisional-round game on Sunday.

Drew Brees and the Saints ruined Brady’s debut with the Buccaneers after 20 seasons in New England when they prevailed 34-23 in the season opener in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome.

They handed Brady the worst loss of his career when they completed the season-series sweep with a 38-3 rout in Tampa on Nov. 8.

Now the stakes are higher, as the winner will earn a trip to the NFC Championship on Jan. 24.

“When the playoffs come and you’re playing a division opponent like this,” Saints coach Sean Payton said, “it’s a whole new season. It’s entirely different.”

Much of the attention leading up to the game will be on Brees and Brady, the two most productive passers in NFL history. This will be the last time they face each other if Brees retires after this season.

Brady is 43 years old and Brees turns 42 on Friday.

Brees’ team has won five of the eight career match-ups, and this will be the first time the two have met in the playoffs.

“I envisioned this game happening (when Brady signed with the Bucs last offseason),” Brees said. “Tom and I have a friendship and mutual respect. We were texting back and forth Monday, chuckling at this whole scenario.”

The Saints’ defense was perhaps the most important factor in winning the first two games. They intercepted Brady twice in the first meeting, including one that Janoris Jenkins returned for a touchdown, and they intercepted him three times in the second meeting.

Brees had six touchdowns and no interceptions in the first two meetings.

For the season, Brady has passed for 4,633 yards, 40 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions. He has just seven interceptions against teams other than New Orleans.

“I think we’ve just been going through growing pains throughout the season,” Tampa Bay wide receiver Chris Godwin said, “which is what happens when you have a new quarterback. It takes some time to build that chemistry and I think over the last couple of weeks we’ve done better at that.”

Since the second loss to the Saints, the Bucs have averaged 34 points per game.

“We’re doing different things that we were doing back then, especially in the opener,” Tampa Bay coach Bruce Arians said. “It’s just a matter of doing what you do and doing it better than they do (what they do).”

Brady threw for 381 yards and two touchdowns in a 31-23 wild-card win last week at Washington. That was the Bucs’ first playoff win since they won the Super Bowl after the 2002 season.

Running back Ronald Jones, who didn’t play last week, missed practice Wednesday because of quad and finger injuries.

Saints defensive end Trey Hendrickson, who has three of the Saints’ six sacks of Brady this season, missed a 21-9 home victory against Chicago last week because of a neck injury, but he returned to practice on a limited basis Wednesday.

“A lot of things change in a season,” Arians said. “It comes down to one-on-one battles of guys who know each other. Who’s going to make the game-changing plays in this game?”

The Saints, who are trying to reach the NFC Championship Game for the second time in three seasons, have won the last five meetings.

“When we play each other (there) is a lot of emotion, a lot of physicalities,” Bucs wide receiver Mike Evans said. “As players we love it. We love this rivalry. I know the fans love it. I would say it is our biggest rivalry.”

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TORONTO vs NEW ORLEANS
When: 1/2/2021 7:35 PM
Where:

TV: 7:35 PM
LINE: 1
PREDICTION: NEW ORLEANS , TORONTO

Oddsmakers currently have the NEW ORLEANS listed as 1 point favorites versus the TORONTO, while the game’s total is sitting at 213.

The New Orleans Pelicans’ season got off to a good start when they went on the road and beat the Toronto Raptors in their opener.

The Raptors needed a few more chances before they got their first win.

The two teams meet again as the Pelicans get their chance to host the finale of the season series Saturday.

Toronto started well enough in the opener, taking a 57-50 halftime lead, but it got outscored 38-22 in the third quarter and lost 113-99 on Dec. 23.

The Raptors followed that with losses to San Antonio and Philadelphia before getting the elusive first win against visiting New York, 100-83 on Thursday.

The 0-3 start was just the second one in the history of a franchise that won the NBA championship two years ago and finished last season with a 53-19 record.

“It just feels good because that first win is hard to get in any season,” said guard Fred VanVleet, who led the way against the Knicks with 25 points. “Losing three in a row at any time of the season is not acceptable around here. Enough is enough. It was time to get a win.”

Toronto coach Nick Nurse benched forward Pascal Siakam, who prematurely walked off the court when he fouled out late in the loss to the 76ers two nights earlier. Nurse described the “disciplinary” action as “internal” and wouldn’t elaborate.

The Raptors attacked the paint aggressively against the Knicks and that opened up 3-point shooting opportunities. They took advantage by making 17 of 52 from beyond the arc while the Knicks made just three of 36.

“I thought our guys did a much better job of attacking to put some pressure on the paint,” Nurse said.

New Orleans (3-2), which has alternated wins and losses through five games, beat host Oklahoma City 113-80 on Thursday. Brandon Ingram scored 20 points to lead seven Pelicans in double figures even though he was ejected in the third quarter after a flagrant foul.

“Early in the year, we’re trying to get better,” first-year coach Stan Van Gundy said. “We’ve been struggling offensively so it was good to see the ball go in the basket. It was good to score some points.”

The Pelicans, who outrebounded the Raptors 45-35 in the first meeting, outrebounded the Thunder 58-40, as guard Josh Hart, who scored 12 points, came off the bench to grab 11 rebounds and former Oklahoma City center Steven Adams added 14 points and 10 rebounds.

“With Brandon going out, somebody had to pick it up,” guard Eric Bledsoe said. “I thought the whole team did.”

The Pelicans outscored the Thunder 28-7 in the fourth quarter, tying a franchise record for fewest points allowed in a fourth quarter, and led by as many as 33 points.

“I thought our defense was pretty good overall,” Van Gundy said. “It was just a good night and we need to keep moving forward. The games come fast and furious here.”

This game starts a four-game homestand for New Orleans, which played four of its first five games on the road during a seven-day span.

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NEW ORLEANS vs OKLAHOMA CITY
When: 12/31/2020 8:05 PM
Where:

TV: 8:05 PM
LINE: 5
PREDICTION: OKLAHOMA CITY , NEW ORLEANS

Oddsmakers currently have the OKLAHOMA CITY listed as 5 point favorites versus the NEW ORLEANS, while the game’s total is sitting at 213.5.

After playing his first seven NBA seasons with Oklahoma City, Steven Adams makes his first appearance there as a visitor Thursday night when the Thunder host his New Orleans Pelicans.

“It’s not like I died or anything. I’m gonna see them again, so that’s fine,” Adams said of Oklahoma City after he was traded in a November deal that netted George Hill, four other players and draft picks for the Thunder.

Adams was one of the biggest pieces in the Thunder’s offseason overhaul that also included trades of Chris Paul, Danilo Gallinari and Dennis Schroder among others.

Oklahoma City general manager Sam Presti has made a habit of trading away big pieces during the past few years, especially dealing Russell Westbrook and Paul George during the 2019 offseason.

“I think the No. 1 thing for us to recognize in these situations is we have to put the best interest of the organization first,” Presti said of the three-team trade that sent Adams packing after 530 games with the Thunder. “That doesn’t make the decision easier by any stretch.

“It wasn’t my best day or work, I can tell you that. But I feel passionate about relentlessly pursuing a bright future for this organization. If you’re comfortable during that period of time, I don’t know that you’re doing anything that’s going to lead you to be different.”

Adams is averaging 8.3 points and 8.5 rebounds through four games with New Orleans. He had 11 points and eight boards in Tuesday’s 111-86 loss at Phoenix, where the Pelicans shot just 12.5 percent (3 of 24) from 3-point range.

Since making 19 of 42 3-pointers in a season-opening win over the Toronto Raptors, New Orleans has canned only 18 of 83 attempts (21.7 percent) from behind the arc.

Pelicans coach Stan Van Gundy said the hot shooting in the opener masked other problems in the offense that have been evident in every game except Sunday’s 98-95 win against the San Antonio Spurs.

“Our offense right now is completely discombobulated,” Van Gundy said. “Other than the San Antonio game, we don’t take care of the ball, we’re not getting good ball movement, we’re not screening. We’re really not doing much of anything well offensively.”

The Thunder have lost two consecutive home games by a combined 12 points since winning their opener on the road at Charlotte.

Oklahoma City was without two starters in Tuesday’s 118-107 loss to Orlando — Hill and Al Horford.

Horford should be back Thursday after missing the game against the Magic for rest on the second of a back-to-back. Hill sat out due to neck spasms.

With Horford and Hill out, coach Mark Daigneault went with Justin Jackson and Isaiah Roby in the starting lineup after neither played in the season’s first two games.

Roby, who was scoreless in three previous NBA games in 2019-20, took advantage of the opportunity with 19 points and seven rebounds.

“These guys are all in the NBA for a reason,” Daigneault said. “They’re all here for a season, and we never want to underestimate one of our own players.”

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