The New Orleans Pelicans (23-36) will try to slow down the league’s top shooting team when they take on the San Antonio Spurs (51-9) at the Smoothie King Center. The game starts at 8:00 pm ET on Thursday, Mar. 3 and will air on TNT.
The Pelicans were beaten by the Rockets 100-95 on Wednesday. Norris Cole finished with 21 points to lead the team. The Spurs, meanwhile, are coming off a 97-81 win over the Pistons on Wednesday. Kawhi Leonard led the game in scoring with 27 points on 13-for-22 shooting.
Over the last five games, Anthony Davis has been playing at a high level for the Pelicans. During that stretch, he has averaged 27.5 points, 13.5 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 1.2 steals, 1.8 blocks, and 1.2 three-pointers. Leonard has also been on fire in the same span, averaging 25.2 points, 6.8 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 2.5 steals, 0.5 blocks, and 2.2 three-pointers while leading the Spurs.
The two teams have split their matchups this season. The Spurs had the upper hand in the most recent game, a 110-97 win. LaMarcus Aldridge was the game’s leading scorer with 36 points.
The Pelicans are looking to improve on their records of 23-36 Straight Up (SU) and 25-34 Against The Spread (ATS). They have gone 9-2 SU and 8-3 ATS against teams from their own division. Over their past 10 games, New Orleans’s defense has been playing lights out, only allowing 97.3 points per game, well under their season average of 105.6.
Across the court, the Spurs head into the game with records of 38-22 ATS and 51-9 SU. In divisional games, San Antonio has gone 4-9 SU and 6-7 ATS. The Spurs are shooting lights out so far, with an NBA-best .492 field-goal percentage. Defenses have a tough time accounting for every player when up against the Spurs, who are known for distributing the ball with 25.0 assists per game. San Antonio’s defense as a whole has been firing on all cylinders so far, averaging an NBA-best 92.3 points allowed per game. San Antonio’s defense has set the standard for the league, with opponents shooting a league-low .433 from the field. The Spurs have established a reputation of cleaning up the defensive glass with 35.1 defensive rebounds per game, making them one of the top five teams in the league.
The Spurs’ win over New Orleans in their last clash brought their SU record in the past 10 games to 6-4. However, the Pelicans lead the matchup ATS with a record of 6-4.
Predictions: SU Winner – SA
Notes
San Antonio ranks seventh in points per game with 104.9, while New Orleans ranks 25th in points allowed with an average of 105.6 given up.
San Antonio scores an average of 103.7 points per away game (ranked seventh). New Orleans ranks 28th in points allowed per home game with 106.1.
The San Antonio Spurs are 43-3 in games where they allow fewer than 100 points, while the New Orleans Pelicans are winless (0-27) when scoring less than 100.
San Antonio is 8-6 when allowing 100 or more points this season. The Pelicans have a solid 23-9 record when hitting triple digits.
The Pelicans have a defensive rating of 106.9 (ranked 25th), while the Spurs rank third for their offensive rating of 109.8.
The San Antonio Spurs have one of the best field goal percentages this season, ranking first in the league with a FG% of 49.2%. When their opponents record a similar or higher FG%, the New Orleans Pelicans have a losing 4-11 record.
The New Orleans Pelicans average 24.0 three point attempts per game, while the San Antonio Spurs attempt 18.0 per game. When attempting 25 or more three pointers in a game, New Orleans is an underachieving 10-17, while San Antonio is an even 1-1.
San Antonio ranks at the top of the league with an assist to turnover ratio of 1.95. New Orleans ranks 11th with an A/TO of 1.70.
The New Orleans Pelicans rank 22nd in offensive rebounding, while the San Antonio Spurs rank fourth in defensive rebounding.
Making .0 steals per game, New Orleans is ranked first in the NBA. San Antonio has a superb 51-9 record when it allows at least steals.
