Pelicans Drop Sixth Straight Game To Celtics In Crucial Game For Playoff Seeding

New Orleans, LA - Boston's dominance over the Pelicans continues with a 104-92 victory over New Orleans on Saturday afternoon. The win marks the sixth straight win for the Celtics over the Pelicans, ending their two-game losing streak. New Orleans is now 2-2 on this crucial six-game homestand.

New Orleans started the game quickly against one of the best defensive teams in the NBA. The Pelicans stars Zion Williamson and CJ McCollum played like stars, each scoring 12 points in the opening period. New Orleans shot 62% from the field and committed just one turnover. Boston came into the game averaging the most first-quarter points, but New Orleans' defense forced four Celtics turnovers, while Boston scored 28 points in the first. The Pels lead by as many as 11 in the quarter but took a nine-point lead into the second period.

Boston chipped away at the Pelicans' lead in the second quarter, thanks to their defensive attack. They cut the Pwls shooting percentage in half, with New Orleans shooting just 31% in the period. Celtics All-NBA forward Jayson Tatum scored nine points on four made field goals to lead Boston. A three-point shot by Derrick White at the buzzer gave Boston their first lead of the game, a 59-57 advantage.

The Celtics turned up the intensity even greater in the third, holding New Orleans to just 11 points. Only three Pelicans players scored in the period, shooting just 17% from the field. Meanwhile, seven Celtics players scored Boston's 24 points to give them a 15-point lead. New Orleans hasn't won a game this season when trailing after the third quarter.

Boston made sure that wouldn't happen to them. They quickly extended. They lead to 22 points in the first couple minutes of the quarter. New Orleans responded with a run midway through the period, cutting the Boston lead to 12 points, but the Celtics quickly thwarted any threat of a comeback. Jayson Tatum led the Celtics with 23 points and nine rebounds. Zion Williamson lead all scorers with 25 points on the night.

The loss puts New Orleans just a half-game ahead of the Dallas Mavericks for the No. 6 seed in the playoff standings. New Orleans hosts Phoenix on Monday in another pivotal Western Conference matchup.