NEW ORLEANS PELICANS (48-32) AT GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS (45-35)

The NBA schedule-maker most likely couldn’t have drawn it up any higher Friday night, as sixth-place New Orleans visits ninth-place Golden State, whereas a simultaneous matchup 85 miles up the highway in Northern California takes place between seventh-place Phoenix (47-33) and eighth-place Sacramento (45-35). The mixture of a Pelicans win and a Suns loss would clinch a Western Convention playoff berth for New Orleans, after a one-year absence from the sector. No matter different outcomes, the Pelicans enter the ultimate weekend of the common season with management of their very own future, which means in the event that they go 2-0 (together with Sunday’s finale at residence vs. the Lakers), they’ll be the West’s No. 6 seed and journey to face the third seed for Sport 1 of a best-of-seven playoff sequence subsequent weekend.

PELICANS
CJ McCollum
Based mostly on accuracy and quantity, the 11-year NBA veteran has been the league’s most harmful three-point shooter in April, second in makes per sport (5.3, simply shy of Luka Doncic’s 5.4) and connecting on 50 % of his makes an attempt (32 of 64). McCollum has tallied a minimum of 20 factors in 10 of his final 11 video games, together with a median of 31.6 factors over his final 5.
Zion Williamson
Averaging 27-6-5 over his final 9 video games – in addition to 1.6 steals and 1.0 block – that is the very best stretch of the facility ahead’s professional profession. Like McCollum, he’s been a constant drive for New Orleans’ assault in latest weeks, tallying a minimum of 22 factors in eight of these 9 video games. After a 31-point evening at Sacramento, the Pelicans are 8-1 this season when he produces that many factors or extra.
Jose Alvarado
The second-unit level guard will not be on the prime of the checklist when folks consider New Orleans’ knockdown shooters, however he’s been lights-out since his return from harm, going 9/19 from three-point vary on a 3-0 Pelicans highway journey. Alvarado drained 5 crucial treys at Phoenix on Sunday, then canned 4 extra Thursday in Sacramento.

WARRIORS
Stephen Curry
The ten-time NBA All-Star guard is over 40 % from three-point distance for the thirteenth outing of his 14 full seasons. In two conferences vs. New Orleans this season, he has taking pictures splits of 54/48/82, sinking 10 three-pointers in 21 makes an attempt. Curry had 42 factors in solely half-hour throughout Golden State’s lone go to to the Blender on Oct. 30.
Klay Thompson
Curry’s beginning backcourt associate for over a decade, Thompson didn’t play Thursday at Portland, within the first sport of a back-to-back. Nevertheless, Thompson is enjoying his finest basketball of this season currently, main Golden State in April scoring (23.6 ppg). He’s performed in 75 of 80 video games and has not missed consecutive contests in 2023-24.

NEW ORLEANS (48-32, 6TH IN WEST)

Thursday win at Sacramento

CJ McCollum, Herb Jones, Trey Murphy, Zion Williamson, Jonas Valanciunas

Notes: The Pelicans and Warriors will submit their up to date harm experiences previous to the 1 p.m. native deadline for the second sport of a back-to-back (3 p.m. Central). … The Pelicans’ magic quantity to clinch a playoff berth is 2, which means any mixture of New Orleans wins and Phoenix losses including as much as that seals a top-six seed. Phoenix will play at Sacramento and at Minnesota on Friday and Sunday, respectively. … If the season ended proper now, New Orleans would face third-seeded Oklahoma Metropolis within the West quarterfinal spherical of the playoffs. … The above beginning lineup has gone 7-5 this season. The Pelicans are 41-23 when McCollum performs, however 7-9 when he’s a DNP.

GOLDEN STATE (45-35, 9TH IN WEST)

Chris Paul, Stephen Curry, Andrew Wiggins, Jonathan Kuminga, Hint Jackson-Davis

Notes: The Warriors are in a three-way impasse with eighth-place Sacramento and the No. 10 Lakers, all at 45-35 with two video games left apiece. The present order of the trio relies on mixture head-to-head data: Sacramento is 6-2, Golden State is 5-3, the Lakers are 1-7 (Kings swept Lakers 4-0; Warriors received their season sequence over the Lake Present 3-1; Kings and Warriors break up 4 conferences). On condition that logjam and this weekend’s schedule, the Pelicans will play a distinguished function in resolving the West play-in match matchups. By the best way, if Golden State and Sacramento find yourself in a two-team tie, the sting goes to the Kings primarily based on Pacific Division report.

CONTROL THE GLASS
Golden State did main injury in its Oct. 30 win at New Orleans by seizing 21 offensive rebounds, the Warriors’ third-best whole all season. The Warriors additionally surpassed their season common (12.2 O-boards) Jan. 10 by amassing 14 in opposition to the Pelicans, although New Orleans received the sport 141-105.
BENCHES BY THE BAY
New Orleans stays one of many NBA’s premier benches with a plus-minus of two.2 that ranks third behind solely Boston and Minnesota. Golden State’s backups are the league’s third-best in scoring, averaging 42.5 factors, trailing Indiana and Utah.
MATCHUP TO WATCH
Curry (4.8) and McCollum (3.5) rank first and third in three-pointers made per sport amongst all NBA gamers. Each consummate execs are searching for the tenth journey to the playoffs of their careers, with McCollum probably in a position to accomplish that Friday or Sunday. Curry can achieve this if Golden State advances via subsequent week’s play-in match.