The last few days of the NBA regular season are upon us, and the West in particular is heating up, as Steph Curry and the Golden State Warriors host New Orleans tonight. The implication sin the Western Conference are massive, as the top seed has yet not beenb determined among Denver, Minnesota and Oklahoma City. However, also the sports from 6th to 10th are up for grabs, as the Kings, Golden State and Lakers all have the same record (45-35). New Orleans, meanwhile, is fighting to remain in the 6th spot and avoid the Play-In Tournament, as they are now only one game ahead of 7th-placed Phoenix. This clash is indeed a crossroads for both teams’ seasons, as it may well determine who has home field advantage in the Play-In, and especially who could avoid Denver in a potential first-round Playoff matchup. After a recent surge, the Warriors will be keen on maintaining their momentum into the postseason: they have a veteran squad that, on their day, could pose any team serious problems.
The Pelicans have been relatively inconsistent in the past month, losing six of their 15 matches, which saw them drop down from 4th to 6th in the West over the course of 2024, also thanks to a big improvement by the Dallas Mavericks, who have now locked up at least the 5th seed. One good news for New Orleans is the imminent return of Brandon Ingram, probably their second-best player behind Zion Williamson. Their forward has been out with a knee injury since March 21, and will be a walecome return to the Pelicans starting five. On the Warriors’ side, these may well be Klay Thompson’s last few games with the team from san Francisco, as he is nearing free agency this summer – though there is obviously a chace he re-signs with Golden State. However, if the Warriors do not even make it out of the Play-In this season, it may well be time to starting major restructuting of the team. Steph Curry continues to be one of the elite offensive players in the league. It’s up to the Warriors front office to decide whether its time to blow up this historic dynasty or give them one more go next year.
This game is vital for both teams: the Warriors (who inexplicably play better away from home than at home this season) could move up to 8th with a win, meaning they would have two chances to get out of the Play-In. The Pelicans are in dire need of wins in their last two games aginst the Warriors and Lakers to avoid slipping down in the Play-In and risk facing Denver or Minnesota in the forst round. As it stands now, they would face a young and inexperienced Thunder team, who are by no means unfavored against the Pelicans, but present less of a challange than the aforementioned two. I see the Pelicans as being slight favoritres in this clash, as Zion’s size may well cause problems to the warriors and get Draymond Green in foul trouble. In addition, CJ McCollum has been playing at a very high-level in recent matches. The bookmakers, on the other hand, give the Warriors a bigger opportunity to win. In my opinion, playing a New Orleans Pelicans win listed at 2.50 is a great shout. An Over 220 points (1.90) is also a pretty reasonable choice otherwise, as both teams aren’t among the best in the league defensively.
Golden State Warriors to Win – 1.55
New Orleans Pelicans to Win – 2.50
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