1) There were only two games Wednesday relevant to the Western Conference playoff race. Both of them were favorable outcomes for New Orleans (44-34). The Pelicans rolled to a 123-95 win over Memphis, while San Antonio (45-34) lost in overtime to the Lakers, dropping the Spurs to sixth place.
2) Watch Grizzlies-Pelicans postgame video reaction from newly clean-shaven Nikola Mirotic, as well as Anthony Davis, E’Twaun Moore and Alvin Gentry.
3) Eighth-place New Orleans already controlled its own destiny in terms of finishing ahead of the Spurs in the standings, but San Antonio’s defeat last night gave the Pelicans a slightly larger margin for error. The two squads will face off April 11 in the regular season finale for both. If New Orleans prevails that night, it will wrap up the tiebreaking edge by virtue of a 3-1 season series. That means that the Pelicans only need to be within one game of the Spurs to have a chance to move ahead in the standings.
4) The Pelicans are only one game behind fourth-place Utah (45-33) in terms of potential homecourt advantage in Round 1 of the playoffs, but the Jazz own the tiebreaker, meaning New Orleans would have to gain two games over the balance of the regular season to surpass Utah. There are two important matchups Thursday around the West that directly impact New Orleans, starting with an 8 p.m. Central game between Utah and the 10th-place Clippers (42-36), who are two games behind NOLA. At 9:30 on TNT, ninth-place Denver (43-35) hosts seventh-place Minnesota (44-34). That Nuggets-Timberwolves meeting will allow the Pelicans to either leapfrog Minnesota (if Denver wins tonight) and move into the No. 7 spot, or increase their lead to 1.5 games on Denver (if Minnesota wins) for eighth. Keep in mind, there is also a Denver-Clippers matchup Saturday in Staples Center, which will be damaging to whoever loses that matinee.
5) Gentry’s weekly radio show airs tonight at 6:30 on WRNO 99.5 FM. Gentry and the Pelicans are holding practice this afternoon in Metairie, prior to traveling to Phoenix, arriving by late afternoon. New Orleans will face the Phoenix Suns on Friday at 9 p.m. Central, the start of a three-game road trip.