Sixth-place New Orleans (45-29) will host a very significant game Monday at 7 p.m., facing seventh-place Phoenix (43-31). In their pursuit of a top-six seed in the Western Conference, the Pelicans can stretch their lead over the Suns to three games (and tie the season series 1-1), but if the Suns prevail, that gap will be just one game (and Phoenix would clinch the tiebreaker via a 2-0 season series).
Read Sunday’s official injury report. For Phoenix, Damion Lee (out, knee) was the only player listed.
Week 24 of the NBA schedule is the penultimate week on the regular season docket. The Pelicans actually face Phoenix twice during this seven-day span, visiting the Suns on Sunday in Arizona. In between, New Orleans hosts Orlando (43-31, fifth in East) on Wednesday, then San Antonio (18-57) on Friday.
In case you missed it, New Orleans dropped to 1-2 on its six-game homestand Saturday with a loss to league-best Boston.
The Pelicans are now two games behind the fourth-place LA Clippers (47-27) and tied with No. 5 Dallas (45-29), but the Mavericks hold the temporary tiebreaker over the Pelicans based on division record (10-5 vs. 9-6, with one game apiece left for both teams). Dallas can seal that tiebreaker Sunday when it hosts Houston (New Orleans’ final division game is Friday vs. San Antonio). The Pelicans have a two-game lead over both No. 7 Sacramento (43-31) and No. 8 Phoenix (43-31), though the Suns are essentially “closer” in the standings because the Pelicans have already won their tiebreaker over the Kings (4-0 season series with April 11 game in Golden 1 Center remaining).