A look at three key numbers related to Friday’s game at the Smoothie King Center between Cleveland and New Orleans (7 p.m. Central, Fox Sports New Orleans, ESPN Radio New Orleans 100.3 FM):
29: Cleveland rank among the 30 NBA teams in offensive efficiency, as well as New Orleans rank in defensive efficiency. Something has to give Friday, when a struggling Cavaliers attack faces a Pelicans defense searching for ways to get better. Cleveland has not scored 115 points in any game since a 122-point output vs. Detroit on Jan. 27; during the same timeframe, New Orleans has allowed its opponents to tally 115 points or more 15 times in 22 games, including nine of its last 10 contests (the only exception was Miami scoring 103 on March 4). Will the Pelicans be able to hold the Cavaliers close to the latter’s season average of 104.6 points per game? If so, New Orleans is 5-1 when keeping the opposition to under 105 points, featuring victories over Oklahoma City, San Antonio, Toronto, Houston and Phoenix. Cleveland is just 4-16 when it tallies less than 105 points.
4: Total players on the New Orleans and Cleveland rosters who rank in the top 40 in points in the paint in 2020-21. The group is obviously topped by Pelicans All-Star forward Zion Williamson, whose 19.3 per game is No. 1 in the league, clearing runner-up Giannis Antetokounmpo (17.3) of Milwaukee by a bucket. You may not be aware of the fact that the Cavaliers have three excellent paint-point producers, although one of them is currently awaiting his next NBA destination, as his franchise tries to work out a trade. Cleveland center Andre Drummond is third in the statistic (14.4), though New Orleans will not have to deal with him Friday and his work around the rim and on the boards. Jarrett Allen (40th in paint points at 9.3) has taking over the starting center spot. In an illustration of how effective he’s been on drives and basket attacks this season, 6-foot-1 Collin Sexton (12.5) ranks ninth in the NBA in points in the paint, first among guards. Just ahead of Sexton in the category are (fourth through eighth) Nikola Jokic, Domantas Sabonis, Clint Capela, Christian Wood and Anthony Davis.
7-8: New Orleans record vs. the Eastern Conference this season, after going 12-12 last season. Facing the six East squads currently over .500 in 2020-21, the Pelicans have gone 2-4, beating Boston, splitting with Milwaukee, being swept by Miami and losing to Charlotte. Among the remaining nine East opponents, New Orleans is just 5-4. The Pelicans have yet to face Cleveland (14-22 overall record), New York (19-19), Atlanta (17-20) or Orlando (13-24) from the East.
PREVIOUS GAME STARTING LINEUPS
CLEVELAND (14-22, 13TH IN EAST)
March 3 loss vs. Indiana
Collin Sexton, Darius Garland, Isaac Okoro, Dean Wade, Jarrett Allen
Notes: This group is a team-best 4-1 this season, together for each of the Cavaliers’ previous five games. It produced a four-game winning streak by beating Atlanta, Houston (twice) and Philadelphia. … Cleveland had lost nine straight road games prior to victories at Philadelphia and Houston. … The Cavaliers have used a staggering 16 different lineups, but this is the only group to generate more than two wins.
NEW ORLEANS (15-22, 13TH IN WEST)
Thursday loss vs. Minnesota
Lonzo Ball, Eric Bledsoe, Brandon Ingram, Zion Williamson, Steven Adams
Notes: This group is 13-17. … New Orleans has only used seven different starting lineups. … A total of eight Pelicans players have started two or more games this season, compared to Cleveland’s 12 players having made multiple starts.
PELICANS KEYS TO VICTORY PRESENTED BY FANDUEL
SUSTAINED ENERGY
New Orleans played inspired basketball Thursday for only a portion of one quarter vs. Minnesota, going up 24-8. Stan Van Gundy on the 135-105 loss: “We started well. We went to the bench; it was bad. But it was bad from there the whole night on.” The Pelicans didn’t do it last night against the Wolves (now No. 26 in offense), but they must show improvement defensively against the Cavs (No. 29 in offense).
ON GUARD
Cleveland’s Sexton and Garland represent one of the NBA’s most promising backcourts, making them a focus of New Orleans’ defense (Garland is questionable to play due to a left groin strain). Their potential matchup vs. Ball and Bledsoe will be interesting to watch, with the Pelicans’ starting guards also looking to bounce back from combined 4/20 shooting vs. the Timberwolves.
PAINT BATTLE
Partly behind the recently surging Allen, Cleveland ranks third in the NBA in points in the paint (54.2 ppg), while New Orleans is fifth in that category (52.8). Williamson has led the league in paint points throughout 2020-21. In addition, past All-Star power forward Kevin Love (questionable with right calf strain) could return to Cleveland’s lineup after being sidelined since Dec. 27.