1) Basketball is back. Four months and 22 days since New Orleans last played a game that counted – a March 8 win at Minnesota – the Pelicans (28-36) are back at it Thursday, facing the Utah Jazz (41-23) at 5:30 p.m. on Fox Sports New Orleans and 100.3 FM. The game also will be broadcast nationally on TNT. Pregame coverage on Pelicans TV and radio begins at 5, with an additional show on Pelicans.com starting at 4:30. Watch a hype video for Pelicans-Jazz.
2) Zion Williamson is officially listed as questionable for Thursday’s game. Alvin Gentry characterized the rookie’s status as a game-time decision.
3) New Orleans is 3.5 games behind eighth-place Memphis (32-33) and percentage points behind ninth-place Portland (29-37). Those teams face each other Friday at 3 p.m. on NBA TV. The Pelicans meet Memphis in Game 3 of the seeding games, but do not play Portland, having already registered a 4-0 sweep. Read an extensive explanation of the math involved in understanding NOLA’s path to the playoffs.
4) Read about all of the reasons there is plenty of enthusiasm and optimism surrounding the Pelicans these days.
5) Listen to today’s Pelicans Podcast, featuring guest Jared Greenberg of NBA TV. Greenberg joins host Daniel Sallerson from Orlando.