1) New Orleans (30-42) was off Tuesday following a road back-to-back, but returns to practice Wednesday afternoon, preparing for a very important three-game homestand that begins Thursday against Chicago. Check Pelicans.com later for a practice report and injury report.
2) The race between 9 and 12 in the Western Conference is tight, with only 3.5 games separating the ninth-place Lakers (31-41) and 12th-place Portland (27-44). Although 10th-place New Orleans is not playing Wednesday, it’s still a significant night in the West for the Pelicans, because everyone else is in action. In a pair of 9 p.m. Central matchups, the Lakers host Philadelphia on ESPN, while No. 11 San Antonio (28-44) visits Portland. The Spurs are two games behind New Orleans in the standings; the Southwest Division squads meet Saturday at 4 p.m. in the Smoothie King Center.
3) On Western Conference Wednesday, here are the relevant games to track over the rest of Week 23:
Wednesday
Philadelphia at LA Lakers (31-41), 9 p.m. (ESPN)
San Antonio (28-44) at Portland (27-44), 9 p.m.
Thursday
Chicago at New Orleans (30-42), 7 p.m.
Friday
Houston at Portland, 9 p.m.
Saturday
San Antonio at New Orleans, 4 p.m.
Houston at Portland, 9 p.m.
Sunday
LA Lakers at New Orleans, 6 p.m.
4) Read about Jaxson Hayes’ hoops background in the latest “24 Seconds” Q&A article.
5) Watch a video with Willy Hernangomez on his hobbies away from basketball.