Pelicans Seek First Win At Home Against Magic Since 2016-2017 Season

New Orleans faces an Orlando franchise who has beaten them in 9 of the last 11 games.

Mar 21, 2024; Orlando, Florida, USA; New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson (1) goes to the / Mike Watters-USA TODAY Sports

New Orleans, LA - The New Orleans Pelicans (45-30) continue their difficult home stand as they host the Orlando Magic (44-31) on Wednesday night. This homestand has not been kind to New Orleans, who have lost three of four games so far. Orlando has beaten New Orleans six straight times on the road, with the last home win for the Pelicans against the Magic coming in 2017. The Magic have struggled on the road this season, going 17-19 away from home.

Orlando is one of the surprise teams in the league this season under third-year head coach Jamahl Mosley, who has his team poised to make the playoffs for the first time since the 2019-2020 season. Despite being one of the youngest teams in the league, the Magic hang their hat on defense. They are No. 2 in overall defensive efficiency and No. 3 in opponent points per game. Over the last ten games, Orlando's opponents are averaging just 100 points per game, with the Magic going 7-3.

Like the Pelicans, Orlando does much of their offensive damage in the paint. They rank right behind New Orleans in paint points (51.7) and are tied for first in the league for free throw attempts per game. The one major area they struggle with is three-point shooting. They rank near the bottom of the league in three-point attempts, makes, and percentages. In the first matchup between these teams, Orlando went +24 from deep in their 121-106 victory.

That matchup was the same game Pelicans forward Brandon Ingram injured his knee. Ingram has missed the last six games recovering, with the Pelicans going 3-3 in those games. He's doing some light work in practice, but there is currently no timetable for his return. Without Ingram, the Pels offense has sputtered at times, averaging just 107 points per game during this stretch.

New Orleans must get better production from their bench in Ingram's absence. Trey Murphy III is now starting in place of Ingram, but the bench is averaging just 17 points per game during this home stretch. Most of the offensive load has been placed on Zion Williamson's back, and though he's delivered, the Pelicans need better production from other players on the team.

Jonas Valanciunas's playing time has been a bit of a mystery lately. Valanciunas has not played more than 25 minutes in a game since March 1. He's only played more than 20 minutes in six of those 15 games. New Orleans has to find a way for Jonas to play more, and be more effective on the court. The Pelicans end their home stand on Friday against the San Antonio Spurs before heading West for a four-game road trip.