Two teams that have endured starkly different seasons up to this point will come together on Sunday at the TD Garden as the basement-dwelling New Orleans Pelicans make the tough trip to Boston to face the defending champion Celtics.
At 7-29 and sunk by injuries and roster uncertainty, New Orleans’ hopes of even clawing back into the play-in picture in the Western Conference are far-fetched at best. However, their veteran-laden roster presents a strong potential to cause havoc in the second half of the season.
That will start at the home of the defending champions. The Celtics have performed exceptionally well in keeping up with the Cleveland Cavaliers’ record-breaking pace, and they cannot afford to lose a game like this if they hope to maintain their top seed in the Eastern Conference in April.
With an inter-conference battle on the schedule this Sunday at one of the league’s best venues in Boston, check out our New Orleans Pelicans vs. Boston Celtics predictions, including our NBA expert picks, with tip set for January 12 at 6:00 p.m. ET.
New Orleans Pelicans vs Boston Celtics Matchup Overview
Teams: New Orleans Pelicans vs. Boston Celtics
Date: Sunday, January 12, 2025
Time: 6:00 p.m. ET
Venue: TD Garden
Win Probabilities
The prediction tip for the winner in the game between the New Orleans Pelicans and the Boston Celtics is the Boston Celtics.
Expert Prediction: Who Wins?
Why the New Orleans Pelicans Can Cover
With 11 games separating the New Orleans Pelicans, in 15th in the Western Conference, and the Golden State Warriors and Sacramento Kings, who are tied for 10th and the final play-in spot, the remainder of the season takes on a new meaning for the Pels. In a conference with a dozen teams fighting for eight playoff spots, they can be one tricky spoiler. And with increased availability among their star players, the Pelicans might be set to be just that.
After an 11-game losing streak that lasted most of December and into January, New Orleans has begun showing a little life. Back-to-back wins against the Washington Wizards vaulted New Orleans into a midweek meeting with the Minnesota Timberwolves, a game that held extra significance. That’s because the Pels, brutalized by injury throughout the year, could again call on Zion Williamson, who was back in the lineup and healthy after playing just six games this year.
Williamson’s the latest in a long line of Pels who have returned from injury, with head coach Willie Green now able to call on Dejounte Murray, Herb Jones, and CJ McCollum, in addition to his high-flying superstar. Williamson’s return against Minnesota had an immediate effect, too. Williamson poured in 22 points on typically great efficiency, even on a minute restriction. Tellingly, too, was that he was a team-high +8 in a seven-point Pelicans loss.
The presence of Zion and his ability to operate as one of the league’s most efficient scorers changes the outlook of New Orleans’ offense. For the season, it is a lowly 27th in adjusted offensive rating and boasts a true shooting percentage in the bottom three in the league. But, with Williamson’s ability to get to the basket and create good shots for teammates, that efficiency flips.
The ability to create good offense will be vital in this matchup because no team creates better looks than the Boston Celtics. With total mastery of spacing and a full-team commitment to the drive-and-kick game, the Celtics routinely get fantastic looks. That reality is reflected in the numbers, where they rank second in offensive rating, adjusted for opponent, and true shooting.
The Celtics do not need to be concerned with New Orleans’ defense. Even a competent unit would have difficulty slowing the C’s attack, but New Orleans is far from being even that; it is 29th in adjusted defensive rating and, frankly, is worse with Williamson back in the fold.
Why the Boston Celtics Can Cover
It’s the other side of that matchup, however, that could prove to be the difference. While the Pelicans don’t have a great route to slowing down Boston’s offense, another recent return from injury gives the Celtics a great chance at slowing Zion and the Pelicans’ offense.
After a four-game absence, Kristaps Porzingis returned for the Celtics last weekend. Though he was a bit sluggish and on a minutes restriction to begin with, the Latvian center appeared back at his best midweek against the Nuggets. Porzingis played his full slate of minutes and was a full force inside, totaling 11 boards and a block, finishing as a +14 in a 12-point Celtics win.
While Boston is not short on great defenders—all of Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Derrick White, Jrue Holiday, and Al Horford can impact games defensively at varying levels—it does not possess a rim defender like Porzingis. His length and shot-blocking ability change so much for the Celtics’ defense and, by extension, the opposing offense.
That looms absolutely massively against the Pelicans and Williamson. Almost all of Williamson’s offensive game is predicated on getting downhill, attacking the basket, and either finishing at the rim or creating looks for teammates from there.
Last year, when Zion played a career-high 70 games, the Pelicans were on the fringe of the top 10 in adjusted offensive rating—and, not coincidentally, were ninth in the league in paint points per game. In 2020-21, when Williamson played his previous career high of 60 games, New Orleans was again just outside the top 10 in adjusted offensive efficiency and averaged the second most points in the paint per game in the NBA, at 54.4.
Good offense for the Pelicans must come through Williamson getting to the rim routinely. With the Celtics able to create plenty of resistance on the perimeter and protect the rim with Porzingis’ ridiculous length, Zion will find that incredibly difficult.
As a result, don’t expect the Pelicans to be able to keep pace with the sharpshooting Celtics at home.
How to Make New Orleans Pelicans vs. Boston Celtics Picks
Ready to make picks on the New Orleans Pelicans vs. Boston Celtics matchup on Sunday, January 12? Make sure to head over to Sportzino, where you can find every NBA game on the slate this weekend and so much more!
