Through 3 Quarters
Only one more quarter stands between the Boston Celtics and the victory they were favored to collect going into this night. They have emerged as the frontrunner and are ahead of the New Orleans Pelicans 79-70.
Boston has been led by small forward Jayson Tatum, who so far has 28 points and four assists along with seven rebounds. One thing to keep an eye out for is Marcus Smart’s foul situation as he currently sits at four.
New Orleans has been relying on the performance of point guard Jose Alvarado, who has 17 points in addition to four boards.
the Pelicans have lost 90% of the time when they were down heading into the fourth quarter this year, so this one seems just about wrapped up
Who’s Playing
Boston @ New Orleans
Current Records: Boston 25-25; New Orleans 18-30
What to Know
The New Orleans Pelicans head home again Saturday, but with the point spread against them by 6.5 points, it might not be quite the welcoming they would prefer. They and the Boston Celtics will face off at 7 p.m. ET Jan. 29 at Smoothie King Center without much rest after finishing up games yesterday. Both teams took a loss in their last game, so they’ll have plenty of motivation to get the ‘W.’
New Orleans received a tough blow on Friday as they fell 116-105 to the Denver Nuggets. The Pelicans’ loss shouldn’t obscure the performances of power forward Herbert Jones, who had 19 points along with seven rebounds and five steals, and center Willy Hernangomez, who posted a double-double on 18 points and 16 boards in addition to three blocks.
Meanwhile, the matchup between Boston and the Atlanta Hawks on Friday was not a total blowout, but with Boston falling 108-92 on the road, it was darn close to turning into one. The top scorer for Boston was shooting guard Jaylen Brown (26 points). That makes it three consecutive games in which Jaylen Brown has had at least ten rebounds.
New Orleans ended up a good deal behind the Celtics when they played in the teams’ previous meeting earlier this month, losing 104-92. Maybe the Pelicans will have more luck at home instead of on the road? Watch the contest and check back on CBS Sports for all the details.
How To Watch
- When: Saturday at 7 p.m. ET
- Where: Smoothie King Center — New Orleans, Louisiana
- TV: Bally Sports – New Orleans
- Online streaming: fuboTV (Try for free. Regional restrictions may apply.)
- Follow: CBS Sports App
- Ticket Cost: $20.00
Odds
The Celtics are a solid 6.5-point favorite against the Pelicans, according to the latest NBA odds.
The line has drifted a bit towards the Celtics, as the game opened with the Celtics as a 4.5-point favorite.
Over/Under: -110
See NBA picks for every single game, including this one, from SportsLine’s advanced computer model. Get picks now.
Series History
Boston have won seven out of their last 13 games against New Orleans.
- Jan 17, 2022 – Boston 104 vs. New Orleans 92
- Mar 29, 2021 – New Orleans 115 vs. Boston 109
- Feb 21, 2021 – New Orleans 120 vs. Boston 115
- Jan 26, 2020 – New Orleans 123 vs. Boston 108
- Jan 11, 2020 – Boston 140 vs. New Orleans 105
- Dec 10, 2018 – Boston 113 vs. New Orleans 100
- Nov 26, 2018 – Boston 124 vs. New Orleans 107
- Mar 18, 2018 – New Orleans 108 vs. Boston 89
- Jan 16, 2018 – New Orleans 116 vs. Boston 113
- Jan 07, 2017 – Boston 117 vs. New Orleans 108
- Nov 14, 2016 – New Orleans 106 vs. Boston 105
- Apr 06, 2016 – Boston 104 vs. New Orleans 97
- Dec 07, 2015 – Boston 111 vs. New Orleans 93
Injury Report for New Orleans
- Devonte’ Graham: Game-Time Decision (Ankle)
- Jonas Valanciunas: Out (Illness)
- Brandon Ingram: Out (Ankle)
- Trey Murphy III: Out (Covid-19)
- Zion Williamson: Out (Foot)
- Kira Lewis Jr.: Out for the Season (Knee)
Injury Report for Boston
- Bol Bol: Out (Foot)
- PJ Dozier: Out for the Season (Knee)
