The New Orleans Pelicans fought their way into the playoffs last season by winning a pair of play-in tournament games.
They beat a San Antonio Spurs team at home that finished the regular season 14 games under .500. Then, they defeated a Los Angeles Clippers squad missing both of its stars — Kawhi Leonard and Paul George — on the road.
If the Pelicans finish ninth this season, their road into the playoffs appears considerably more difficult.
The Pelicans would first have to defeat the 10th-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder, who are led by shifty guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, an All-NBA first-team candidate. Then they would need to beat one of the three California teams (the Clippers, Lakers or Warriors) or the Minnesota Timberwolves on the road.
All of that is why it is imperative for the Pelicans to beat the Timberwolves in their final regular-season finale Sunday. If they do, they are guaranteed to finish eighth or higher in the West. If they don’t, they will end the regular season in ninth place, which means they would need to win two consecutive elimination games to get into the playoffs.
“This is a business trip,” Pelicans coach Willie Green said.
A win Sunday in Minnesota also would mean there is a possibility New Orleans could avoid the play-in tournament all together. The Warriors (43-38), Clippers (43-38), Lakers (42-39) and Pelicans (42-39) are separated by one game going into the final day of the regular season.
If the Warriors, Lakers and Pelicans win and the Clippers lose Sunday, the Pelicans will finish sixth in the West. In this scenario, the Pelicans would jump ahead of the Clippers and Lakers because they have the most wins in their division among that trio of teams.
But any scenario that results in the Pelicans making the playoffs while avoiding the play-in tournament starts with them beating the Timberwolves on Sunday.
“There are certain things we can control,” Green said. “Then there are things out of our hands. Those are the things you can’t spend a ton of time worrying about.”
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