The New Orleans Pelicans had a tall order on Tuesday night as they faced off against the best team in the Western Conference, the Denver Nuggets.
In the end, they were taken down by that team, 122-113.
This was a painful loss but it was made even worse by the fact that it was just one of many they have experienced lately.
The Pelicans have now lost 9 straight games… 😳
Tough. pic.twitter.com/hmje1cuSlI
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) February 1, 2023
In fact, the Pelicans, who were the best team in their conference just a few weeks ago, have now lost nine games in a row.
They are currently the tenth-best team in the West and are only slightly ahead of the Oklahoma City Thunder, Portland Trail Blazers, and Los Angeles Lakers.
That means that with just a few more losses, this team could be battling just to qualify for the play-in games.
Obviously, the loss of star player Zion Williamson has hurt the Pels.
He has been out since the very beginning of January and the team seemed to be okay without him, at least for a short while.
But after scoring a few wins against teams like the Houston Rockets, Washington Wizards, and Detroit Pistons, the Pelicans started this long streak of defeats.
Even the return of Brandon Ingram hasn’t helped New Orleans.
Ingram is still getting used to being on the floor again: on Tuesday night, he scored 16 points, 4 rebounds, and 9 assists.
The team needs Williamson back and they need to perform like a healthy, fully-functioning unit.
Their chances of making the postseason aren’t entirely gone yet but they are slipping away more and more with each subsequent loss.
What will halt this rapid fall from grace for the Pelicans?
NEXT: Zion Williamson Proves He Is Already A Massive Fan Favorite
