{"id":707733,"date":"2026-04-10T23:07:04","date_gmt":"2026-04-10T23:07:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/707733\/"},"modified":"2026-04-10T23:07:04","modified_gmt":"2026-04-10T23:07:04","slug":"new-orleans-pelicans-26-54-at-boston-celtics-54-25-game-81-4-10-26-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/707733\/","title":{"rendered":"New Orleans Pelicans (26-54) at Boston Celtics (54-25) Game #81 4\/10\/26"},"content":{"rendered":"

New Orleans Pelicans (26-54) at Boston Celtics (54-25)
Friday, April 10, 2026
7::30 PM ET
Regular Season Game #81\u00a0 \u00a0Home Game #40
TV: NBCSB, GCSEN, NBA- LP
Radio:\u00a0 98.5 The Sports Hub , WWL 870 AM, Sirius XM
TD Garden<\/p>\n

The Celtics host the New Orleans Pelicans as the season winds down. This is the 2nd, and final, game between these two teams this season. The Celtics won the first game 122-90 in New Orleans on October 27. The Celtics are 29-21 overall all time against the Pelicans and they are 16-8 in games played in Boston. The Celtics won the series 2-0 last season.<\/p>\n

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The Pelicans last played on Tuesday while the Celtics are playing in the second of back to back games. The Celtics are 7-5 in games played on the second night of back to back games. Both teams have one more game to finish the season. The Pelicans will play at Minnesota while the Celtics will host the Orlando Magic.<\/p>\n

The Pelicans made a minor deal at the trade deadline. They traded Jose Alvarado to the New York Knicks for Dalen Terry, 2 second round picks and cash considerations. They then waived Terry. They also converted two way player Bryce McGowans to a contract with the Pelicans main team. They then signed Josh Oduro to a 2-Way contract.<\/p>\n

The Celtics are 2nd in the East, 4 games behind 1st place Detroit. They are 2 games ahead of 3rd place New York, 3 games ahead of 4th place Cleveland, 9 games ahead of 5th place Toronto and 6th place Atlanta and 10 games ahead of 7th place Orlando. The Celtics are 19-10 against Western Conference opponents. They are 28-11 at home and 7-3 in their last 10 games. They are coming off a loss in their last game.<\/p>\n

The Pelicans are 11th in the West, 15 games behind the 8th place Clippers, 14 games behind 9th place Portland, and 11.5 games behind Golden State. They are 1 game ahead of 12th place Memphis, and 13th place Dallas and 5 games ahead of 14th place Sacramento. They are 9-21 against Eastern Conference opponents. They are 9-30 on the road and 2-8 in their last 10 games. They are coming off a win in their last game.<\/p>\n

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It\u2019s hard to say who will actually play in this game. The Celtics listed Derrick White (knee), Neemias Queta (toe), and Sam Hauser (back) as questionable for Thursday\u2019s game. Hauser, White and Queta played while Brown was out. White, Hauser and Queta are listed as probable for this game. Jaylen Brown (Achilles) is listed as questionable. Jayson Tatum played on Thursday and is out for this game since it is back to back.<\/p>\n

The Pelicans have 8 players out. Yves Missi (hand), Zion Williamson (knee), Dejounte Murray (hand), Bryce McGowans (toe), and Trey Murphy III (ankle), Herb Jones (rest), Saddiq Bey (rest), and Karlo Matkovic (back)are all listed as out. It doesn\u2019t seem to me that players who haven\u2019t played since Tuesday and won\u2019t play beyond the end of the season really need rest. But, that\u2019s just me. I just guessed at their starters.<\/p>\n

Probable Starting Matchups
PG: Derrick White vs Jeremiah Fears <\/p>\n

\"Derrick<\/p>\n

Derrick White | Getty Images<\/p>\n

\"Jeremiah<\/p>\n

Jeremiah Fears | NBAE via Getty Images<\/p>\n

SG: Jaylen Brown vs Jordan Poole <\/p>\n

\"Jaylen<\/p>\n

Jaylen Brown | Getty Images<\/p>\n

\"Jordan<\/p>\n

Jordan Poole | NBAE via Getty Images<\/p>\n

SF: Sam Hauser vs Micah Peavy<\/p>\n

\"Sam<\/p>\n

Sam Hauser | NBAE via Getty Images<\/p>\n

\"Micah<\/p>\n

Micah Peavy | Getty Images<\/p>\n

PF: Jordan Walsh vs Derik Queen <\/p>\n

\"Jordan<\/p>\n

Jordan Walsh | NBAE via Getty Images<\/p>\n

\"Derik<\/p>\n

Derik Queen | Getty Images<\/p>\n

C: Neemias Queta vs Kevon Looney<\/p>\n

\"Neemias<\/p>\n

Neemias Queta | Getty Images<\/p>\n

\"Kevon<\/p>\n

Kevon Looney | Getty Images<\/p>\n

Celtics Reserves
Payton Pritchard
Hugo Gonzalez
Luka Garza
Amare Williams
Baylor Scheierman
Max Shulga
Nikola Vucevic
Ron Harper, Jr<\/p>\n

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2-Way Players
None<\/p>\n

Injuries\/Out
Derrick White (knee) probable
Neemias Queta (toe) probable
Sam Hauser (back) probable
Jaylen Brown (Achilles) questionable
Jayson Tatum (injury management) out
Head Coach
Joe Mazzulla<\/p>\n

Pelicans Reserves
Jordan Hawkins
DeAndre Jordan<\/p>\n

2-Way Players
Trey Alexander
Hunter Dickenson
Josh Oduro<\/p>\n

Injuries\/Out
Zion Williamson (knee)\u00a0out
Dejounte Murray (hand) out
Bryce McGowans (toe) out
Trey Murphy III (ankle)\u00a0out
Yves Missi (hand) out
Herb Jones (rest) out
Karlo Matkovic (back) out
Saddiq Bey (rest) out<\/p>\n

Head Coach
James Borrego (interim)<\/p>\n

Key Matchups
Jaylen Brown vs Jordan Poole
Poole is averaging 13.5 points, 1.9 rebounds, and 3.1 assists while shooting 37.3% from the field and 33.2% from the field. In the first game against the Celtics he finished with 22 points, 2 rebounds, 4 assists, and 1 steal while shooting 35.7% from the field and 37.5% from beyond the arc. It will be crucial for the Celtics to defend him well and keep him from having a big game.<\/p>\n

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Derrick White vs Jeremiah Fears
Fears is averaging 13.7 points, 3.6 rebounds, 3.4 assists, and 1.2 steals per game.\u00a0 He is shooting 43.4% from the field and 33.7% from beyond the arc.\u00a0 In the first game against the Celtics, he finished with 2 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists and 1 steal while shooting 9.1% from the field with no threes.\u00a0 Fears is coming off a game against the Jazz where he finished with 40 points, 6 assists and 3 steals. The Celtics need to defend him as he is capable of a big game.<\/p>\n

Honorable Mention
Jordan Walsh vs Derik Queen
Queen is averaging 11.3 points, 6.8 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1 steal per game.\u00a0 He is shooting 47.3% from the field and 26.2% from beyond the arc.\u00a0 In the first game against the Celtics, he finished with 12 points, 3 rebounds, and 1 steal while shooting 42.9% from the field with no 3 pointers.<\/p>\n

Keys to the Game
Defense \u2013 Defense will always be the key to winning. The Pelicans have an offensive rating of 113.2 (20th) while the Celtics have an offensive rating of 119.9 (2nd).\u00a0 The Celtics are 4th in the league with a defensive rating of 111.7.\u00a0 The Pelicans are 22nd with a defensive rating of 117.3 (22nd).\u00a0 The Celtics allowed the Knicks to shoot 53.8% from the field and 42.9% from beyond the arc. They were lax on defense and that cost them the game.\u00a0 They have to play tough lock down defense for all 48 minutes if they want to win this, or any other, game.\u00a0 The Celtics need to especially guard the paint since the Pelicans are 2nd in the league with 57.6 points in the paint per game.<\/p>\n

Rebound \u2013 The Celtics have to crash the boards as a team. Rebounding takes effort and when they put that extra effort out to dominate the boards, it often translates to all other areas of the game as well.\u00a0 The Pelicans are averaging 43.8 rebounds (14th) and the Celtics are averaging 46.5 rebounds per game (4th).\u00a0 \u00a0The Celtics need the ball to score and the best way to get the ball is to grab rebounds on both ends of the court.<\/p>\n

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Move the Ball Carefully\u2013 The Celtics are tough to beat when they keep the ball moving and find the open man but when one player over dribbles and lapses into hero ball, they falter. The Celtics are 33-0 when they have more assists than their opponent but just 19-24 when they have fewer assists than their opponent. Keep the ball moving and don\u2019t lapse into hero ball, whether in the first quarter or the 4th quarter. They have to make careful passes and not turn the ball over because the Pelicans average 18.0 points off turnovers per game.
Don\u2019t Underestimate \u2013 After a tough game against the Knicks, it would be easy for the Celtics to expect an easy game against the Pelicans, who have nothing to play for except a lottery pick. NBA players have pride and are going to play hard and try to win, even if their leadership may want to tank.\u00a0 The Celtics have to play hard and be aggressive and not let up.\u00a0 The last team can easily beat the top team if that top team is not giving their full effort.\u00a0 \u00a0The Celtics have to give their full effort from start to finish.<\/p>\n

X-Factors
Back to Back at Home \u2013 The Celtics are at home after playing on the road the night before. The Pelicans haven\u2019t played since Tuesday and should be rested.\u00a0 The Pelicans have struggled on the road this season with an 9-30 record away from home.\u00a0 \u00a0 Hopefully the Celtics will come out ready to play and get some motivation from the home crowd.\u00a0 Protect home court.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Who\u2019s Playing? \u2013 It\u2019s fairly certain that Jayson Tatum will be out but as of now, I\u2019m not sure who else will be out for the Celtics.\u00a0 They may decide to rest some players and that means that those who play will have to play even harder.\u00a0 The Pelicans have at least 5 players out and possibly as many as 8 out.\u00a0 Sometimes very short handed teams are like a wounded animal and play even harder.<\/p>\n

Officiating \u2013 Officiating always has the possibility to be an x-factor.\u00a0 Every crew calls the game differently.\u00a0 Some call every bit of contact while some let them play.\u00a0 Some favor the home team and some call it evenly and some are just bad.\u00a0 Hopefully the Celtics get a crew that calls it even and lets both teams play. However the game is called, they need to focus on the game and not allow bad or no calls to take that focus away.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"New Orleans Pelicans (26-54) at Boston Celtics (54-25)Friday, April 10, 20267::30 PM ETRegular Season Game #81\u00a0 \u00a0Home Game…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":707734,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3796],"tags":[676,7,1266,75,305,559,15697,686,761,2878,803,1243,296,568,479,4202,3528,78,77,423,983,5316,2771,4989,11053,53046,2967,17915,3537,293,3539,307,6,66128,4986,478,470,191,4073,4072,3853,76,405,675,687,986,1020,2080,4439,680,8030,6514,1259,814],"class_list":{"0":"post-707733","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-new-orleans-pelicans","8":"tag-atlanta","9":"tag-basketball","10":"tag-baylor-scheierman","11":"tag-boston-celtics","12":"tag-cleveland","13":"tag-clippers","14":"tag-dalen-terry","15":"tag-dallas","16":"tag-deandre-jordan","17":"tag-dejounte-murray","18":"tag-derik-queen","19":"tag-derrick-white","20":"tag-detroit","21":"tag-getty-images","22":"tag-golden-state","23":"tag-herb-jones","24":"tag-hugo-gonzalez","25":"tag-jaylen-brown","26":"tag-jayson-tatum","27":"tag-jazz","28":"tag-jeremiah-fears","29":"tag-jordan-hawkins","30":"tag-jordan-poole","31":"tag-jordan-walsh","32":"tag-jose-alvarado","33":"tag-josh-oduro","34":"tag-kevon-looney","35":"tag-luka-garza","36":"tag-max-shulga","37":"tag-memphis","38":"tag-micah-peavy","39":"tag-minnesota","40":"tag-nba","41":"tag-nbae","42":"tag-neemias-queta","43":"tag-new-orleans","44":"tag-new-orleans-pelicans","45":"tag-new-york-knicks","46":"tag-neworleans","47":"tag-neworleanspelicans","48":"tag-nikola-vucevic","49":"tag-orlando-magic","50":"tag-payton-pritchard","51":"tag-pelicans","52":"tag-portland","53":"tag-sacramento","54":"tag-saddiq-bey","55":"tag-sam-hauser","56":"tag-the-pelicans","57":"tag-toronto","58":"tag-trey-alexander","59":"tag-trey-murphy-iii","60":"tag-yves-missi","61":"tag-zion-williamson"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"","error":"Validation failed: Text character limit of 500 exceeded"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/707733","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=707733"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/707733\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/707734"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=707733"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=707733"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=707733"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}