Another barn-burner is in store for all you rabid hoop fans out there, as the 12^th-seeded Ragin’ Cajuns of Louisiana-Lafay… huh, what? Oh, there’s some OTHER basketball being played today? Cool!

The New Orleans Pelicans are situated in the West Region, but for much of the season they have feasted on the East. Back when they defeated tonight’s opponent, the Atlanta Hawks (7:30 PM Eastern, SportSouth, FoxSports NOLA) at Smoothie King Center on February 5, they raised their record to 13-5 against Eastern Conference foes, keeping them within a stone’s throw of playoff contention. But during the 6-13 swoon that followed, N’Awlins (27-40) won just 3 of their next 9 against Eastern teams, prevailing twice against the Bucks and at home last Sunday to the Celtics in overtime.

Tonight is the final road visit to an Eastern club for the Pelicans, who still have the East to thank for more than half of their victories. The Hawks (31-35), meanwhile, are hoping to be a 7-seed in the East by night’s end.

Head Coach Monty Williams’ troops already had to deal with Ryan Anderson and Jason Smith having to check out for the season due to injuries in January. Then, Jrue Holiday, their biggest offseason addition, underwent lower-leg surgery in February, having to miss the balance of the season.

Now, they are in a precarious situation in the standings. They’re on the verge of mathematical elimination in the wild-and-woolly West (12.5 games behind Dallas, with 15 to go), and they’re not quite losing enough to avoid giving Philadelphia a second possible bite at the lottery apple. Thanks to the Holiday trade, the pick they own for this year’s draft is only Top-5 protected. So the Pelicans will have to be caught by the Lakers (fat chance) and/or hit it big in the lottery if they want a chance to use that pick.

One thing they do have going for them is All-Star and former #1-overall pick Anthony Davis, who missed Wednesday’s home loss to the Raptors with a respiratory infection, but is probable to return tonight. SB Nation Pelicans writer David Fisher checked out seasons of major NBA players (min. 2000 minutes) that started the season out at age 20. Based on per-48 win shares, AD’s injury-abbreviated season is eclipsing names like LeBron, Shaq, CP3, and Magic in terms of efficiency. Against the Celtics on Sunday, Davis became the youngest NBA player to put up 40-and-20 in a game since Shaq back in 1993.

In the Big Easy, Davis’ swift return will be a sight for sore eyebrows. Toronto had little resistance around the Pelicans’ hoop on Wednesday, registering 22 offensive rebounds with Tyler Hansbrough replacing the injured Jonas Valanciunas. Having Davis back at power forward to pair with ((insert tall stiff here)) at center gives the top shotblocking team in the NBA (6.4 team BPG) the ability to compel opposing point guards and forwards to think twice before making forays into the paint.

That may work out just fine for the Hawks, however. Only Portland, the Clippers, and Miami take more three-point shots from the corners than Atlanta, and they’ll take on a Pelicans team that gives up the fourth-most corner threes (NBA-high 49.4 opponent 3FG% from the right corner; next highest team only at 43.9 3FG%). The Hawks will want to minimize contested shots taken above-the-break against New Orleans (33.4 opponent 3FG%, 3^rd lowest in NBA).

Unlike Davis’ giddier days in UK locker-rooms, he’ll be the one dishing out punishment if he’s left unaccounted for around the rim. Pero Antić, Paul Millsap, and Mike Scott have to mix it up inside to keep the Pelicans’ interior D honest and box out effectively at the other end (Greg Steimsma’s six O-boards in last month’s game nearly matched the Hawks’ output). But the trio’s ability to occasionally step outside and hit shots can keep them above par against Davis and company (Greg Steimsma, Alexis Ajinca, or rookie Jeff Withey). Millsap and Scott were a combined 7-for-14 from deep in the last matchup, and Millsap’s 26 points and 10 boards nearly matched Davis’ 27-and-10.

Atlanta had to fend off DeMar DeRozan and Terrence Ross in their last contest, and they’ll have to do a similar job containing the Pelicans’ swingmen tonight. After coming off the bench for much of this season, Tyreke Evans (22.3 PPG, 6.1 APG, 6.0 RPG, and 54.2 FG% in his last 8 games) has been starting lately and finding his groove at small forward. Evans missed the last game against the Hawks due to rib soreness. Eric Gordon (45.4 FG%, 41.8 3FG%, 80.9 FT% post-All-Star-break) is most helpful on offense when he’s drawing fouls and getting to the line, but needs to do more defensively (nine steals in his last 14 games; one in his last five) than simply funneling his man into the wind turbines waiting inside.

Al-Farouq Aminu is vital for the Pelicans’ defense, but also found his jumpshot working for him against Toronto on Wednesday, on the way to a season-high 19 points (7-for-8 shooting) and 10 rebounds coming off the bench. Atlanta’s Kyle Korver remains among the NBA’s top 5 players in career three-point accuracy (42.56 3FG%), and the guy standing in the way of Kyle moving up a notch is former Hawk Anthony Morrow (42.61 career 3FG%). Ammo (31.8 3FG% in March) hit two of his three three-point attempts against the Hawks last month, but also added ten additional points and five rebounds to lead the Pelicans’ reserves.

Brian Roberts has shed his hairdo homage to Original Aunt Viv from Fresh Prince, and also any sense that the proud Dayton Flyer wasn’t ready for primetime NBA action. He tied his then-season-high with 19 points during the Pelicans’ victory over the Hawks in NOLA last month.

Jeff Teague peppered the Pellies with 13 assists in February, but struggled from the field, and made critical mistakes down the stretch while Roberts’ eight points in the closing six minutes helped his team pull away. On the heels of his season-high 34 points (and a season-high 4 steals) against the Raptors, Teague will need to again find his shot and outpoint Roberts, while creating openings inside for quick shots by his teammates.

Go Hawks!

~lw3