Pelicans-Celtics: Tanking vs Stakes

0:00It's April 11th, I'm Cory with the story, and this is Boston Celtics News today, AI-powered updates on your squad. The New Orleans Pelicans sit at 26 wins and 54 losses, basically done for the season with just two games left. They're facing the Boston Celtics on Friday, but Coach James Borrego has no plans to push the vets. The injury report is stacked, listing Zion Williamson, DeJonte Murray, Trey Murphy, Eve Murphy, Eves Missy, and Carlo McAvitch as out, while Herb Jones and Sadiq Bay get a rest day. That means big minutes for the young guns and two-way guys. Players like Hunter Dickinson, Trey Alexander, and Joshua Duro saw heavy action in their recent win over the jazz, and rookies, Jeremiah Fears, Derek, Queen, and Micah Peebe should start up. Even vets Jordan Poole and Keevon Looney, who've been buried on the bench all year, get a shot to shine before free agency hits. Fans and players see this as a clear tank job, prioritizing health and evil time over meaningless

1:03wins. It clears the deck for the friend-roster guys to prove their worth, potentially landing spots elsewhere this summer. No one surprised, given the Pelican slide. Meanwhile, the Celtics got real stakes. They need one more win to lock the number two seed, or the Nick Snagget if they sweep their last games. Fans on the second night of a back-to-back, after dropping one to New York Thursday, with Jason Tatum out-nursing his Achilles and Jalen Brown A, Game Time Call, expect the Celtics to grind hard, despite the fatigue, while New Orleans treats it like open tryouts. This mismatch could make for some wild basketball down the stretch.