New Orleans Takes Flight Again
Until a few weeks ago, nobody was really looking to Louisiana. Too many losses. Too much frustration. Too many nights spent chewing over what might’ve been. Then, without warning, the Pelicans changed faces. Better than that. They found an identity. Now New Orleans is piling up wins and reminding the whole NBA it never went away.
Five straight wins. A streak the franchise hadn’t seen since 2022. And at the heart of this revival, one name keeps coming up. Zion Williamson.
Dallas: the Tipping Point
Against the Mavericks the Pelicans did more than play a regular-season game. They sent a message. A wild, unhinged night where the final margin looked surreal as their control grew minute by minute.
For a long time the game was tight. Then the fourth quarter arrived. And with it, Zion decided the night was his.
Zion in Steamroller Mode
When Zion kicks it into gear, few teams can cope. Against Dallas he caught fire at the exact moment his team needed him. Power in the paint. Constant aggression. Finishes through contact. Possession after possession, he set the tone.
Down at the start of the last quarter, the Pelicans suddenly flipped the script. Suffocating defence, lightning transitions, open looks. In minutes the lead reversed. A devastating run — proof of a team that finally figured out how to win together. And at the centre of it, Zion: everywhere, relentless.
A Run That Changes Everything
This turnaround isn’t just a number on a box score. It’s a spark. The moment a team realises it can control the tempo, impose its style and bend the opponent. New Orleans didn’t just win. They dominated mentally.
Defense locked down. Offence punished. And Dallas never found a foothold.
From a Sinking Start to a Revival
The contrast is striking. To begin a season 3-22 and now follow with such a convincing run isn’t accidental. It’s proof of a group that refused to sink. That kept working. Kept believing, despite all the outside noise.
Zion obviously embodies the shift. But pinning the streak on one man would be lazy. The Pelicans defend better, share the ball more, play with a new urgency. The kind of urgency teams show when they know there’s no time to waste.
A Team Nobody Wants to Face Again
With this momentum, New Orleans is turning back into the sort of team opponents dread. Able to hit another gear in a heartbeat, lock a game down and lean on a superstar when everything tightens.
Nothing’s decided. The season is long. But one thing’s clear. The Pelicans aren’t just background noise anymore. With a confident Zion Williamson, they could keep shaking up the pecking order.
The NBA loves an unexpected comeback. This one’s starting to make a lot of noise.
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