Bird Feed: Pelicans Up Big in the Power Rankings

SB Nation

Waiting patiently.

NBA.com

Up three spots to 13.

The Pelicans have won five straight games without Anthony Davis, Ryan Anderson and Jrue Holiday. Six players have averaged double-figures during the streak, and that doesn't include Luke Babbitt, who capped off a big comeback against Toronto on Monday by hitting two huge 3s in the final three minutes. Eric Gordon has been pretty clutch too.

ESPN

Up five spots to 12.

It sounds like one of the season's great mysteries: How in the world can the Pels be on a 5-0 surge without their three best players? Here's how: They're finally beating sub-.500 teams -- after struggling on that front early in the season -- despite missing Anthony Davis, Jrue Holiday and Ryan Anderson.

Sports Illustrated

Up two spots to 13.

Who is this Anthony Davis you speak of? Just when you thought the Pelicans would brow out of their race (thank you) with the Thunder, they reel off five straight wins, including the last four sans Davis. Omer Asik has stepped up on the glass, notching double-digit boards in four straight games, something he hasn’t done since December.

Yahoo! Sports

Up four spots to 12.

The Pelicans, focused on making the playoffs, have won a season-high five straight games – the past four without Anthony Davis

Stats of Note

The Pelicans are on a five game winning streak largely because they are dominating the fourth quarter. In the first three quarters during the win streak the cumulative score is 366-359. In the fourth quarter? 144-119.

In the fourth quarter the Pelicans are posting a +29.7 Net Rating in the last five games. http://t.co/qR7Fr87Hnu

— The Bird WWWWWrites (@thebirdwrites) March 2, 2015