New Orleans @ Boston preview

Last Meeting ( Jan 7, 2017 ) New Orleans 108, Boston 117

The red-hot Boston Celtics look to stretch their second-longest winning streak of the season to eight games when they host the New Orleans Pelicans on Tuesday. Boston has held five teams under 100 points during the latest streak, which follows a 16-gamer early in the campaign.

The Celtics, who have won five of their last six meetings with New Orleans, are well-rested after having last played Thursday in London when they rallied for a 114-103 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers. Second-year swingman Jaylen Brown tallied 21 points for his ninth 20-point outing of the campaign while raising his average to 14.2 per game. The Pelicans have won three of their past four games with power forward Anthony Davis scoring a season-high 48 points to go with 17 rebounds in Sunday's 123-118 overtime victory over the New York Knicks. "We just kept fighting," Davis told reporters of his team's resolve in rallying from a 19-point, third-quarter deficit. "We just wanted to get stops and get some easy buckets. We never have a mentality of, 'oh, we're losing.' It's always, 'we're not winning right now.'"

TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, NBATV, FS New Orleans, NBCS Boston

ABOUT THE PELICANS (22-20): Davis and center DeMarcus Cousins are doing yeoman duty as a tandem and occasionally another teammate steps up with his big performance. Cousins, who was a one-man act in Sacramento before being traded to New Orleans near last season's trading deadline, downplayed the situation after Davis attempted 30 shots (making 17) in the win over New York. "It's a team game, it's not about (Davis) having a big game or me having a big game," Cousins told reporters. "We go in, play our roles and do what we have to do. There's been nights where E'Twaun Moore has had a big game, (or) Jrue Holiday. It can be anybody's night. It's a team effort."

ABOUT THE CELTICS (34-10): Rookie forward Jayson Tatum had tests performed due to left knee soreness but says he expects to play against New Orleans. "It feels a lot better," Tatum told reporters on Monday. "I just tweaked it in the game in London, and (during) the long plane ride it got a little stiff. We had a few days off ... so (the Celtics) just told me to rest the other day at practice." Tatum scored 16 points in 24 minutes against the 76ers and has scored in double digits in 11 of the past 13 games.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Davis averaged 30.5 points and 15.5 rebounds as the teams split last season's two meetings.

2. Cousins recorded a career-best seven steals against the Knicks while Davis and Holiday had four apiece as New Orleans totaled a season-best 17.

3. Boston C Al Horford (knee, calf) is ailing but expected to play against the Pelicans.

PREDICTION: Celtics 116, Pelicans 105