It's playoff time now in the NBA. That means the defensive intensity goes way up. This matchup should be a perfect example of that. 

The Pelicans were embarrassed by the Lakers at home this past Sunday falling behind by 32 points in a 124-108 loss. Expect a very physical, focused defensive effort from the home Pelicans in this rematch. 

"We have to come back with the right mentality," Pelicans coach Willie Green was quoted as saying. "They (the Lakers) were the aggressors (this past Sunday). We have to be the aggressive team. We have to be the more physical team. We have to keep them out of our paint and make them take contested shots and rebound the ball."

The Pelicans certainly are capable of this. They are a top-eight defensive team with the second-best 3-point field goal percentage defense. 

The Lakers held the Pelicans to 108 points two days ago despite New Orleans making 48 percent of its shots from the floor, which is its average.