The New Orleans Pelicans travel to Salt Lake City to face the Utah Jazz at Vivint Arena on Friday.

The Pelicans (4-16) have three wins in their last seven games, which is easily their best stretch of the season. New Orleans actually had just one win before that, carrying a 1-12 record into this little spurt. Calling a 3-4 record a winning streak shows just how bad things are for this team right now, but beating the Washington Wizards, Memphis Grizzlies and Los Angeles Clippers is an encouraging sign in the future. The most recent run directly correlates with Brandon Ingram returning to the lineup, and it's clear he's going to have to carry the load as long as Zion Williamson remains out. The big man has been slow to ramp up to basketball activities after foot surgery, and nobody really knows when he'll return to action for this struggling team.

The Jazz (12-6) got off to a slow start, but the ship has steadied over recent weeks. In fact, Utah enters this matchup winning four of their last five games, grabbing a victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday in their most recent outing. Donovan Mitchell was the hero in that game, scoring six-straight points in the final minute to close out OKC. He's been an All-Star in the past, but he's taken his game to another level this season. DM is leading the team with 24 points, 4.4 rebounds, 4.9 assists and 1.9 steals per game. Those steals are the most important thing because it doubles his previous career high. That means an elite defense is improving, which is terrible news for the rest of the NBA.

These teams played three times last season, with Utah winning two of three. The home team won all three of those outings, giving the Jazz 14 wins in their previous 18 meetings with the Pelicans.