T he New Orleans Pelicans and Utah Jazz met for the second straight time on Monday night at the Smoothie King Center. New Orleans took the matchup 136-123 behind a game-high 26 po

However, New Orleans found a rhythm early, led by CJ McCollum, who knocked down five 3-pointers in the first quarter alone. Utah has been vulnerable defensively on the perimeter this season, allowing opponents to take 40.7 percent of their overall shot attempts from deep, tied for the third-highest frequency in the league.

Detroit, which needed to win just two home games to make the first Super Bowl in franchise history, is out. The Commanders are moving onto the NFC title game for the first time since the end of the '91 season. There have been whispers that Sasaki had a deal with the Dodgers before getting posted.