NBA Scores 2015: The Pelicans never quit and 3 other things we learned

The New Orleans Pelicans have nothing but must-win games from here on out if they want to make the playoffs. Monday night, that meant New Orleans had to beat the Toronto Raptors, one of the best teams in the East, without Anthony Davis, Jrue Holiday and Ryan Anderson in the lineup. As the Pelicans went down by double digits at the half, it seemed like it was too much. That's when they dug deep to come back and win late thanks to a balanced attack that was boosted by unlikely heroics from Luke Babbit and Norris Cole.

New Orleans was behind for the entire game until a Babbit three-pointer gave them the lead with 1:55 to go in the final period. Babbit went 4-for-6 from the field in the fourth quarter while Cole missed only one of his seven shots to bring the Pelicans back. The Raptors' bench, meanwhile, didn't provide any answers and Kyle Lowry was erratic to close the game, leading to a shocking upset that puts the Pelicans just two games back from the Thunder for the last playoff spot in the West.

The win is as heartbreaking for the Raptors as it is huge for the Pelicans. The starters were great, combining to score 73 of the team's 97 points, but the bench was uncharacteristically lacking. Toronto is considered one of the deepest teams in the league, boasting two legitimate Sixth Man of the Year candidates in Lou Williams and Greivis Vazquez and a promising young wing in Terrence Ross. Their inability to contribute anything meaningful was a big reason why the less heralded Pelicans' subs were able to make such a huge difference.

The Raptors are in the middle of a brutal stretch that had them losing against the Rockets on Saturday and will see them visit the Dallas Mavericks on Tuesday before going back home to face the Golden State Warriors. A couple more stumbles would open the door for the Chicago Bulls or Cleveland Cavaliers to take the second seed from them, forcing them to play the Bucks in the first round. Yet seeding might not be as important as erasing any doubts about their ability to beat good teams. Toronto is 14-14 against teams with a record of .500 or over, a significantly worse mark that that of the teams directly behind them in the standings. After suffering an upset against the Nets last season, the Raptors need to prove to themselves they can compete against the league's elite and so far are failing to do so.

The Bucks will miss Brandon Knight

On Monday the Bucks only managed to score 71 points in their loss against the Bulls, with point guards Jerryd Bayless and Tyler Ennis combining for 12 points on 17 shots. When Carter-Williams returns from his right foot strain he will give them a better offensive option but he's not close to being the efficient scorer Knight has been this year. The Bucks are surely confident that the upgrade on defense will make up for most of what they lost on offense but games against Monday's make it hard to see the Bucks pulling an upset in the first round.

The Jazz are thriving after the trade deadline.

The Jazz have been out of the playoff picture for a while, which is not necessarily a bad thing for a young team still looking to add talent through the draft. The trade they made at the deadline reflected the patience of the front office, as it basically meant giving up a player they were not going to retain without getting anyone of value back. Yet the increased role Enes Kanter's exit has afforded Rudy Gobert and the change in the starting lineup that allowed Trey Burke to control the ball in the second unit is paying off handsomely and is having the Jazz looking more impressive in this final third of the season that at any point in the past. On Monday, Burke and Gobert exposed the Spurs' lack of athleticism with their speed and length and led Utah to their second consecutive win against a West playoff team, following a victory over the Blazers on Friday. The Jazz still need to land a superstar but their core is strong.

Clippers vs. Grizzlies is always fun

With Blake Griffin out, it looked like the game between the Clippers and Grizzlies was missing one of the key elements that have made those match ups so fun to watch in the past. Monday's game proved that not even the absence of a superstar can take the joy out of one of the NBA's most entertaining rivalries. Chris Paul was fantastic for the Clippers, delivering a vintage performance with 30 points and 10 assists that wasn't enough to lead his team to the win. The Grizzlies' interior defense was flawless, allowing only 26 points inside and Marc Gasol and Mike Conley provided enough offense for Memphis to emerge victorious in a game that was close throughout. We had the privilege to see a playoff series between these two teams in 2013. Hopefully we'll get the same treat this year.

James Harden led the Rockets to victory against the feisty Timberwolves after overcoming a bad start to finish 31 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists for his second triple-double of the season. He also did an awful thing to Ricky Rubio's ankles to close the third quarter.

Isaiah Canaan hit a ridiculous buzzer-beating CANAANBALL against the Heat.

Poor Jerryd Bayless thought he had an easy dunk. Jimmy Butler emphatically disagreed.

Heat 119, 76ers 108 (Hot Hot Hoops recap | Liberty Ballers recap)

Bulls 87, Bucks 71 (Blog a Bull recap | Brew Hoop recap)

Pelicans 100, Raptors 97 (The Bird Writes recap | Raptors HQ recap)

Nets 110, Nuggets 82 (Nets Daily recap | Denver Stiffs recap)

Celtics 115, Suns 110 (Celtics Blog recap | Bright Side of the Sun recap)