At 3:12 a.m. on Tuesday, Celtics forward Jared Sullinger posted a message on his Twitter account that made it obvious the jet lag from the team’s 11-day road trip was hitting hard.
“Still on West Coast time,’’ he wrote. “Can’t flipping sleep.’’
The Celtics took a red-eye flight from Los Angeles to Boston early Monday morning, practiced on Tuesday, and returned to the court on Wednesday to face the undermanned Pelicans. And for much of the night, they looked like a team that had spent nearly two weeks in a different time zone.
“A lot of guys were talking at the end of the game,’’ forward Jae Crowder said, “like, we were just fatigued.’’
But they also knew that they could not let their tired legs or tired eyes stop them, particularly at this point in the season. So after scuffling through much of this game, they eventually pulled away for a 104-97 win, their third in a row.
“I thought we looked a little road-weary,’’ coach Brad Stevens said, “but on those nights you have to find a way . . . I was actually pretty pleased, because I knew it was going to be really hard due to the circumstances of everything. So getting back, getting a game under our belt, and getting 48 more hours should feel pretty good to us.’’
With four games left in the regular season, the Celtics (46-32) are once again tied for third place in the Eastern Conference with the Hawks. They are a half-game ahead of the Heat and one game ahead of the Hornets.
Somehow, these four teams have remained within arm’s reach of one another for weeks, with none truly sputtering or surging. Crowder said that on Tuesday Stevens told the players not to pay attention to the standings; he said to just worry about playing well. Still, Crowder acknowledged the significance of securing home-court advantage, especially with the Celtics having a 26-12 record at the Garden this season.
Point guard Isaiah Thomas said that during timeouts in recent games, he has offered a consistent refrain to his teammates.
“Know what we’re playing for,’’ he tells them, referring to the No. 3 seed.
Crowder pointed out that if the Celtics win the rest of their games, they will not have to worry about the other teams. Winning out will not be easy, with matchups remaining against all three teams they are tussling with — the Heat, Hawks, and Hornets. But Wednesday’s game against the Pelicans did not figure to bring much resistance.
New Orleans is so shorthanded that before this game, coach Alvin Gentry joked that he might sign a reporter to give his team 15 good minutes. The Pelicans, once considered a playoff hopeful, have mostly seen this season spiral down a drain. The team came to the Garden with just nine available players, few of whom would be recognized by a casual NBA fan.
But that did not stop them from being a nuisance. They overcame a 16-point, second-half deficit and tied the score eight times in the fourth quarter.
“We competed like crazy,’’ Gentry said. “We got down but kept plugging.’’
The Celtics stretched a 12-0 run from the end of the second quarter to the start of the third, and when a 3-pointer by Crowder made it 61-45, Boston appeared to be in control.
Then the teams traded big bursts. A 17-4 flurry by New Orleans was followed by an 11-0 run by the Celtics, as a 3-pointer by Jonas Jerebko made it 76-62 with 3:38 left. This time the Pelicans responded with a 14-0 burst, with Luke Babbitt’s 3-pointer improbably tying the score at 76.
New Orleans tied the score seven more times in the fourth quarter before the Celtics finally distanced themselves, if only slightly. With 2:20 left, Avery Bradley hit a jumper from the baseline and then came up with a steal.
Marcus Smart, who was bleeding above his eye after being hit trying to block a shot a few moments earlier, air-balled a 3-pointer as the shot clock wound down. But Crowder swooped in and converted a layup, making it 97-93 with 1:38 left. Smart’s cut required four stitches, but he said he will play Friday.
With the Celtics leading, 99-95, the Pelicans got a steal, and just when Babbitt appeared to have an open layup, Amir Johnson swooped in for a blocked shot.
“Play of the game,’’ Bradley said.
Bradley then hit a 3-pointer to seal the win. Thomas had 32 points and eight assists to lead the Celtics. Toney Douglas scored 19 points to lead the Pelicans, who committed 23 turnovers.
Adam Himmelsbach can be reached at adam.himmelsbach@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @adamhimmelsbach.
