The revived New Orleans Pelicans head into a Friday away match against the Los Angeles Lakers on a four-game winning streak after both teams decided not to make any changes at the trade deadline on Thursday.

Five of the Pelicans’ highest-scoring games this season happened after Jan. 7, with their defense leading them to a 117-106 road victory over the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday.

Paul George, the All-Star of the Clippers, was limited to seven points by the Pelicans, shooting 3-of-15 from the field, including an 0-of-8 from beyond the arc. New Orleans’ Herb Jones shut down James Harden, while Zion Williamson made life tough for Kawhi Leonard.

Williamson, focused on defense, only took two shots in the first half and scored two points. However, he shifted to an all-around performance in the second half, scoring 19 points on 7-of-14 shooting, including 13 points in the crucial fourth quarter, and also dishing out 10 assists.

“In the first half, collectively, we were all hitting shots (and) there was no need for me to force scoring,” Williamson said. “But coach (Willie Green) talked to me and (Brandon Ingram) about those moments when you need to take the game over. I felt like it was that moment. I started to be more aggressive with scoring.”

CJ McCollum contributed 25 points and Ingram added 15 as the Pelicans’ trio outperformed the Clippers and their leading players.

“I liked the fact that we were aggressive, we were physical and we contested all their shots. We finished possessions,” Green said. “Like I told the team, this was a true character win against a worthy opponent.”

D’Angelo Russell of the Lakers was rumored to be a trade target, but the deadline came without any changes for Los Angeles.

“If the right move would have been there at the right price, we would’ve pulled the trigger,” Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka said regarding the deadline, as reported by the Los Angeles Times. “You can’t buy a house that’s not for sale.”

Russell showcased his value to the Lakers with an average of 24 points and 6.5 assists over his past 13 games, compared to averages of 14.7 points and 6.1 assists over his first 35 games in the season.

Russell lost his starting position in late December but marked his return to the starting lineup with a 39-point performance against the Utah Jazz on Jan. 13. The Lakers have gone 8-5 since Russell’s return as a starter.

The Lakers come into this game following a 114-106 home loss to the Denver Nuggets on Thursday. Anthony Davis contributed 32 points and nine rebounds for Los Angeles, and LeBron James had 25 points, nine rebounds, and seven assists.

Los Angeles had secured victories in their previous three games and five of the last seven.

“I love who we have in the locker room,” James mentioned this week, “and that’s all I worry about. I don’t get caught up in (trade talk). We’re gonna go out and prepare ourselves every single night no matter what it is, no matter who’s on this team.”

New Orleans cruised to a 129-109 win over the Lakers on Dec. 31, during a period when Los Angeles was struggling with a 2-9 stretch. The Lakers had a 133-89 triumph against the Pelicans in Las Vegas on Dec. 7 in the NBA in-season tournament semifinals.