The New Orleans Pelicans needed overtime again, and this time they used a late surge from Saddiq Bey, Derik Queen and Zion Williamson to outlast the Utah Jazz 120-113 and move to 4-4.
Bey was the closer when the game got tight. He finished with 22 points, four rebounds, three assists and a steal, then took over in overtime by going 3-for-3 from the field and 2-for-3 at the line. It was the kind of finish that turned a messy night into a win.
Queen gave New Orleans the jolt it needed in the fourth quarter. Even with a turnover in the mix, he kept the ball moving early before taking control late.
He ended with 20 points, eight rebounds, six assists and two blocks, and his playmaking has started to unlock more of the offense when he’s on the floor. When the Pelicans were stuck and the offense looked dead in the water, Queen found ways to get to the rim, including a few possessions where his spin move opened up easy looks at the bucket.
He wasn’t able to carry that load all the way through the finish, though, and Jamahl Mosley stayed with him until the big man started to fade. Bey’s arrival in a small-ball look once Queen tired helped keep the offense flowing.
Williamson also came alive late after being held in check for much of the night. He didn’t score until about seven minutes remained in the third quarter, but he still finished with 21 points, four rebounds, two assists, a steal and a block. His defense mattered down the stretch, too, as he helped slow Keyonte George after George had been lighting it up.
George was a major problem for New Orleans all night. He scored 39 points and opened overtime with back-to-back threes in the first minute, but he didn’t score again after that. The Pelicans have now seen guards carve up their defense in consecutive games, with Ty Jerome going for 40 in the previous one and Jamal Murray posting 42.
Even with the win, the offense still had some rough edges. Fears finished with 19 points in the matchup with Murray, but he had only two assists, and New Orleans totaled just 23 assists, its lowest mark over the last four games.
The Pelicans will be back on Friday night against the Minnesota Timberwolves in their first NBA Cup game of the season.
In Other News...
Pelicans Win Streak Faces A Bigger Test Than It Looks
After opening the season with four straight losses, the Pelicans have steadied themselves with three consecutive wins and suddenly look a lot more like a team trying to sort out its identity than one stuck in an early hole. Jamahl Mosley has been mixing and matching lineups as he searches for the right balance, a process that has helped New Orleans get to 3-4 while also revealing how much room there still is for the group to grow.
The next step comes against Utah, and it is the kind of matchup that can tell a lot more about the Pelicans than the standings suggest. New Orleans has shown enough to believe the recent surge is real, but the Jazz bring a different level of test, one that should expose whether the Pelicans strengths can travel beyond a short hot streak and hold up against a team already familiar with them. [Read more 🡒]
Pelicans Could Get A Needed Offensive Boost Against Utah
The Pelicans head into their matchup with Utah with a little more offensive help on the way, and that matters for a team still trying to find its rhythm early in the season. Trey Murphy III and Jordan Poole are both on the injury report, but the encouraging part for New Orleans is that each is listed as probable, giving the club a better chance to add some scoring punch and shot creation against the Jazz.
Murphy has been dealing with patella tendinopathy, while Poole is managing ankle tendinopathy, but neither issue appears likely to keep them out. For a Pelicans offense that can use every extra option it can get, having both available would give the rotation more flexibility and another layer of pressure on Utah's defense. [Read more 🡒]
Pelicans Suddenly Have A Dejounte Murray Decision They Can't Ignore
The Pelicans have steadied themselves with three straight wins after opening 0-4, and Jeremiah Fears has been a big reason the offense has looked more settled during Dejounte Murrays absence. Fears has handled a larger role at the point, giving New Orleans a different rhythm and a clearer sense of what the rotation can look like when the ball is moving through him more often.
Murray is expected back soon, and his return brings an unavoidable roster question for a team trying to build continuity while also keeping an eye on trade possibilities. New Orleans has to decide how to balance two guards who can both handle the offense, and whether the best path forward is simply restoring the old look or finding a way to keep the current momentum intact while adding the right complementary pieces. [Read more 🡒]