The New Orleans Pelicans leaned on their size, energy, and a timely scoring burst to power past the Memphis Grizzlies, 114-106, Friday night at the Smoothie King Center.
It was a frontcourt showcase for New Orleans, with Saddiq Bey and Derik Queen each dropping 22 points, while Zion Williamson added 21 of his own. That trio controlled the paint and set the tone physically, combining for 65 points and helping the Pelicans dominate the interior with a 68-48 edge in points in the paint.
But it wasn’t just the bigs doing damage. The backcourt played its part too.
Herb Jones chipped in 15 points, and Jose Alvarado came off the bench to inject life into the offense when it needed it most. With Trey Murphy III struggling through a rare off night, Alvarado stepped up in a major way - especially late in the third quarter.
That’s when the game turned.
Alvarado drilled three 3-pointers in the final 1:48 of the third, fueling a 14-0 closing run that flipped the game in the Pelicans’ favor. New Orleans outscored Memphis 35-15 in the third quarter, turning a tight contest into a double-digit lead heading into the final frame.
“Jose had a massive impact,” said interim head coach James Borrego. “He turned the game with his energy on defense and by hitting key shots.”
This performance marked the Pelicans’ third win in four games since Borrego made a bold lineup shift - opting for size over traditional structure by inserting Bey into the starting five and going without a true point guard. So far, the results speak for themselves.
“Ultimately to win in this league you have to defend,” Borrego said. “In order to defend you have to have size, physicality or elite rim protection. We’re working on the rim protection, but that first group is bigger and it’s being physical.”
Queen, who notched his ninth 20-point game of the season - and his first since late December - praised the chemistry among the frontcourt trio. “We all take turns, share the ball and stay out of each other’s way,” he said.
The Pelicans will now hit the road for a four-game trip, starting Saturday night in Philadelphia.
As for the Grizzlies, the loss was their fifth straight, dropping them to 18-28 on the season. Playing without Ja Morant (elbow) and Zach Edey (ankle) once again, Memphis leaned on a balanced attack.
Jaren Jackson Jr. and Cam Spencer each scored 16, while Cedric Coward and Vince Williams Jr. added 13 apiece. Jock Landale chipped in 12, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope had 11, and Jaylen Wells finished with 10.
Memphis actually led by six early in the third quarter after Spencer knocked down a three to open the half. But that lead didn’t last long. Williamson and Jones responded with quick buckets to tie things up, and after a brief back-and-forth, New Orleans took off.
Bey scored seven points in a key stretch, Queen added four, and the Pelicans started to create separation. After a John Konchar layup cut the lead to three, Alvarado and Karlo Matkovic combined for four triples during the 14-0 run that blew the game open.
“That was all defense and we hit big shots at the end of the third quarter,” Queen said.
The Pelicans didn’t shoot well from deep overall - just 8-of-33 - and Murphy’s 0-for-7 night from beyond the arc was a big part of that. He finished just 2-of-14 from the field for eight points, well below his season average. But New Orleans found its rhythm when it mattered, going 5-of-11 from three in the third quarter alone.
Borrego had high praise for Alvarado’s impact, calling him a steady presence who brings energy every night. “You know what you’re going to get with his spirit, his energy on defense and his poise,” Borrego said. “When he’s hitting shots, that’s icing on the cake.”
Memphis made one last push in the fourth, opening the quarter with an 11-0 run to cut the deficit to six. But Bey calmly knocked down two free throws to stop the bleeding, and Queen and Jones each scored twice during a 10-3 Pelicans response that pushed the lead back to 13.
The Grizzlies got within five down the stretch, but never closer.
The game started as a tight, back-and-forth battle. The lead changed hands eight times in the first quarter, with Memphis ending the period on a 9-0 run to take a 32-28 lead. Murphy stopped the run with a three-point play, and rookie Jeremiah Fears - who’s now coming off the bench following the lineup change - added a bucket to keep New Orleans close.
Borrego credited Fears for embracing his new role. The rookie finished with six points, four rebounds, three assists and two steals in 17 solid minutes.
In the second quarter, Memphis briefly pushed the lead to double digits after a Jaren Jackson Jr. three. But Queen sparked a Pelicans rally, and his layup gave New Orleans a 45-44 edge before GG Jackson’s dunk helped Memphis take a 61-58 lead into halftime.
From there, the Pelicans’ size, energy, and depth took over - and they rode it all the way to a hard-fought win.