The New Orleans Pelicans picked up their third win in four games with a 114-106 win over the Memphis Grizzlies.
The New Orleans Pelicans have found a formula that works with this new all-big lineup, picking up their third win in four games after Friday's 114-106 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies.
The Pelicans improve to 13-37 on the year. For those keeping an eye on where the New Orleans 2026 pick lands, the odds have now gone down to fourth, which is a good thing for the Pelicans. The worse that pick is, the less the argument that it was a horrid move.
Tonight's win should already have everyone in New Orleans feeling good about that deal because of the performance of Derik Queen. It was his best performance in over a month and a reminder of just how dominant he can be.
When Queen moves with confidence, he can create his own shot with ease. If a defender falls asleep on him in the paint, he will regret it. Jock Landale learned that lesson, as he couldn't find anything to slow the rookie down.
Queen finished with 22 points, nine rebounds and seven assists. It was nearly the third triple-double of his young career. Even more impressive is that he did it on 8-of-12 from the field. Seven free throw attempts are another big deal, as it has been one of his biggest areas of need.
On the inverse of Queen having his best showing in months, Trey Murphy had his worst outing since October. He had just eight points. Because the team had their best players healthy, though, it didn't matter. They were able to rely on Herb Jones, Zion Williamson, Saddiq Bey and Queen to pick up the slack.
Even more than anything they are doing on the offensive side of things, these last few outings have seen a ton of growth on the defensive end. Three games is the longest stretch they've gone without allowing at least 110 points to their opponent.
It's a shame that this lineup comes so late in the season, as they feel like a completely new team.
It's a quick turnaround for the Pelicans as they have to rush to get ready for a plane, as their next match is on the road against the Philadelphia 76ers on Saturday at 6:30 pm CT again.