Tag: New Orleans Pelicans

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NBA (Basketball)

In New Orleans, Pelicans’ Dejounte Murray injures his lower right leg, and the team prepares for an extended absence

New Orleans Pelicans guard Dejounte Murray reacts after being hurt in the first half of an NBA basketball game

New Orleans guard Dejounte Murray left the Pelicans’ game against Boston in the first quarter on Friday night after injuring his lower right leg. The team is now preparing to be without him for a long period once again.

Pelicans coach Willie Green said he briefly saw Murray after the game, which the Pelicans lost 118-116. Murray suffered a non-contact injury and was holding the area around his right Achilles tendon before limping to the bench.

“It’s a challenge. It’s a challenge,” Green said. “I’ll leave it at that.”

Green didn’t give a diagnosis of the injury, but he mentioned that Murray, who missed 17 games earlier this season with a broken hand, would undergo imaging. “We’ll have an update after that,” Green said.

While not sharing what Murray said, Jose Alvarado mentioned that his injured teammate spoke to the group at halftime.

“He’s one of the toughest soldiers I know,” Alvarado said. “He’s so tough mentally — at least what he shows to us. He held his head high. He was waiting for us at halftime. He told us the news, and I think I shed a tear. He’s just so solid. He going to be our leader. I told him, ‘I send my prayers up to you.’”

New Orleans Pelicans guard Dejounte Murray dribbles against the Houston Rockets during the second half of an NBA preseason basketball game

Murray had driven into the lane and taken a shot, then went after his missed attempt. However, he fell and grabbed at the area near his right foot. When he got up, he limped toward the bench.

“It hurt a lot, I can’t lie to you,” said Trey Murphy III, who scored 40 points in the loss. “He’s been through a lot already, and it doesn’t help. But a lot of times God puts you through situations in order to give you a bigger message. I think that’s what’s happening right now. It’s not always easy to understand what he’s saying, but there’s always a reason.”

After the injury, the Pelicans quickly announced that Murray would not return to the game.

“Extremely difficult, when you see a guy that means so much to our team and puts the work in go down like that,” Green said. “We’ll continue to pray for him and see what happens once he gets the imaging.”

The injury-prone Pelicans were already without Zion Williamson, Brandon Ingram, and Herb Jones.

“Those are the challenges that we’ve been going through pretty much all season,” Green said.

The Pelicans (12-37) are second to last in the Western Conference and far from the playoff race. Losing Murray again would only add to the frustration of a season that’s gone badly for New Orleans.

“We’ll make sure we continue to support him,” Green said. “We’ll wait for the results, but whatever the case we’ll make sure we’re there to support him.”

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NBA (Basketball)

Toronto Raptors Aim To Extend Their Win Streak, Set To Host The Pelicans At Home

Toronto Raptors (NBA)

The Toronto Raptors, who are currently on a three-game winning streak, look to extend their strong run when they host the New Orleans Pelicans in Toronto on Monday night.

Toronto finished a two-game road trip with a 117-94 win against the Atlanta Hawks on Saturday. The Raptors have now won five of their last six games, following a five-game losing streak.

“Great win, our guys were able to sustain their intensity at the defensive end,” said Toronto coach Darko Rajakovic. “Proud of our defensive effort. Still think we can add another layer of discipline and execution to be better. We shared the ball, played together.”

Although Toronto committed 21 turnovers, leading to 17 points for the Hawks, they took advantage of Atlanta’s 24 turnovers, converting them into 24 points. In Thursday’s 122-119 win over the Hawks, the Raptors committed 20 turnovers that led to 28 points for Atlanta.

“Definitely not happy with our turnovers again, 21 is way too much, and we’ve got to continue addressing that and getting better in that area,” Rajakovic said.

Toronto limited Trae Young to just 16 points and four assists on Saturday, and forced him into a season-high 11 turnovers.

“Davion Mitchell, Jamal Shead, Bruce Brown, all those three are elite defenders, and we really wanted to make it hard on (Young), to pick up full court, to be physical with him,” Rajakovic said. “Especially when he gives the ball up, to not allow him to get it back in his hands.”

Scottie Barnes had an all-around performance, putting up 24 points, 12 rebounds, seven assists, two blocked shots, and two steals. RJ Barrett added 23 points and eight rebounds, while Chris Boucher came off the bench to score 23 points.

Toronto shot 46.7 percent from the field (42-for-90) and 36.7 percent from beyond the arc (11-for-30).

Memphis Grizzlies and New Orleans Pelicans

The Raptors had only one road win before this, a 119-93 victory at New Orleans on November 27. Their win against Atlanta on Thursday ended a nine-game road losing streak.

The Pelicans, on the other hand, are coming off a tough 123-92 loss to the Charlotte Hornets on Saturday, completing a three-game road trip.

“We didn’t bring it, we didn’t have it. No excuses, they kicked our butts,” said Pelicans coach Willie Green.

The Pelicans struggled with their shooting, hitting just 8 of 31 attempts from three-point range (25.8 percent) and 32 of 84 from the field (38.1 percent).

“We didn’t play with any force,” Green said.

Zion Williamson led the Pelicans with 28 points and 11 rebounds in his fifth game back after a hamstring injury. He had missed the previous two games due to illness.

“He was attacking, he was getting downhill, getting to the basket,” Green said. “He did a great job rebounding, which is an area we have to improve in. Just getting him on the floor and, hopefully, he can continue gaining his rhythm.”

The Pelicans were also without guard Dejounte Murray, who is dealing with a sprained right index finger and right elbow bursitis.

Jordan Hawkins stepped into the starting lineup, scoring 14 points in Murray’s absence. Trey Murphy III added 16 points, and Yves Missi contributed 12 points and eight rebounds.

“It starts with our ability to play with force and be mentally tough during difficult circumstances, and (Saturday) was not our best job,” Green said.

For the Raptors, Kelly Olynyk did not play on Saturday due to tightness in his right calf. Ochai Agbaji (hand) and Immanuel Quickley (hip) remained out for Toronto.

In their previous win against New Orleans two months ago, Agbaji and Jamison Battle each scored 24 points. For New Orleans, CJ McCollum scored 19 points.

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NBA (Basketball)

New Orleans Pelicans face uphill battle for playoff spot due to injuries

New Orleans Pelicans and Los Angeles Lakers

With the New Orleans Pelicans’ season practically finished, the team’s management is now turning its attention to the future.

The Pelicans are currently 5-28, the worst record in the NBA, with injuries being the main factor behind their poor performance. Almost every player on their roster has missed time this season, including their four key players: Zion Williamson, Brandon Ingram, C.J. McCollum, and Dejounte Murray.

As their season has come to an end, the team faces decisions about their roster—whether to keep their core group or start rebuilding. Earlier in the season, there were reports that the Pelicans had made all players available for trade talks, except for Yves Missi, Herbert Jones, and Trey Murphy III, though no trades have been made yet.

A new focus has emerged for the Pelicans’ front office this season, according to a report.

ESPN’s Bobby Marks and Tim MacMahon revealed that finding a new team for Brandon Ingram is now a priority for New Orleans.

“The 5-28 Pelicans, whose playoff hopes were destroyed by injuries, are focused on moving one of Williamson’s teammates ahead of the Feb. 6 trade deadline,” Marks and MacMahon wrote.

Dejounte Murray jumps to complete the basket

“Finding a trade for injured forward Brandon Ingram, a former All-Star in a contract year whose extension talks have repeatedly fizzled, is the priority for the Pelicans’ front office, sources told ESPN.”

Ingram, in the final year of his contract, has not been able to reach a new agreement with the team, so New Orleans is looking to trade the 27-year-old before he becomes a free agent this summer. He has had a solid season, averaging 22.2 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 5.2 assists per game, shooting 46.5% from the field and 37.4% from three-point range.

Though Ingram is still recovering from a serious ankle injury, which may affect the trade offer New Orleans receives, his skills will likely attract many teams in need of a star forward. Expect him to be traded before the February 6 deadline.

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NBA (Basketball)

The only way is up as the Pelicans and Wizards face off in New Orleans

Washington Wizards (NBA)

The two teams with the worst records in the NBA will face off when the Washington Wizards visit the New Orleans Pelicans on Friday night.

The Wizards have only six wins this season, but three of them have come in their last seven games. The Pelicans have won just five games and are on an 11-game losing streak, having lost 20 of their last 21 games.

While Washington is at the bottom of the Eastern Conference, New Orleans is the worst team in the entire league.

The Wizards are coming off their biggest win of the season, a 125-107 victory over the Chicago Bulls at home on Wednesday.

“It’s just been a focus over the last month or so,” Wizards guard Jordan Poole said. “We’ve been trending in the right direction. We’re just playing the right way, getting guys involved, using ball movement to get easy shots. We’re just continuing to learn and grow as a team.”

Poole has been leading the team, scoring 25 points or more in each of his last five games, including 30 points in the win over the Bulls. But he’s not doing it alone. Six other players scored in double figures, and the Wizards finished with 36 assists on 49 made shots against Chicago.

“That’s how we want to play,” said head coach Brian Keefe, who mentioned that the Wizards’ “defense and sharing the ball” have been key to the team’s improvement.

“Jordan creates a crowd,” Keefe said. “He generates two on the ball by his shot-making and his penetration and that gets a lot of our ball movement started.”

Sacramento Kings and New Orleans Pelicans

The Pelicans lost to Miami 119-108 on Wednesday, but during their current losing streak, they have lost by small margins—five points, two points, three points in overtime, and three points in regulation.

They’ve also had losses by 15, 17, and 20 points during this run, and they’ve lost leads in the fourth quarter or fallen into big holes early. That was the case against the Heat, who took a 20-5 lead midway through the first quarter.

“The sense of urgency has to be there to start the game,” New Orleans head coach Willie Green said. “They got out to an early lead and it was an uphill battle the rest of the way.”

Forward Trey Murphy III has been stepping up recently, averaging 26.1 points over the last seven games, higher than his season average of 20.8 points. Murphy almost reached his season-high with 34 points against the Heat and matched his season-high with five 3-pointers out of 15 attempts.

The Pelicans are still playing without their top two scorers, Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram, as well as top backup Jose Alvarado. The trio usually combines for more than 55 points per game.

“We’re undermanned right now,” Murphy said. “A lot of those times when you’re undermanned, you really have to fight when the margin of error is really small. We don’t have our guys right now. That’s hard for any team to deal with. People are stepping up, trying to make up for that and figure things out.”

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NBA (Basketball)

Heat ride balanced scoring to hand Pelicans 11th straight loss

Miami Heat and New Orleans Pelicans

Tyler Herro scored 32 points to lead five Miami players in double figures, and the Heat defeated the New Orleans Pelicans 119-108 on Wednesday night.

Bam Adebayo added 23 points and 10 assists, Duncan Robinson contributed 17 points, Jaime Jaquez Jr. scored 12, and Kel’el Ware had 10 points for Miami. Jimmy Butler, returning after missing five games due to a flu-like illness, finished with nine points in 25 minutes.

Terry Rozier was suspended for one game due to his involvement in a skirmish during a 104-100 win against Houston on Sunday.

Trey Murphy III led the Pelicans with 34 points, just one shy of his season high. CJ McCollum added 22 points, Brandon Boston scored 14, and Dejounte Murray chipped in 12 points for New Orleans, who lost their 11th straight game and their 20th in the last 21 games.

New Orleans Pelicans guard Dejounte Murray dribbles against the Houston Rockets during the second half of an NBA preseason basketball game

Miami scored the first five points of the second half to take a 61-51 lead. McCollum then hit three straight field goals for the Pelicans to close the gap to three points.

Robinson responded with seven straight points to push the Heat’s lead to 80-70. The Pelicans managed four more points, but Miami finished the third quarter with a 10-2 run, leading 90-76.

The Pelicans pulled within 111-104 after a 3-pointer by McCollum with 2:47 left, but that was as close as they got.

Miami started strong, scoring the first seven points of the game and jumping to a 20-5 lead. Adebayo scored five points, and Herro added four. New Orleans cut the lead to six, but Ware helped Miami extend the lead to 30-19 with five straight points.

Nikola Jovic hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer, giving the Heat a 36-24 lead at the end of the first quarter.

Miami stretched the lead to 17 points before Murphy scored 13 points to help the Pelicans get within one point, 50-49. Butler and Herro each hit a 3-pointer, and the Heat took a 56-51 lead at halftime.

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NBA (Basketball)

Heat face challenges off the court before matchup with struggling Pelicans

Toronto Raptors and Miami Heat

The Miami Heat are hoping to have All-Star Jimmy Butler back on the court when they play the struggling New Orleans Pelicans on Wednesday night.

However, it’s unclear how long Butler will be available.

Butler has missed the last five games due to a flu-like illness. During this time, there have been reports that Butler wants a trade as part of ongoing contract talks. He was not very clear about his feelings when he spoke after returning to practice on Tuesday.

“Right now, I’m here and I’m going to make the most of it,” Butler said. “I am going to compete and I’m going to win. It’s a lot of talk, a lot of noise, which I’m cool with. It doesn’t bother me at all. I love that. I thrive with it. It keeps you all wondering, the world wondering. It’s good to be talked about. Even better to be wanted.”

Butler’s situation is not the only possible distraction. The Heat’s last game, a 104-100 win against Houston on Sunday, ended with a late-game altercation.

“It’s a shame that that’ll be the discussion of this game because really it was more about the competitive character and that toughness that our guys brought,” coach Erik Spoelstra said.

Tyler Herro made a clutch jumper to give Miami a one-point lead with 1:56 left, and Nikola Jovic extended the lead with a 3-pointer 47.4 seconds later.

Jimmy Butler and Scottie Barnes in the 2nd half

In the closing moments, Herro had words with Rockets forward Amen Thompson, who grabbed Herro’s jersey and threw him down. Players and coaches from both teams rushed in, causing a brief scuffle.

Herro and teammate Terry Rozier were ejected, along with four Rockets players. On Tuesday, the NBA announced Rozier would serve a one-game suspension against New Orleans, and Herro was fined $25,000.

The Pelicans had a chance to win their most recent game but lost their 10th straight, 116-113, against the Los Angeles Clippers on Monday.

New Orleans had a 14-point lead at one point and kept battling in the fourth quarter. But James Harden hit two free throws with 17.9 seconds left to break a tie, and rookie Yves Missi missed a free throw with 4.3 seconds left, preventing a chance to tie the game.

“We have to be more consistent,” guard Dejounte Murray said. “It is tough, but we are trying to figure it out. I can say nobody in that locker room is showing up with the mindset of ‘We are going to lose, do not want to be here or do not want to play.’”

CJ McCollum led New Orleans with 33 points, including a season-high eight 3-pointers, and the Pelicans made a season-high 18 three-pointers. McCollum said it takes time for him and Murray, who was acquired in an offseason trade with Atlanta, to build chemistry, as they’ve only played 15 games together because of injuries.

“I am finally at a spot where I feel like myself,” McCollum said. “Obviously when losing games, you want to help any way you can, but you feel like you are coming up short. … We are heading in a good direction. It’s just unfortunate that we dug such a horrible hole.”

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NBA (Basketball)

Jaren Jackson Jr. and the Grizzlies hand the struggling Pelicans their 9th consecutive loss

Memphis Grizzlies and New Orleans Pelicans

Jaren Jackson Jr. scored 33 points, and Ja Morant added 25 before injuring his right shoulder as the Memphis Grizzlies defeated the New Orleans Pelicans 132-124 on Friday night.

Morant left the game for good with 4:13 remaining in the third quarter after a collision with Pelicans center Daniel Theis. Desmond Bane contributed 18 points, Zach Edey added 14 points and nine rebounds, Scotty Pippen Jr. scored 13 points, and Jaylen Wells chipped in 10 for the Grizzlies, who have won eight of their last 10 games.

Trey Murphy III led the Pelicans with a season-high 35 points, CJ McCollum added 32, and Dejounte Murray scored 15. The Pelicans have now lost nine straight games and 18 of their last 19. Theis recorded 11 points, 11 rebounds, and six assists.

New Orleans cut Memphis’ lead to 11 points three times early in the third quarter before the Grizzlies went on a 6-0 run to extend their lead to 86-69.

Murphy responded with a 3-pointer, but Edey and Jackson each made two free throws, and Jackson added a three-point play to push the lead to 93-72.

The Pelicans made a 16-3 run to cut the deficit to eight, but Memphis finished the quarter strong, scoring the final eight points to take a 104-88 lead into the fourth.

Memphis Grizzlies players in the 2nd half

The closest New Orleans got after that was six points in the final seconds.

The Grizzlies started strong, scoring the first six points of the game and quickly jumping to a 12-4 lead. Murphy scored five points to help the Pelicans close the gap to four before Jay Huff scored five points during an 8-0 run, giving Memphis a 29-17 lead.

New Orleans scored the last six points of the first quarter, trimming Memphis’ lead to 32-25.

McCollum started the second quarter with a three-point play, but Morant hit back-to-back 3-pointers, and Jackson followed with two more to extend Memphis’ lead to 48-32.

McCollum responded with a 3-pointer, Murphy added three more 3-pointers, and Theis completed a three-point play to bring New Orleans within 59-56.

Bane made two 3-pointers, and Pippen added one more as the Grizzlies closed the half with a 15-5 run to take a 74-61 lead.

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NFL (American Football)

Morant’s right shoulder is injured once more following a tough collision that cut his night short in New Orleans

Memphis Grizzlies players in the 2nd half

Ja Morant stood at the end of the Memphis bench, cheering for his teammates while keeping his right arm hanging by his injured shoulder, as Memphis won 132-124 over the Pelicans on Friday night.

Morant got hurt when he collided hard with a legal screen set by Daniel Theis during the third quarter. The impact caused Morant to fall to the floor, and the officials initially called a foul on Theis, but reversed the decision after reviewing the play.

Morant walked to the locker room for an evaluation and later returned to the bench but did not re-enter the game. He used his left arm to point to teammates after they made crucial shots in the closing minutes.

Grizzlies coach Taylor Jenkins had no update on Morant’s condition after the game. About a year ago, a torn labrum in the same shoulder ended Morant’s 2023-24 season.

“Obviously, he took a nice shot there to the shoulder, but we’ll get more of an evaluation in the next couple of days,” Jenkins said, while also praising his team’s “great resolve” in holding off the Pelicans after Morant left.

“Losing somebody like that is never easy,” said Memphis guard Desmond Bane. “But we kept our composure and were able to make plays down the stretch.”

Ja Morant in the 1st half

The Grizzlies were scheduled to have updates on all injured players by Saturday, ahead of their Sunday game against Western Conference-leading Oklahoma City.

Morant was able to dress himself at his locker after the game in New Orleans. He seemed to be in good spirits and did not wear a sling. However, he kept his right arm mostly still and at his side.

The 25-year-old Morant has averaged around 21 points per game this season, slightly below his career average of 24 points per game.

Earlier this season, Morant missed eight games due to a posterior hip subluxation and multiple Grade 1 pelvic muscle strains. The Grizzlies (22-10) went 5-3 during that time.

Morant scored 25 points in New Orleans, but had just one point in the second half before his injury. Still, the Grizzlies surpassed 130 points, one night after setting a franchise record with 155 points in a win over Toronto.

According to Bane, the Grizzlies’ current offensive style is “balanced, it’s together, it’s fast — all of those things.”

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NBA (Basketball)

High-scoring Grizzlies set to take on struggling Pelicans’ defense next

Memphis Grizzlies (NBA)

The Memphis Grizzlies are on fire offensively, which sets up a strong matchup for them on Friday when they visit the New Orleans Pelicans, who are struggling defensively.

In their last five wins, the Grizzlies have averaged 140.4 points per game. This includes an NBA season-high and franchise-record 155 points in their dominant win over the Toronto Raptors on Thursday night.

“We’re just moving the ball,” said rookie forward Jaylen Wells, who scored 17 points. “A lot of guys had a lot of assists. We’re playing fast, and we’re hitting a lot of threes.”

Nine players from Memphis recorded at least one assist, and the team shot 58 out of 109 from the field. Wells led the team with five 3-pointers on 10 attempts, and the Grizzlies finished 18 for 45 (40 percent) from beyond the arc.

Just a week earlier, Memphis set another franchise record by hitting 27 three-pointers in a 144-93 blowout of the Golden State Warriors, the largest victory margin of the season.

Though Memphis didn’t play its best defense against Toronto, they still managed to win by 21 points. Coach Taylor Jenkins acknowledged that allowing 70 points in one half wasn’t ideal but praised his team for responding in the second half.

Memphis’ offense leads the NBA with an average of 123.7 points per game, and they’ll likely look to build on that against a New Orleans team that has struggled defensively. The Pelicans have allowed an average of 120.9 points during their current eight-game losing streak.

New Orleans Pelicans guard Dejounte Murray dribbles against the Houston Rockets during the second half of an NBA preseason basketball game

In their most recent loss to the Houston Rockets on Thursday, New Orleans never led and trailed by 17 points at the end of the first quarter in a 128-111 defeat. It was their 17th loss in the last 18 games.

Pelicans coach Willie Green, who often praises his team’s toughness despite injuries, was frustrated with their performance on Thursday.

“(It was) just a lack of competitiveness from our guys from start to finish,” Green said. “We were just soft tonight — period. There are times when you’re going to go against good teams and you may go down. But, like I told our team, we can’t step on our home court and have that lack of physicality.”

In two games against the Rockets in a week, New Orleans allowed a combined 261 points, including a 133-113 loss in Houston on December 19.

Forward Herbert Jones expressed concern over the team’s effort and sense of urgency.

“We’ve all got to be better in that aspect,” Jones said. “I don’t really care how much we lose by. I’m more concerned about how we lose, and we can’t lose like that. We’ve got to be better defensively. We’ve got to be more physical.”

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NBA (Basketball)

Jalen Green and Cam Whitmore lead Rockets to victory over struggling Pelicans

Houston Rockets and New Orleans Pelicans

Jalen Green scored 30 points, Cam Whitmore added 27 off the bench, and the visiting Houston Rockets never trailed in their 128-111 win over the New Orleans Pelicans on Thursday night.

Fred VanVleet contributed 25 points, Alperen Sengun added 10 points and 13 rebounds, and Jae’Sean Tate scored 10 off the bench. The Rockets won their fourth consecutive game, a streak that began with a 133-113 win over the Pelicans one week ago.

Trey Murphy III led the Pelicans with 21 points, while Dejounte Murray and Brandon Boston Jr. each scored 17. CJ McCollum added 13, Javonte Green scored 11, and Herbert Jones finished with 10 points. New Orleans lost their eighth straight game.

Green, who had scored 34 points in the previous win against the Pelicans, made a 3-pointer to start the third quarter, extending Houston’s lead to 21 points. The Rockets then pushed the lead to 24 before Murphy made three 3-pointers and Murray added one, bringing New Orleans closer at 83-66 midway through the third.

VanVleet answered with a 3-pointer, and Green hit another later in the quarter, helping Houston extend the lead to 102-74 by the end of the third. New Orleans made only one field goal in the final four minutes of the third quarter.

Dejounte Murray (NBA)

Green scored the first five points of the game for the Rockets, and VanVleet added eight as Houston built an early 19-12 lead. The Pelicans stayed within five points until Whitmore and Green connected on 3-pointers to spark a 14-2 run, giving the Rockets a 39-22 lead by the end of the first quarter.

Green (16 points) and VanVleet (10 points) combined to outscore New Orleans in the first quarter. Houston made 5 of 10 3-pointers in the period, while the Pelicans missed all seven of their 3-point attempts.

The Rockets extended their lead to 21 points, but McCollum made two 3-pointers and Jeremiah Robinson-Earl added one, helping New Orleans cut the deficit to 50-36. The Pelicans got within 14 points again after a 3-pointer from Murphy, but Houston pushed the lead to 61-43 by halftime.

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NBA (Basketball)

Rockets finding support from various players as the Pelicans look for a boost

Houston Rockets (NBA)

The Houston Rockets have won three games in a row and five of their last six. The New Orleans Pelicans have lost seven straight games and have only five wins this season.

On Thursday night, the team with the second-best record in the Western Conference, the Rockets, will play the team with the worst record in the conference, the Pelicans.

The Rockets showed their depth in a 114-101 win at Charlotte on Monday. Even with two of their seven players averaging double digits in scoring, Dillon Brooks and Tari Eason, missing from the lineup, the team still managed to score well.

Amen Thompson moved into the starting lineup in place of Brooks and scored 19 points with 11 rebounds, while Cam Whitmore, a two-way player, added 17 points off the bench.

“That’s what I love about this team,” said guard Fred VanVleet, who scored 20 points, “different guys stepping up and contributing every night.”

The Rockets came out strong from the start, leading 62-31 at halftime. They kept focused, knowing that although the Hornets had the third-worst record in the Eastern Conference, they could still pose a challenge. On opening night, Houston had lost to the Hornets after squandering an 18-point lead in a 110-105 defeat.

Earlier this week, the Rockets had a slow start in their game against Toronto, allowing 35 first-quarter points before coming back to win 114-110 on Sunday.

“We had great focus on the back-to-back on the road,” Rockets coach Ime Udoka said. “I loved our grit and intensity from the start.”

New Orleans Pelicans guard Dejounte Murray dribbles against the Houston Rockets during the second half of an NBA preseason basketball game

The Rockets will now look to complete a sweep of their three-game road trip against teams that together have one less win than Houston’s 20.

The Pelicans are coming off one of their better performances recently. They led the Denver Nuggets by 17 points late in the third quarter before losing 132-129 in overtime on Sunday.

This game continued the trend of guard Dejounte Murray improving and center Yves Missi, the 21st overall pick in this year’s NBA draft, playing like one of the top rookies in the league.

Murray, who suffered a broken non-shooting hand in the season opener and missed 17 games, has started to return to the all-around player the Pelicans hoped for when they traded for him in the offseason.

In the 12 games since coming back, his scoring average is 16.2, which is 6.3 points lower than his career-high from last season, and he’s shooting just 35.7 percent from the field. However, in 44 minutes against the Nuggets, Murray had 17 points, 15 assists, eight rebounds, and six steals.

“His scoring may not be where he wants it to be,” Pelicans coach Willie Green said of Murray, “but he’s going out and finding his teammates. He’s super engaged on the defensive end. He can impact the game in so many different ways.”

Missi played well against Nuggets star Nikola Jokic, who did not score until less than three minutes remained in the second quarter, even though he finished with a triple-double. Missi scored 21 points with nine rebounds. He has started 23 of 29 games and is averaging 9.7 points and 8.6 rebounds.

“It’s incredible,” Green said, “what we’re asking a 20-year-old rookie to do night-in and night-out, and he’s answering the call.”

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NBA (Basketball)

Nuggets Pull A 17-Point Win Over Pelicans As Jamal Murray Hits At Crucial Time

Nuggets Pull A 17-Point Win Over Pelicans

Every Nuggets comeback needs a spark, and this one notably came without Nikola Jokic on the court. With 9:18 left in a game Denver trailed 100-90, Julian Strawther was knocked over away from the ball while Jamal Murray hit a corner 3-pointer.

The result: a flagrant foul, a free throw for Strawther, and a lob from Russell Westbrook to DeAndre Jordan, adding up to a six-point possession. Eventually, this led to an improbable and hard-fought 132-129 overtime victory over the Pelicans on Sunday night.

The Nuggets (15-11) have now won five games this season after trailing by double digits in the fourth quarter, with this game being no exception.

They were down by 17 points late in the third quarter, but Jokic came alive in the final stretch. Murray capped his 27-point, eight-rebound performance with a clutch shot on one leg with eight seconds remaining to send the game into overtime.

Closing lineup adjustment

Head coach Michael Malone learned from a previous mistake. In Thursday’s game in Portland, the Trail Blazers used a timeout to set up their final shot after Jokic had tied the game with 15 seconds left.

The defensive lineup for that possession consisted of Murray, Westbrook, Michael Porter Jr., Aaron Gordon, and Jokic, but the result was an easy layup by Anfernee Simons at the buzzer after a lack of defensive help.

This time, with eight seconds remaining in New Orleans, Murray’s 20-footer tied the game at 119. The Pelicans called a timeout.

For this defensive possession, Malone deployed Westbrook, Christian Braun, Peyton Watson, Gordon, and Jokic.

Porter had been removed from the closing lineup after struggling on both ends, while Braun and Watson, two promising young perimeter defenders, were brought in. They, along with Westbrook, forced C.J. McCollum into a tough shot at the buzzer.

Malone stuck with Westbrook and Braun during overtime, with Porter remaining on the bench. Braun played nearly 39 minutes, the second-most on the team. Murray also contributed with three steals, including a crucial one in the final minute of overtime.

Jamal Murray (Photo: NBA)

Jokic’s slow start

There’s a reasonable argument that over-relying on Jokic could be detrimental to the Nuggets’ long-term success. The concern is that too many minutes, touches, and stats in December could wear him down.

However, even if this viewpoint is valid, Jokic’s performance on Sunday didn’t meet the expected level of aggressiveness, particularly against the Pelicans’ centers.

It wasn’t until late in the game that Jokic made his presence felt. Despite finishing with 27 points, 13 rebounds, and 10 assists, he had been passive against Yves Missi and Daniel Theis earlier in the game.

He missed a couple of opportunities at the rim in the scoreless first quarter and, combined in the second and third quarters, only attempted two of his seven shots from inside 10 feet. The other five were jumpers from 13 feet or more. He also took just five free throws.

Defensively, Jokic was part of the problem as the Pelicans outscored the Nuggets 14-6 in the paint during the third quarter. The Pelicans extended their lead to 91-74 at the 1:32 mark, taking advantage of the Nuggets’ perimeter defense and Jokic’s absence in the paint.

Despite this slow start, Jokic’s commitment to posting up in the final stages was crucial for Denver’s comeback. He scored seven points in a two-minute stretch to help the Nuggets regain the lead, and he added six more points to set the Pelicans back at the start of overtime.

Defensive lapses and transition issues

The Nuggets had little reason to appear fatigued in New Orleans, given their recent schedule with only three games in the last 13 days. However, their transition defense remained a significant concern.

Entering the game, the Nuggets had been allowing 18.2 fast-break points per game, the fourth-worst in the NBA. By halftime, the Pelicans had already scored 15 fast-break points. The problem wasn’t just turnovers—Denver committed 22 throughout the game—but players often hesitated on 50-50 balls.

At one point in the second quarter, Porter had a chance to rebound his own missed 3-pointer, but as the long rebound bounced toward him, he turned and jogged toward the defensive end. An opponent seized the opportunity and raced past him for an easy layup.

The Pelicans finished the game with 23 transition points and shot 56% from 2-point range. Though the Nuggets escaped with a win, their defensive flaws continue to be a concern.