The New Orleans Pelicans roll to the right and win their fourth game in a row 128-109 against the Indiana Pacers. This game was a great example of the fact that the Pelicans, when healthy, are a tough team to beat.
Once again, the Pelicans coaching staff opted to bring Zion Williamson off the bench, and it paid off. Z scored 18 of his 29 points in the first half and gave the Pacers defense problems.
Before Williamson came off the bench in two games, the Pelicans lacked a scorer on their second unit. However, having an All-Star caliber player like Williamson on the team’s second unit has balanced them from top to bottom.
We saw again tonight that Trey Murphy III is truly a three-level scorer, with 10 points in the first quarter really setting the tone for the Pelicans. New Orleans led 44-27 after one period, and a big reason for that was Murphy III shooting 75 percent.
With Trey Murphy III setting the tone early and Zion Williamson following the bench, the Pelicans have become overwhelming to opposing defenses. Add in Derik Queen’s playmaking ability at center and Jordan Poole’s shooting ability, and it’s clear that when this group is healthy, New Orleans has the balance and firepower to compete with any team.
Joe Dumars’ plan is starting to come true.
If you remember, during the 2025 offseason, Pelicans President of Basketball Operations Joe Dumars said repeatedly that he built this team to go deep. Finally, almost 29 games into this season, we see this being maximized.
During this four-game winning streak, it was a different player championing this team each game. Tonight it was Derik Queen as the starter and Jordan Poole as the second unit.
While Jeremiah Fears struggled to get things going, finishing the game with 2/6 shooting from the field, Jordan Poole was able to come off the bench. JP was a huge spark in this one with 16 points and six assists, finishing the game as a plus-20. His skill as a creator and creator of shots still makes him unique from everyone else on this roster.
Speaking of unique, the same goes for Derik Queen, who gives this franchise something they haven’t seen since DeMarcus Cousins, a skilled center. His ability to both run the offense as a playmaker and be his own scorer was on display again on Saturday night.
If the Pelicans can maintain their health and maintain this level of balanced production, there’s no reason they can’t compete for a play-in spot this season.
#Zion #leads #healthy #Pelicans #fourth #straight #victory