The New Orleans Pelicans delivered one of their most efficient offensive performances of the season Sunday night, defeating the Washington Wizards 138-118 at Smoothie King Center.
Trey Murphy III scored 24 points and Saddiq Bey added 23 against his former team as New Orleans improved to 21-45. The victory marked the Pelicans’ sixth win in their last nine games and continued a steady turnaround after a difficult start to the season.
Zion Williamson contributed 20 points on 6-of-8 shooting while Dejounte Murray added 19 points and six rebounds. New Orleans controlled the interior throughout the night, outscoring Washington 72-44 in the paint.
Ball movement and interior pressure defined the Pelicans’ offense.
The home team shot 53 percent from the field and attacked the rim consistently, drawing 47 free throw attempts. New Orleans converted 37 of those attempts, a key factor in building separation during the second half.
Washington kept the game competitive early.
The Wizards made 10 three-pointers in the first half and trailed just 67-65 at the break. Perimeter shooting allowed Washington to stay within striking distance despite New Orleans’ advantage inside.
The game shifted midway through the third quarter.
After Jaden Hardy’s driving floater cut the deficit to 95-91, New Orleans responded with a decisive 12-4 run. Rookie Jeremiah Fears capped the surge with a three-pointer that pushed the margin into double digits and halted Washington’s momentum.
Fears, the seventh overall pick in last summer’s draft, finished with 18 points and seven assists in 24 minutes off the bench. Fellow rookie Derik Queen added 13 points, giving the Pelicans valuable scoring from their young rotation.
Murphy also played a major role in stretching the defense.
The wing connected on four three-pointers and added five rebounds and four assists. His perimeter scoring complemented New Orleans’ interior production from Williamson and Bey.
Bey produced one of his most complete games of the season.
The forward recorded a double-double with 23 points and 10 rebounds while helping the Pelicans control second-chance opportunities. New Orleans finished with 44 rebounds and 12 offensive boards.
Washington, which dropped to 16-47, suffered its eighth consecutive loss.
Rookie guard Tre Johnson led the Wizards with 20 points, marking the fourth time this season he reached that total. Will Riley scored 19 points off the bench, providing efficient secondary scoring.
Trae Young continued to ease back into action following his midseason trade from Atlanta.
The guard scored 17 points and dished out eight assists in 18 minutes during just his 12th appearance of the season. Washington also received nine rebounds from Julian Reese, the brother of former LSU star Angel Reese.
Despite strong three-point volume, Washington struggled to contain New Orleans inside.
The Wizards shot 45 percent from the field and made 14 threes, but their defense allowed consistent penetration and paint scoring throughout the night.
The Pelicans matched last season’s win total of 21 and have now gone 11-9 since starting the year 10-36.
Washington will try to end its losing streak Tuesday when it visits the Miami Heat. New Orleans returns home Wednesday to host the Toronto Raptors.
