The New Orleans Pelicans continued their disappointing season with a 121-116 loss to the San Antonio Spurs on Sunday night. Despite their late-game effort, the Pelicans’ shortcomings remain evident.
Victor Wembanyama returned from injury and delivered for the Spurs, scoring 25 points on 9-for-16 shooting, including a critical go-ahead three-pointer in the final minute. The win snapped San Antonio’s three-game skid and added another chapter to a Pelicans season spiraling out of control.
In the game, former New Orleans Hornets great Chris Paul passed Jason Kidd for second on the NBA’s all-time assist list, joining Kidd and John Stockton as the only three players in league history with at least 12,000 assists.
A five-time assist champion, Paul dished out a franchise record 4,228 assists in 425 regular season games for New Orleans.
The Numbers Tell the Story
The Pelicans, now 5-19, have lost 12 straight road games, inching closer to the franchise’s record of 15 set during the dismal 2004-05 season. Ironically, that season sparked a major rebuild as the then-Hornets traded several veterans, developed its younger core, and prepared for the upcoming draft, where they selected Paul.
Injuries have decimated the roster, with Brandon Ingram’s significant ankle sprain—sustained Saturday against the Oklahoma City Thunder—further depleting the unprecedentedly battered lineup. Ingram was the last starter who had avoided missing double-digit games this season. His absence essentially cements the Pelicans’ lottery-bound trajectory, as their playoff chances had already dipped below 1% entering Sunday’s game.
A Glimmer of Hope, Then Collapse
Trailing 114-103 with under five minutes remaining, New Orleans managed to rally for a 13-0 run to seize a 116-114 lead in the final minute. However, the momentum quickly changed direction. A controversial replay overturned a foul call on Spurs guard Julien Champagnie, resulting in a jump ball. The Spurs capitalized, with Wembanyama drilling a three-pointer to reclaim the lead.
Trey Murphy III, who stepped into the starting lineup in Ingram’s absence, had a chance to tie the game at the buzzer but missed a deep three-pointer. San Antonio had scored seven unanswered points to close the door on another defeat.
Individual Efforts Fall Short
Murphy led the Pelicans with a team and season-high 25 points, while C.J. McCollum and Dejounte Murray added 19 and 18 points, respectively. The Pelicans fell to 0-3 against Murray’s former teams this season (Atlanta 0-2, San Antonio 0-1).
Rookie Yves Missi had a standout game with 18 points and a career-high 14 rebounds, including nine on the offensive glass. Despite these efforts, New Orleans’ inability to close out games underscores their deeper systemic issues.
The Pelicans went 0-for-last season when they trailed entering the fourth quarter and finished 19th in the NBA in clutch win percentage (14-15, .483). After falling to 4-5 in the clutch this season, New Orleans again ranks 19th in late-game winning (.444).
The Big Picture
Injuries have plagued the Pelicans, who lead the league in games and salary lost to injury this season. Zion Williamson remains sidelined with a hamstring issue, and Ingram’s indefinite absence only exacerbates the problem. The Pelicans entered the season with a promising core, but that group has played in just 70 of a possible 168 games combined.
Their problems are much deeper than just the injuries. The Pelicans are a bad basketball team that plays with consistently inconsistent effort from game to game.
By the numbers, the New Orleans Pelicans are:
28th in FG% (43.8)
30th in EFG% (49.8)
30th in TS% (53.2)
27th in 3P% (32.7)
28th in 3PA (33.1)
23rd in FTA (21.1)
26th in FT% (75.7)
25th in FTA rate (.236)
29th in +/- (-11.7)
29th in offensive rating (106.2)
28th in defensive rating (119.0)
29th in net rating (-11.8) – The Pelicans rank 22nd in the first quarter, 29th in the second quarter, 27th in the third quarter, and 27th in the fourth quarter.
18th in pace (98.84)
26th in points off turnovers (16.3)
22nd in points in the paint (46.1)
29th in opponent points in the paint (54.7)
30th in fast break points allowed (20.3)
28th in opponent EFG% (56.6)
With their playoff hopes gone, it’s time for the Pelicans to face harsh realities. The roster, as constructed, is a failed experiment.
Ingram’s upcoming free agency and the team’s financial constraints make a rebuild the most logical path forward. The front office must decide whether to trade Ingram this offseason since, barring a miraculous recovery an in-season trade seems out of the question, or potentially lose him for nothing.
Meanwhile, the Pelicans could secure a high lottery pick, which would be a major streak of silver lining on an otherwise disastrous season.
What’s Next?
The Pelicans will host the Sacramento Kings on Thursday night, but with their roster in shambles and morale at an all-time low, fans have little reason for optimism. Until structural changes are made, both on and off the court, New Orleans’ basketball future will remain bleak.
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