Los Angeles Clippers forward Derrick Jones Jr., center, and New Orleans Pelicans center Yves Missi, right, reach for a rebound during the first half of an NBA basketball game Friday, Oct. 31, 2025, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Mark J. Terrill
There was some good news for the New Orleans Pelicans Friday night at the Intuit Dome.
The Pelicans finally showed the fight Willie Green had been asking for.
Zion Williamson played like Zion Williamson is supposed to play.
Trey Murphy got back on track.
And Jordan Poole had his best game since coming to New Orleans.
But it still wasn’t quite enough as Los Angeles Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard buried a 20-foot jumper as time expired to hand the Pelicans a tough 126-124 loss.
“He hit a shot that we’ve seen him hit before,” said Pelicans' coach Willie Green. “Credit to him.”
But for the Pelicans, it was a 180 degree turn from the effort they showed two nights earlier in a 34-point home loss to the Denver Nuggets. That one was over by the time the third quarter ended. This one came down to the final second.
“Even through a difficult loss, the response we all saw tonight is a group that is learning each other and coming together,” Green said. “But they care. They went out and competed at a high level and gave everything they got."
Poole, who came off the bench for the second straight game, led the Pelicans with 30 points. He knocked down 7 of 13 3-pointers.
“Jordan was great,” Green said. “It’s a tough adjustment for him (coming off the bench). We are all aware of that. He’s such a dynamic player. What he does for our second unit is he’s the hub.”
The Pelicans trailed by as many as 17 points in the third quarter, which included a drought where they went over six minutes without a field goal. After Murphy buried a 3-pointer with 8:39 left in the quarter, the Pels didn’t make another field goal until Poole’s trey with 1:52 left. The Pelicans ended up closing the quarter out on a 9-2 run to pull within 10 (94-84) headed to the fourth quarter.
Murphy, who had struggled shooting through the first four games, finished with 17 points and made 5 of his 10 3-pointers. Williamson finished with 29 points and six rebounds. He scored 25 of his points in the second half.
“Z was fantastic on both ends of the floor,” Green said. “He was active defensively. Driving the basketball. Sharing the basketball. Rebounding. That’s what we need him to do consistently for us. … He brings a swagger to our team and we need him to continue doing that."
The Pelicans (0-5) have now lost their last 12 games dating back to last season.
Rookie Jeremiah Fears finished with a season-high 8 assists. He also came up with a steal late that led to Williamson hitting a pair of free throws to tie the game 124-124 with 9.6 seconds left. But Leonard, who finished with 34 points, ruined the comeback.
It was the Pelicans’ first game in group play of the NBA Cup, the league’s in-season tournament that started two seasons ago. The Pels reached the semifinals two seasons ago, but went 1-3 in group play last season. The other teams in Group B of the Western Conference with the Pelicans and Clippers are the Dallas Mavericks, Los Angeles Lakers and Memphis Grizzlies.
The Pelicans finish their 3-game road trip Sunday against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
"We are going to continue to get better," Green said. "It was a heckuva battle by both teams.”