NEW ORLEANS – The New Orleans Pelicans will tip off a new era on Sunday (Monday, Singapore time), as they face the Golden State Warriors in their first game after under interim head coach James Borrego.
On Saturday, the franchise fired Willie Green. He took over in New Orleans in 2021, guiding the team to a 150-190 overall record across five seasons.
The Pelicans began the 2025-26 NBA campaign with an abysmal 2-10 record. Now, Borrego will attempt to turn things around.
Borrego served as the head coach of the Charlotte Hornets from 2018 to 2022. In addition, he briefly was the interim head coach of the Orlando Magic in 2015. He joined the Pelicans’ organization in 2023 as an associate head coach. He has a 148-183 record as a head coach.
The interim coach may have some additional help, as star forward Zion Williamson (hamstring) has been upgraded to questionable for Sunday’s game. The two-time All-Star has been sidelined since Nov 2 with a hamstring injury. In five games this season, he is averaging 22.8 points, 6.8 points, and 4.6 assists.
The Pelicans will look to snap a losing streak that extended to four games following a 118-104 setback to the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday. Trey Murphy III would be key after scoring 35 points in the loss.
“Just being aggressive,” Murphy said, per NOLA.com. “Also, a lot of film work. Just knowing defenses and knowing tendencies and also my teammates finding me in transition.”
For the Warriors, Stephen Curry appears to be fully healthy again after sitting out three games due to illness.
Fresh off 46 and 49-point performances, he will look to extend the Golden State Warriors’ winning streak to a season-high three games when they visit the Pelicans.
Curry was not at his best when he initially returned from absence on Tuesday, making just 4 of 13 shots in a 126-102 setback to the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder.
But the two-time NBA MVP got healthy in a hurry as the Warriors swept a pair of games against Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs.
Curry capped his performance on Friday by sinking a pair of free throws with 6.4 seconds left in Golden State’s 109-108 victory over the Spurs. That came moments after fans in San Antonio did their best to distract him, prompting Curry to playfully mock their gestures.
“I’m aware of everything,” he said. “It’s pretty fun. You have to find something to take the nerves out, and for me that’s just embracing the moment, smiling and having a good time.”
Curry, 37, has recorded 44 games of 40-or-more points after turning 30 years old, tying Hall of Famer Michael Jordan for the most in NBA history.
“That’s pretty cool, just from an individual accomplishment perspective,” he added. “To be able to be in that company and longevity is something that I pride myself on. So that was pretty cool.”
Also on Sunday, key contributors returning to the lineup could help the Chicago Bulls bounce back from a four-game losing streak as they head to Salt Lake City to face the Utah Jazz.
Both Josh Giddey (sprained right ankle) and Coby White (strained right calf) are expected back on the court this week. Giddey is listed as probable against the Jazz, and White is listed as questionable.
For Chicago, getting back two players critical to their success might be enough to erase the struggles that came on the heels of a strong start to the season. The Bulls are certainly eager to not let a four-game skid grow into a much larger problem.
“We’ve got to come into games with the right mindset,” Bulls guard Kevin Huerter told the Chicago Sun-Times on Friday. “Our identity is playing fast, playing physical (and) wearing teams out.” REUTERS
NBABasketball playersGolden State WarriorsStephen Curry