Brooklyn Nets guard Drake Powell (4) shoot the ball as New Orleans Pelicans center Derik Queen (22) defends at the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans on Wednesday, January 14, 2026. (Staff photo by Brett Duke, The Times-Picayune)
STAFF PHOTO BY BRETT DUKE
Trey Murphy scored 34 points, Saddiq Bey made a tying 3-pointer and a tiebreaking dunk in the final 63 seconds, and the New Orleans Pelicans held off the Brooklyn Nets 116-113 on Wednesday night in the Smoothie King Center.
Zion Williamson added 25 points, Yves Missi had 12 points and 12 rebounds, and Bey scored 12 for the Pelicans (10-33), who play at Indiana on Friday.
Michael Porter scored 20 points, Egor Demin scored 17, Drake Powell and former LSU star Cam Thomas had 16 each, Day’Ron Sharpe added 15 and Nic Claxton scored 10 for the Nets (11-27)
Jeremiah Fears’ 3-pointer pulled the Pelicans even at 57-57 at the outset of the third quarter, and the score was tied three more times before consecutive baskets by Noah Clowney and Powell helped the Nets open a five-point lead.
New Orleans responded with consecutive baskets by Williamson, Fears and Williamson again to take a 73-72 lead. The lead changed hands nine more times before the Karlo Matkovic converted a three-point play for the Pelicans to tie the score at 87 at the end of third quarter.
Brooklyn scored the first seven points of the fourth quarter before Williamson scored on a drive for New Orleans’ first points of the period.
Murphy had nine points and an assist during a 13-2 run that gave the Pelicans a 105-101 lead. The Nets scored the next six points to take a two-point lead. Murphy made a layup to tie the score, and Demin and Bey exchanged 3-pointers to produce another tie.
After a Demin miss, Bey rebounded a Murphy miss and dunked to give New Orleans a 112-110 lead with 21 seconds left. Porter missed a jumper, and Murphy made two free throws with 10.6 seconds left.
Powell made a 3-pointer to trim the lead to one with five seconds left. Bey made two free throws and Porter’s desperation 3-pointer missed at the buzzer.
The Nets made six of their first eight 3-pointers as they raced to a 24-12 lead midway through the first quarter. But they missed all three that they took the rest of the quarter as the Pelicans crept as close as two points before Brooklyn held a 31-27 lead at the end of the period.
Thomas made consecutive jumpers and the Nets extended the lead to nine points early in the second quarter. They led by nine a second time, but Murphy scored 11 points, Jordan Poole made two 3-pointers and Bryce McGowens made one 3-pointer as New Orleans trimmed the lead to 55-54 at halftime.