New Orleans Pelicans center Yves Missi (21) battles for the rebound against Memphis Grizzlies forward Cedric Coward (23) at the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans on Friday, January 30, 2026. (Staff photo by Brett Duke, The Times-Picayune)
STAFF PHOTO BY BRETT DUKE
Saddiq Bey and Derik Queen scored 22 points each, Zion Williamson had 21, and the New Orleans Pelicans held off the Memphis Grizzlies 114-106 on Friday night in the Smoothie King Center.
Herb Jones scored 16 and Jose Alvarado added 11 for the Pelicans (13-37), who took control by outscoring the Grizzlies 35-15 in the third quarter. New Orleans begins a four-game road trip when it faces the 76ers in Philadelphia on Saturday night.
Jaren Jackson and Cam Spencer scored 16 each, Cedric Coward scored 13, Jock Landale put in 12, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope had 11, and Jaylen Wells added 10 for the Grizzlies (18-28), who lost their fifth straight.
The Grizzlies played without leading scorer Ja Morant (19.5 points per game), who missed his fourth straight game because of an elbow sprain, and Zach Edey (ankle), who averages 13.6 points and a team-best 11.1 rebounds.
Spencer made a 3-pointer to start the second-half scoring to give the Grizzlies a 64-58 lead. Williamson and Jones scored four points each as the Pelicans pulled even at 68.
Landale’s basket broke the tie before Bey scored seven points and Queen had four as New Orleans took a 79-74 lead. John Konchar made a layup for Memphis, but Alvarado made three 3-pointers and Karlo Matkovic one during a 14-0 run that gave the Pelicans a 93-76 lead at the end of the quarter.
New Orleans had made just 4 of 24 3-pointers before making those four in as many attempts.
The Grizzlies scored the first 11 points of the fourth quarter to get within six. Bey made two free throws for the Pelicans’ first points of the quarter, and Queen and Jones had two field goals each during a 10-3 run that gave New Orleans a 103-90 lead.
Memphis got as close as five points but didn’t get any closer.
The lead changed hands eight time in the first quarter, the last coming when Landale’s jumper gave the Grizzlies a 21-20 lead and started a 9-0 run. Trey Murphy stopped the run when he completed a three-point play, and Jeremiah Fears’ field goal pulled the Pelicans within 32-28 at the end of the first quarter.
Jackson made a 3-pointer to help Memphis extend the lead to 10 points early in the second quarter. Queen scored four points, including a layup, that gave New Orleans a 45-44 lead.
GG Jackson’s dunk gave the Grizzlies the lead, which they kept by a score of 61-58 at halftime.