Pelicans Defeat Wizards as Trae Young Faces First Home Loss in New Orleans

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Trey Murphy III scored 24 points, and Saddiq Bey added 23 against his former team as the New Orleans Pelicans defeated the Washington Wizards 138-118 on Sunday night, extending Washington’s losing streak to eight games. Zion Williamson contributed 20 points, and Dejounte Murray added 19 for the Pelicans, who dominated the paint with a 72-44 advantage.

Young’s Second Game with Wizards

Trae Young, playing his second game for the Wizards since being traded from Atlanta, scored 17 points and dished out eight assists in 18 minutes. This marked his 12th game of the season after being sidelined by a knee injury for much of the year.

Wizards’ Rookie Performance

Wizards rookie Tre Johnson scored 20 points – his fourth game reaching that total. Will Riley added 19 points for Washington. Rookie Julian Reese, brother of WNBA star Angel Reese, grabbed nine rebounds for the Wizards. Reese recently had a historic performance, grabbing 20 rebounds in his third NBA game.

Pelicans Pull Away in the Second Half

The Pelicans held a 67-65 lead at halftime, despite Washington making 10 three-pointers in the first half. New Orleans pulled away in the third quarter with a 12-4 surge, capped by a three-pointer from rookie Jeremiah Fears. Fears finished with 18 points and seven assists in 24 minutes off the bench, whereas fellow rookie Derik Queen scored 13 points.

Team Records and Upcoming Games

The Pelicans won for the eighth time in 11 games and matched last season’s victory total of 21. The Wizards’ losing streak extends to eight games. Washington will visit the Miami Heat on Tuesday night. The Pelicans are beginning a stretch of 6-of-7 games at home, having just completed a six-game road swing.