NEW ORLEANS — Saddiq Bey supplied the scoring punch, the Pelicans supplied the paint pressure, and their closing reserves supplied considerably more suspense than the home crowd needed.
New Orleans held off the Washington Wizards 107–106 Friday night at Smoothie King Center, completing its preseason schedule at 3–1. Bey led the Pelicans with 19 points off the bench, while Jeremiah Fears added 14 points, five assists and three steals.
The final margin needs context. New Orleans held a 92–78 lead when coach Jamahl Mosley changed all five players with 8:44 remaining. Washington made its late push against that closing group, and a three-pointer at the buzzer trimmed a four-point deficit to one.
For a team preparing to establish its regular-season identity, the evening offered both encouragement and a clear list of corrections.Score by quarter
Team
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
Final
Washington
17
34
19
36
106
New Orleans
23
33
25
26
107
Bey gives the bench a finishing touch
Bey delivered his 19 points in just 17:18, shooting 7-of-11 overall and 3-of-5 from three-point range. He also contributed six rebounds, two assists and two steals.
His outside accuracy mattered on a night when the rest of the Pelicans went a combined 4-of-31 from deep. New Orleans could attack inside, but Bey provided a perimeter threat that too often went missing elsewhere.
The bench finished with 60 points. Bennedict Mathurin added 10, and Bey, Mathurin and Karlo Matković each finished plus-16. Those numbers support a useful takeaway: the rotation reserves helped create the cushion that the deeper bench later had to protect.
Fears creates, Queen connects
Fears combined scoring and distribution, making five of his 11 shots and recording three steals. His three turnovers also left room for cleaner decision-making as the competition shifts into regular-season games.
Derik Queen offered a different kind of contribution. The young center scored only two points but collected seven rebounds, matched Fears with five assists and blocked two shots without committing a turnover. His passing gave the second unit value beyond his own shot attempts.
Trey Murphy III and Zion Williamson each scored 11. Murphy went 5-of-10 from the field; Williamson finished 5-of-14 and missed all four of his three-point attempts. Yves Missi grabbed seven rebounds, including four on the offensive glass.Pelicans individual stat box — selected performers
Player
PTS
REB
AST
FG
3PT
Saddiq Bey
19
6
2
7-11
3-5
Jeremiah Fears
14
3
5
5-11
1-3
Trey Murphy III
11
5
3
5-10
1-4
Zion Williamson
11
5
1
5-14
0-4
Bennedict Mathurin
10
2
2
4-8
0-2
Jordan Poole
8
1
4
2-8
1-7
Yves Missi
6
7
1
3-5
0-0
Karlo Matković
6
5
1
3-7
0-3
Herbert Jones
5
4
1
2-7
1-3
Derik Queen
2
7
5
1-3
0-1
Jaron Pierre Jr.
2
0
1
0-3
0-3
A late charge and two free throws settle it
The Pelicans led 56–51 at halftime and 81–70 after three quarters. Washington then won the fourth quarter 36–26, turning a comfortable-looking finish into a possession game.
With New Orleans ahead 105–103, Jaron Pierre Jr. committed a bad-pass turnover with 10.4 seconds left. Washington’s Alondes Williams was called for an offensive charge with 2.2 seconds remaining, returning possession to the Pelicans.
Pierre recovered from his mistake by making both free throws with 1.4 seconds left. Williams hit a three at the horn, but the Pelicans already had the four-point cushion they needed.
The sequence rewarded a defensive stop and a composed trip to the line. It also showed why protecting the ball remains essential, even when the scoreboard appears manageable.
Paint production overcomes an uneven shooting night
New Orleans outscored Washington 62–42 in the paint and 22–13 on fast breaks. Its 15 steals helped disrupt a Wizards offense that finished with 23 turnovers and shot 39.6 percent.
Washington’s Anthony Davis had 14 points and 11 rebounds, while Kyshawn George also scored 14. Trae Young supplied seven assists but shot 1-of-11 and committed five turnovers.
The Pelicans had concerns of their own. Their 7-of-36 three-point shooting limited their offensive margin for error, and Washington generated 21 second-chance points. New Orleans also committed 18 total turnovers, including two team turnovers beyond the 16 charged to individual players.Wizards individual stat box — selected performers
Player
PTS
REB
AST
FG
3PT
Anthony Davis
14
11
1
6-14
0-2
Kyshawn George
14
3
1
5-7
3-5
Alex Sarr
12
9
0
4-7
0-1
AJ Dybantsa
12
2
0
4-8
1-3
Will Riley
11
0
1
3-7
1-3
Trae Young
7
4
7
1-11
1-7
Team stat box
Statistic
Pelicans
Wizards
Field goals
43/99 (43.4%)
36/91 (39.6%)
Three-pointers
7/36 (19.4%)
12/41 (29.3%)
Free throws
14/16 (87.5%)
22/31 (71.0%)
Rebounds
48
51
Offensive rebounds
14
16
Assists
28
21
Steals
15
10
Blocks
6
10
Total turnovers
18
23
Points in the paint
62
42
Fast-break points
22
13
Second-chance points
17
21
Bench points
60
47
What carries into the regular season
A winning preseason gives Mosley something to build on. Bey’s efficient scoring, Fears’ creation and Queen’s connective passing provided reasons to like the developing rotation.
The next step is making those strengths dependable when minutes tighten and opponents prepare specifically for New Orleans. Better perimeter shooting, sharper possession management and more complete defensive rebounds would make the Pelicans less reliant on surviving the final sequence.
Friday’s win sends them forward with momentum. The work shown on the final stat sheet gives them a precise place to start.
Sources:NBA official final box score; NBA official game book; ESPN play-by-play. Bench totals and the non-Bey three-point split were calculated from the player box score. Plus-minus describes team scoring during a player’s minutes; it is not an individual performance grade.
