Five consecutive losses. Four straight opponents scoring at least 138. A 27.6-point average deficit. New Orleans needs answers across the roster.

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— New Orleans Pelicans (@PelicansNBA) November 14, 2026

NEW ORLEANS — The Pelicans’ losing streak reached five games Friday, and the latest defeat supplied another painful measure of how far this team has slipped. Memphis beat New Orleans 142–111 at Smoothie King Center, dropping the Pelicans to 4–9.

New Orleans has now allowed at least 138 points in four consecutive games. Across the five losses, the Pelicans have been outscored 679–541 — an average deficit of 27.6 points per game.

Injuries have stripped away important pieces. Dejounte Murray’s trade request has added uncertainty. The basketball problems run through the entire operation: defense, rebounding, shooting, possession management and the combinations coach Jamahl Mosley puts on the floor.

How the five-game losing streak unfolded

Date	Opponent	NOP points	Opp. points	Margin
Nov. 6	Minnesota	109	115	−6
Nov. 8	LA Clippers	123	139	−16
Nov. 9	Golden State	87	138	−51
Nov. 11	Brooklyn	111	145	−34
Nov. 13	Memphis	111	142	−31

The first loss was a competitive game that slipped away. The next four defeats have exposed a team struggling to keep opponents within reach.

The numbers behind the Pelicans losing streak

Five-game statistic	Pelicans	Opponents
Points per game	108.2	135.8
Scoring margin per game	−27.6	+27.6
Field-goal percentage	43.6%	51.5%
Three-point percentage	33.1%	42.0%
Three-point attempts per game	28.4	41.4
Rebounds per game	35.6	45.6

Calculations cover Nov. 6–13. Shooting percentages use total makes divided by total attempts across all five games, rather than an average of individual game percentages. Rebounding totals reflect rebounds credited to players.

Ten problems driving New Orleans’ collapse

1. The defense is allowing games to become unmanageable

The Clippers scored 139, Golden State 138, Brooklyn 145 and Memphis 142. Friday’s damage was sustained: the Grizzlies scored 35 points in each of the first three quarters, then 37 in the fourth.

Mosley’s repair must start with a connected possession: contain the ball, provide the correct help and recover without creating another opening. At this scoring level, even a productive offensive night leaves New Orleans chasing the game.

2. The three-point math is burying the Pelicans

Opponents made 87 of 207 threes during the skid. New Orleans made 47 of 142. That is 40 additional made threes and a 120-point advantage across five games — 24 points per night from beyond the arc alone.

Friday illustrated the problem: Memphis went 18-for-45; the Pelicans finished 7-for-31. New Orleans needs to reduce opponents’ comfortable perimeter opportunities while generating more useful attempts of its own.

3. Defensive possessions are not ending with rebounds

The Pelicans have been outrebounded 228–178 during the streak. Brooklyn held them to 28 rebounds, while Memphis won the glass 51–43.

Yves Missi’s absence removes size and a rebounding option, but the remaining players still have to finish possessions. Guards must help collect long rebounds, wings must make contact and the entire unit must prevent a contested shot from becoming another offensive opportunity.

4. Injuries have damaged the rotation’s balance

New Orleans faced Memphis without Trey Murphy III, Missi, Trendon Watford, Bryce McGowens and Murray. The injury concerns include Murphy’s knees, Missi’s left knee, Watford’s right ankle, McGowens’ left elbow and Murray’s ankle. Bennedict Mathurin, dealing with a right thumb sprain, played 10 scoreless minutes.

Those absences affect different jobs: shooting, size, ballhandling and lineup flexibility. They help explain why the available combinations are difficult to balance. The staff’s immediate task is to give those combinations a simpler, workable plan.

5. The spacing around Zion Williamson is too fragile

Herb Jones and Jeremiah Fears combined to go 0-for-10 from three against Memphis. Saddiq Bey supplied six of the Pelicans’ seven made threes; everyone else combined for 1-for-22.

When perimeter threats fail to punish help, opponents can devote more attention to Williamson’s drives. Better spacing requires credible shooting around him and actions that create rhythm attempts, especially with Murphy unavailable.

6. Offensive organization is placing a heavy burden on young players

Fears produced 18 points and seven assists Friday. He is still a rookie being asked to organize a depleted rotation, and the possession problems extend beyond the point guard. Derik Queen committed five turnovers against Memphis.

New Orleans needs clearer outlets, reliable secondary ballhandlers and decisions made before the defense traps a possession in traffic. The objective is to create an advantage and move the ball before that advantage disappears.

7. Fouling is making defensive recovery harder

The Pelicans committed 30 personal fouls Friday. Memphis converted 36 of 41 free throws. Jones and Jordan Poole each finished with five fouls.

The line alone did not decide the game: New Orleans also made 32 of 37 free throws, leaving a four-point difference. The larger concern is defensive discipline. Fouls interrupt the game, put players at risk of sitting and make it harder for Mosley to maintain the combinations he needs.

8. Competitive stretches are not becoming complete games

New Orleans led Minnesota 89–87 with under eight minutes left before losing 115–109. The Timberwolves won the fourth quarter 38–30. Two nights later, the Clippers outscored the Pelicans 37–28 in the fourth.

Those games demanded better late execution. The subsequent routs exposed problems much earlier. New Orleans needs a standard that holds through an opponent’s run, with dependable shot selection, floor balance and defensive assignments.

9. Murray’s trade request complicates an already unstable situation

The Pelicans confirmed Friday that Murray’s representatives requested a trade. He was also listed out with an ankle injury against Memphis.

The request adds uncertainty around a veteran playmaker and the team’s guard rotation. It should not be presented as proof that he refused to play or that private locker-room conflict caused every loss. The front office must clarify the roster’s direction while the coaching staff prepares the players who are available.

10. Roles and accountability need to become specific

Mosley must identify which groups can defend, rebound and provide enough spacing to function offensively. Players need clear responsibilities: who contains the first drive, who rotates next, who blocks out and who initiates the next possession.

Accountability should be visible in those assignments and in playing-time decisions. Repeated breakdowns require an adjustment, a clearer explanation or a different combination. The burden belongs to the staff, the available players and the front office that assembled this roster.

What the Pelicans must fix first

Bey’s 30 points and 10 rebounds against Memphis were a useful contribution. Williamson added 22 points. Individual production needs a stronger structure around it: defensive possessions finished with rebounds, fewer unnecessary fouls and a perimeter attack that can make opponents pay for helping into the paint.

The first meaningful progress will be sustained defensive organization. Returning players can restore options, but the available group needs a plan it can execute through adversity. A four-game winning streak has become five consecutive losses, and New Orleans is running out of room to let these problems repeat.

Related coverage: Pelicans vs Nets: 145–111 Rout Deepens Defensive Crisis.

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