Zion Williamson and Karlo Matković score 25 apiece, Jeremiah Fears delivers at the line, and New Orleans ends the Grizzlies’ unbeaten start.

three straight DUBS for YOUR New Orleans Pelicans pic.twitter.com/1ETOfdfvdW

— New Orleans Pelicans (@PelicansNBA) November 3, 2026

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — The Pelicans had already found ways to lose close games this season. Monday night, they found enough answers to win one after another late lead slipped away.

New Orleans beat the Memphis Grizzlies 135–134 in overtime at FedExForum, collecting its third straight victory and handing the NBA’s last unbeaten team its first defeat. The Pelicans are 3–4 after opening 0–4. Memphis is 6–1.

Jeremiah Fears made two free throws with 7.3 seconds remaining, and Ty Jerome’s final jumper missed, according to the Associated Press game report. The finish rewarded a team that had to recover its composure after regulation ended badly.

There is plenty for Jamahl Mosley to correct. There is also something worth building on: New Orleans absorbed the disappointment, stayed competitive and made the final scoring plays.

The closing minutes tested more than the scoreboard

The Pelicans could have avoided overtime. Jerome scored nine straight points over the final 1:43 of regulation, erasing New Orleans’ advantage and forcing a 124–124 tie. He finished with 40 points.

That sequence belongs in any honest account of the victory. The final possessions of regulation still exposed a problem the Pelicans cannot afford to make routine: an opponent finding repeated scoring answers while New Orleans struggles to finish the job.

Overtime offered a second opportunity. Zion Williamson provided nine of the Pelicans’ 11 points in the extra period. Fears supplied the other two at the line. Field Level Media’s report carried by Reuters detailed Williamson’s late production and Fears’ decisive free throws.

The difference was small on the scoreboard and substantial in the standings. A frustrating finish became a road victory because the Pelicans continued to create chances after their first opportunity to close had disappeared.

Zion’s production carried extra weight

Williamson finished with 25 points and 11 rebounds. His scoring total was matched by Matković, whose career-high night gave New Orleans another major source of offense.

The overtime contribution is the most important part of Williamson’s line. With the game reduced to a handful of possessions, New Orleans needed someone capable of producing through contact and defensive attention. He delivered the bulk of its scoring.

That does not mean every late possession should look identical. A functioning closing offense must keep passing options and spacing alive around its primary threat. It does mean the Pelicans had a dependable scorer available when the margin for error became smallest.

The next step is to make that late-game structure more consistent. The victory gives the team useful evidence of what worked, along with a clear reminder of why it needed overtime.

Matković and Queen changed the shape of the game

Matković made five of eight three-pointers, while Derik Queen contributed 20 points, seven rebounds and five assists.

Those are different kinds of contributions from the center position. Matković’s outside shooting supplied spacing and immediate scoring. Queen’s combination of finishing and passing gave New Orleans another way to involve teammates.

Together they scored 45 points. Add Williamson, and the three frontcourt players accounted for 70 of the Pelicans’ 135. That is a calculation from their reported totals, and it captures how much of the offensive burden they carried.

The value extends beyond having another player reach double figures. A defense must respond differently when a big man can make shots outside or turn a touch into a productive pass. Those options can keep an offense moving when its first perimeter action fails.

Monday’s production strengthens the case for using those skills purposefully. It does not require assuming either player will repeat a career night every game.

The production also came with Dejounte Murray absent for personal reasons and Yves Missi and Jordan Poole out with injuries, as reported by the Associated Press. Those absences make the contributions valuable without establishing what the rotation should become when more players are available.

Fears stayed involved through a difficult shooting night

The winning free throws came after a rough offensive performance from Fears.

That combination is worth recognizing without rewriting the rest of the night. Fears did not have an efficient scoring game. He still had to remain engaged enough to help determine the result.

For a young guard, separating the next possession from the last missed shot matters. Monday’s ending showed that a player can struggle with one part of the job and still contribute to winning.

The lesson is to preserve that involvement while improving decision-making and shot quality. A clutch finish provides encouragement; the full performance provides the work.

Winning did not erase the defensive questions

The Pelicans committed eight turnovers and made 14 three-pointers. Those numbers helped create enough offense to survive. They also help explain why the result should not be treated as proof that every phase is settled.

Giving up 134 points, even across an overtime game, leaves room for a serious defensive review. Jerome’s closing burst deserves particular attention. New Orleans needs to understand how those possessions developed and what answers were available.

Mosley can demand improvement while acknowledging the competitive response. Both evaluations fit this game. The Pelicans made consequential mistakes, then prevented those mistakes from deciding the final outcome.

That is progress for a group that began the season struggling to turn competitive performances into victories.

What comes next

The Pelicans return home to face Utah on Wednesday, November 4, at 7 p.m. Central, as listed on the team schedule.

The challenge is to carry forward the useful parts of this win: productive frontcourt touches, involvement after adversity and enough composure to make the next play. The late defensive breakdowns need a different ending.

New Orleans left Memphis with a third straight victory and a reminder that its early record did not have to define its direction. The Pelicans earned this one by continuing to compete after the game gave them every opportunity to become frustrated.

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