Pelicans Storm Back From 18 Down to Crush Clippers 124-109, Win Sixth Straight at Home

Down 18 points with the Smoothie King Center going quiet, the New Orleans Pelicans had a choice. Fold. Or fight.

They fought.

Saddiq Bey exploded for 25 points, Trey Murphy III added 23, and the Pelicans erased what looked like a comfortable Los Angeles Clippers lead to win 124-109 on Wednesday night. The crowd, which had sat in stunned silence through a brutal first quarter, rose to its feet as the final seconds ticked away, sending the Pelicans off the floor with a standing ovation.

Six straight home wins. Nine in the last 13 overall. This team is not done.

How the Pelicans Dug Themselves Into an Early Hole

It started badly. Really badly.

New Orleans turned the ball over eight times in the first nine minutes alone. The Clippers were ruthless in transition, converting those mistakes into nine easy points. Kawhi Leonard was locked in from the opening tip, scoring 12 of his 25 points during that first-quarter stretch, including a cold-blooded three-pointer that pushed the Clippers ahead by 18.

The Pelicans trailed 40-26 at the end of the first. The home crowd was restless. Something had to change.

Trey Murphy and the Pelicans Second-Quarter Surge

It did change. Dramatically.

Murphy flipped a switch in the second quarter. He was everywhere — hitting threes, drawing fouls, making plays. New Orleans outscored Los Angeles 34-20 in the period, clawing all the way back to tie the game at 58 on a Murphy three-pointer late in the quarter.

Then came the moment that shifted the entire emotional energy of the building. In the final 10 seconds before halftime, Murphy tied it again at 60 with a high, arching driving floater through traffic — a shot that had no business going in. It did. The crowd erupted.

Heading into halftime, a game that looked like a blowout was suddenly even.

Pelicans Third Quarter Dominance Sealed the Game

The Pelicans came out of the locker room with a different kind of urgency. They pushed the lead to double digits in the third quarter and never looked back.

Murphy drained his 200th three-pointer of the season late in the period — a milestone worth celebrating on its own — to push New Orleans ahead 89-81. By the time the third quarter ended, the Pelicans led 96-85, and the Clippers had no answers.

The defining play of the night came midway through the fourth. Herb Jones picked Kawhi Leonard’s pocket on a fast break, and Murphy finished it with a thunderous double-clutch dunk over Brook Lopez. Pelicans 117, Clippers 101. The building went absolutely crazy.

Pelicans Key Performers Step Up When It Counts

Dejounte Murray quietly controlled the game with 17 points and 11 assists. Zion Williamson added 14 and kept the paint honest all night. Rookie Derik Queen was a revelation — scoring 14 points and making all nine of his free throw attempts. That’s the kind of poise you don’t usually see from a first-year player in a pressure situation.

Off the bench, rookie guard Jeremiah Fears chipped in 11 points, giving the Pelicans yet another reliable scoring option. The depth of this roster is genuinely something to watch down the stretch.

The numbers told the story: New Orleans shot 43.2% from three on 37 attempts and made 20 of 21 free throws. The Clippers shot just 29% from deep. When the margins are that wide, there’s only one result.

What This Win Means for the Pelicans

For a team sitting at 24-46 on the season, the Pelicans have nothing to play for in the standings. And yet, they play like they have everything to lose.

Coach James Borrego said it best after the game: “We are sprinting through the finish line. The goal is to build momentum. I’m really proud of the group that they’ve bought into that. They’re not giving in to the season — or adversity within a game.”

That’s exactly what this was. A team refusing to give in. Down 18, turnovers piling up, and the Pelicans just kept competing. That kind of mentality is what you build on for next season.

The Clippers, meanwhile, dropped to 34-35 — a game below .500 — though they hold on to the No. 8 seed in the Western Conference by half a game over Portland. This was a winnable road game for Los Angeles, and they let it slip. Leonard was brilliant, but the Clippers simply couldn’t keep up once the Pelicans found their rhythm.

These two teams will be back at the Smoothie King Center on Thursday night for a rematch. After what happened on Wednesday, that one should be worth watching.