Pelicans Torch Jazz 129-118 Behind Saddiq Bey’s 42-Point Explosion
Saddiq Bey put on a show Thursday night in Salt Lake City.
The New Orleans Pelicans forward dropped 42 points on the Utah Jazz, leading his team to a commanding 129-118 victory at the Delta Center to open a two-game set. Bey was surgical, going 14-of-20 from the field, draining 5-of-9 from three, and converting all nine of his free throw attempts. Pure efficiency.
“He’s a great player. That’s my guy,” Zion Williamson said postgame. “He had the hot hand tonight.”
They found him early. They found him late. And when Utah threatened to claw back into the game in the fourth quarter, Bey slammed the door shut — finishing with 66 clutch points on the season, tops on the Pelicans.
Pelicans Build a Monster Lead — Then Hold On
New Orleans erupted for 41 points in the second quarter, turning a tight first-half contest into a blowout. At one point, the Pelicans led by 27. The lead ballooned so large that what happened next — Utah outscoring New Orleans 57-51 in the second half — barely registered as a storyline.
The Jazz deserve some credit for fighting. Without stars Lauri Markkanen (sprained right ankle, right hip impingement), Jaren Jackson Jr. (season-ending surgery), and Jusuf Nurkic (season-ending surgery) — and having lost Vince Williams Jr. to a torn ACL just days earlier — Utah suited up a short-handed roster and kept swinging. Rookie Ace Bailey led the way with 23 points, and Brice Sensabaugh added 20 off the bench. This Jazz team is beat up. They’re down to their bones. And they still made it interesting in the fourth quarter, pulling within 11 before Bey and company put it away for good.
Murray’s Return Continues to Energize New Orleans
It wasn’t just Bey. Zion Williamson was relentless, finishing with 20 points on 9-of-15 shooting and reminding everyone what this offense looks like when he’s healthy and engaged. But perhaps the most meaningful subplot of the night belonged to Dejounte Murray.
Murray, back for just his second straight game after missing more than a year with a torn right Achilles, was electric. He posted 17 points and nine assists — distributing the ball with the kind of confidence and court vision you simply cannot replicate. His return changes everything for this team. The Pelicans improve to 18-42, having now won three straight and five of their last seven.
What This Win Means for the Pelicans
Context matters here. The Pelicans sit at the bottom of the Western Conference Southwest Division. They’re not playing for a championship. But they’re also not tanking — not tonight anyway. This team is playing with energy, depth, and a sense of momentum that feels real.
Bey’s 42-point performance was the second-best game of his NBA career. Murray is rounding back into form. Williamson is healthy. And a young group of role players — Jeremiah Fears (12 points), Bryce McGowens (8 points and some dazzling athletic plays), and Karlo Matkovic (8 points, 4 blocks) — are developing with each game.
The Pelicans open a six-game road trip with one in the win column. Game two against Utah tips off Saturday night — same arena, same opponent, and a team that likely has a chip on its shoulder after watching Bey light them up for 42.
Whatever happens Saturday, New Orleans showed something Thursday. This isn’t a team lying down. And with Saddiq Bey catching fire and Dejounte Murray back on the floor, the Pelicans are a dangerous group to face — no matter what their record says.
