Trey Murphy III scored 34 points, Saddiq Bey made a 3-pointer, converted an offensive rebound into a dunk and hit two free throws in the final 1:04, and the New Orleans Pelicans edged the Brooklyn Nets 116-113.

The air inside the Smoothie King Center hasn’t been light lately. When you are sitting on a 9-33 record, every possession feels heavier, and every fourth-quarter lead feels fragile.

Williamson missed his last four field-goal attempts and had a turnover down the stretch. Denver outscored New Orleans 33-22 in the fourth quarter, finishing the game on a 16-6 run. The Pelicans got outscored 37-20 in the fourth quarter of a 128-118 loss at Orlando on Sunday.

New Orleans travels to Indiana for a non-conference matchup. Friday's game will be the second meeting this season between the two teams.

The Nets blew a 12-point lead — and an eight-point fourth-quarter cushion — to fall 116-113 before a crowd of 16,201 at the Smoothie King Center. After playing well last month, the Nets (11-27) have struggled since the calendar flipped. Brooklyn has lost an NBA-worst five straight, and eight of their past nine.

The New Orleans Pelicans won their ninth game of the 2025-26 NBA season on Friday night behind strong outings from a pair of rookies.

Pelicans forward Derik Queen expresses optimism and belief in team chemistry ahead of New Orleans’ final 40-plus games.