3 Big and 2 Small Takeaways from Pelicans' Loss vs. Grizzlies

Nov 6, 2026; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New Orleans Pelicans forward Saddiq Bey (41) against Minnesota Timberwolves during the first half at Smoothie King Center. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Dejounte Murray's trade request forced the New Orleans Pelicans to confront another failed partnership on Friday. Hours later, a 142-111 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies showed how far their problems extend beyond him.

New Orleans fell to 4-9 after its fifth consecutive defeat, turning a four-game winning streak into a distant memory. Murray's request will shape the franchise's next roster decision. The basketball that followed raised more immediate questions about whether this group can keep games competitive.

Three takeaways carry consequences beyond Friday. Two smaller developments explain opportunities the Pelicans failed to use.

Big Takeaway: The Collapse Keeps Reaching New Depths

The Pelicans have lost five consecutive games by a combined 140 points, an average defeat of 28 points. Their last three losses account for 116 of those points, the worst three-game stretch by combined margin in franchise history.

The previous mark lasted one game. Defeats against the Clippers, Warriors, and Nets produced a 101-point deficit. Friday's loss replaced the Clippers game in that rolling three-game window and made the total another 15 points worse.

New Orleans has now lost four straight by at least 16 points. These games are becoming increasingly difficult to explain as isolated failures, particularly when each offers another opportunity to respond to the previous embarrassment.

The four-game winning streak suggested the Pelicans might be finding something sustainable. What's happened since has exposed how little they can rely on when shots stop falling or opponents begin to pull away.

Big Takeaway: Moving Beyond Murray Will Require More Than His Departure

Murray's request arrived with his production and partnership with Jeremiah Fears already under scrutiny. His absence allows Mosley to establish clearer responsibilities in a backcourt that has failed to function with both point guards together.

Friday illustrated the limits of that adjustment. The Pelicans still produced stretches of good offense without consistently building on them, and their perimeter shooting left them chasing a substantial scoring deficit all night. Removing an unsuccessful combination leaves the responsibility of building better ones.

Fears has to turn greater control into more buckets for his teammates. The front office must address the shortage of outside shooting and secondary playmaking. Murray's exit could shorten the rotation, but improving the roster is another story.

Big Takeaway: Mosley's Defense Is Failing Across Lineups

Memphis scored 35 points in each of the first three quarters, then added 37 in the fourth. Nothing and no one on the Pelicans' bench could stop the flow of points for the Grizzlies.

That defensive failure made New Orleans' better offensive stretches completely worthless. The Pelicans scored 30 points in the second quarter and lost ground. They added 28 in the third and watched a 12-point halftime deficit grow to 19.

Injuries have had their impact, but breakdowns keep happening no matter who is on the court. Four consecutive blowout losses put the team's preparation and execution in question.

Mosley arrived with a reputation for defense and being a "player's coach." Thirteen games into his tenure, the Pelicans have established nothing on that side. Their offense has weaknesses, but allowing an opponent to score this easily makes almost every scoring drought worse.

Small Takeaway: Free Throws Kept the First Half Within Reach

New Orleans made 13 of 14 free throws before halftime, helping limit the deficit to 12 despite a major disadvantage in three-pointers. Memphis had made 10 triples to the Pelicans' three.

The Pelicans entered Friday leading the league in free-throw attempts per game, and their accuracy kept them in the game when they couldn't make shots.

That didn't matter after the break. Drawing fouls bought New Orleans time, but the team failed to use it to improve its defense or close the gap from outside.

Small Takeaway: Productive Starts Didn't Become a Team Response

Zion Williamson and Saddiq Bey each scored 14 first-half points on 5-of-10 shooting. Their combined production supplied nearly half of the Pelicans' offense and gave New Orleans a reasonable foundation entering the third quarter.

The missed opportunity came afterward. With 3:19 remaining in the third, the Pelicans trailed 93-81, the same 12-point margin they faced at halftime. Memphis finished the quarter on a 12-5 run, pushing the game further out of reach.

That sequence captured the difference between producing individual stretches of offense and mounting a real comeback. The Pelicans could score enough to remain in Memphis' neighborhood, but couldn't string together enough possessions at both ends to make Memphis uncomfortable.

Denver visits Saturday for the second half of the back-to-back, bringing recent experience exploiting those shortcomings. The Nuggets erased a 23-point deficit to beat New Orleans 141-135 in overtime on Oct. 24, then won the rematch 104-91 four days later.

The Pelicans have already lost to Denver after building a sizeable lead and after allowing the Nuggets to control the game. They enter the next meeting carrying the weight of five straight defeats and little evidence that the losing streak will end there.