Pelicans Flash a Ton of Potential Despite Back-to-Back Losses

A 25-48 record for the New Orleans Pelicans surely isn’t anything to be celebrated this season. New Orleans was officially eliminated from the Play-In Tournament with their recent loss on Tuesday night, even though it’s long been out of contention for any postseason aspirations. Still, it should be noted that the team is still playing hard despite really having nothing to play for the rest of the year.

Their last two opponents, the Cleveland Cavaliers and New York Knicks, are not only playoff locks but also teams that have championship aspirations this season. The Knicks made the Eastern Conference Finals last season, losing in a hard-fought six games to the Indiana Pacers. Meanwhile, the Cavaliers were the top seed in the Eastern Conference after winning 64 games. They added former MVP and 11x All-Star James Harden to the roster at the trade deadline, solidifying their internal belief they are all-in on winning this season. The Pelicans went toe-to-toe with both Eastern Conference contenders, losing both games by five points each.

The 111-106 loss to the Cavs broke a seven-game home winning streak for the Pelicans and saw New Orleans take a 12-point lead heading into the fourth quarter before a furious comeback from the Cavs led them to victory. The Pelicans played well on Sunday night, committing single-digit turnovers while dishing out 30 assists. Star forward Zion Williamson had another efficient night after shooting 71% from the field and scoring 25 points. Williamson has shown that less is more for the Pelicans this season. The former two-time All-Star is averaging the least amount of shots in his career, but is shooting his highest field goal percentage since the 2022-2023 season.

tufffff Zion. 16 PTS on 6/7 FG pic.twitter.com/oYhb1Pn7ie
— New Orleans Pelicans (@PelicansNBA) March 25, 2026

Pelicans Are Competing Hard Down the Stretch

After the disappointing loss at home, the Pelicans traveled to New York to jumpstart a three-game road trip. Similar to the Cavs game, Williamson was dominant on the court after shooting 80% from the field and scoring 22 points. The former Duke standout was a +15 while he was on the court. When he sat, New Orleans was a -20, leading to another five-point loss.

Still, it was encouraging to see the ball movement and offensive flow continue for New Orleans. The Pelicans dished out 33 assists and again had single-digit turnovers in the game. Saddiq Bey had another strong performance, showing he has been a pleasant surprise in the trade that brought him over from the Washington Wizards this past summer. Rookie Jeremiah Fears also provided a major contribution, with 21 points off the bench. He continues to excel in his newer role off the bench.

Unlike some of the other teams near the bottom of the Western Conference, the Pelicans are remaining competitive during the final stretch of the season. Teams like the Sacramento Kings and Utah Jazz are free-falling down the standings and losing games in blowout fashion on most nights.

Williamson recently spoke postgame about how he likes the team to continue to compete late in the year. "We’re staying together, we’re battling," Zion said after the Lakers game earlier this month. "I love the spirit and the fight of this group."

FEARS SAID SEE YA pic.twitter.com/xUtn9nlmhn
— New Orleans Pelicans (@PelicansNBA) March 22, 2026

While the postseason might be out of reach this year, the "Process" is finally yielding results. They are losing close games to elite teams like the Cavs and Knicks because of minor execution errors, not a lack of talent or identity. The Pelicans will look to build competitive habits now to help them build a contender in the future.