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Trey Murphy's Hot Shooting Leads Pelicans Over Spurs

The New Orleans Pelicans handed the San Antonio Spurs their third consecutive NBA preseason loss.

The San Antonio Spurs (0-3) lost another NBA preseason game with the latest being a 111-97 defeat at the hands of the New Orleans Pelicans (3-0). 

It was a competitive contest in the opening half as the Pelicans led 50-44 at the break. However, New Orleans scored a game-high 37 points in the third quarter — outscoring the Spurs by a 15-point margin. The Pelicans sustained a double-figure lead for the rest of the game and led by as many as 27 points.

Trey Murphy III set the tone for the Pelicans with 27 points, eight rebounds, and three assists in 27 minutes. He shot an impressive 10-15 (66.7 percent) from the floor and 7-10 (70.0 percent) from beyond the arc.

Doug McDermott provided a needed spark for the Spurs coming off the bench. He finished with 14 points with all being produced in the first half alone, which somehow ended up leading San Antonio for the game. 

It was a rough performance for the Spurs' offense as a whole. The team shot 34-93 (36.6 percent) from the floor and 13-49 (26.5 percent) from 3-point range and turned it over 17 times. A lack of dynamic scoring talent remained apparent. 

Jeremy Sochan, the Spurs' No. 9 overall pick, displayed a glaring lack of an offensive game. He went scoreless in just under 18 minutes of action after missing all four of his shot attempts with three coming from beyond the arc.

The Spurs are scheduled to play two more preseason games before their regular season opener. There is a chance that Johnson and Primo will be available to return to the lineup to participate in those two contests. Both players will be needed.

Next up for the Spurs is a road matchup against the Utah Jazz on Tuesday, Oct. 11 at 8:00 p.m. (CDT).