Pelicans Survive Davis and the Wizards' Late Charge, Close Preseason 3-1
Saddiq Bey's 19 off the bench and a 15-steal defensive effort held off a 36-point Washington fourth quarter in a 107-106 New Orleans win.
The New Orleans Pelicans wrapped up the preseason with a 107-106 escape over the Washington Wizards at Smoothie King Center on Friday night, closing the exhibition slate at 3-1 with a second straight win — and doing it on a night the shots mostly refused to fall.
Depth over shooting
New Orleans shot just 43.4% from the floor and a chilly 7-of-36 from three, per Crescent City Sports, but compensated with 28 assists, 15 steals and 23 forced Washington turnovers. Saddiq Bey led the way with 19 points off the bench on 7-of-11 shooting, including three triples, while rookie guard Jeremiah Fears added 14 points and five assists. Trey Murphy III and Zion Williamson chipped in 11 apiece — Williamson on a quiet shooting night, as CBS Sports noted — and rookie big Derik Queen stuffed the margins with seven rebounds and five assists.
Washington's rally falls one short
The Wizards owned the fourth quarter, outscoring New Orleans 36-26, but couldn't complete the comeback. Anthony Davis — facing the franchise that drafted him — posted 14 points, 11 rebounds and two blocks in 27 minutes, his second straight double-double, per RotoWire. The veteran big man, acquired from Dallas in an eight-player February trade, remains the swing piece for a young Washington roster; Kyshawn George matched him with 14 points.
What's next
Both teams open the regular season Wednesday: New Orleans takes on the Indiana Pacers, while Washington faces the Milwaukee Bucks. For the Pelicans, the preseason's closing argument was encouraging in a specific way — on a night the jumpers misfired, the bench scoring and ball pressure still produced a win. For the Wizards, Davis's health, as ever, is the story to watch.