What happened: The New Orleans Pelicans kept the contest within two possessions heading into the locker room. Fears added three rebounds and three assists to his scoring output through the first 24 minutes.

Why it matters: New Orleans sits at 4-9 in 2026-27 through 13 games, holding the 12th seed in the Western Conference amid a five-game losing streak. The team is trying to rebound from a 142-111 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies in its previous outing.

What to watch: The teams return for the third quarter as New Orleans seeks offensive momentum to close the gap.