<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/new-orleans-pelicans/pelicans-news-herb-jones-ejected-heated-moment-ref-blazers');   ga('set', 'title', 'Herb Jones ejected after heated moment with ref in Blazers game');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Herbert-Jones-of-the-New-Orleans-Pelicans.jpg"><figcaption>Stephen Lew-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Herb Jones ejected after heated moment with ref in Blazers game</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-12-11T18:37:18-08:00">December 11th, 6:37pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-12-11T18:58:55-08:00">December 11th, 6:58pm</time><address><a>David Yapkowitz</a>David Yapkowitz is an NBA Associate Editor at ClutchPoints. He is a credentialed reporter based in Los Angeles who covers the NBA/WNBA, NCAA/NCAAW and boys/girls high school basketball.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The New Orleans Pelicans recently got Herb Jones back in the lineup after dealing with a calf injury, but lost him again for the time being as he was given an ejection during the team’s game against the Portland Trail Blazers.</p><p>Herb Jones’ ejection <a href="https://x.com/ClutchPoints/status/1999302624110346494" rel="noopener">occurred right before halftime</a> of the Pelicans game against the Blazers as he was whistled for a foul against Deni Avdija as the second quarter buzzer expired. Jones, upset at the call, had words for one of the officials and was given a technical foul. He continued his words and was given the second technical and ejected.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Herb Jones has been EJECTED from Pelicans-Blazers right before halftime after having words with the referee 👀</p><p> <a href="https://t.co/vWnt0Ifph9">pic.twitter.com/vWnt0Ifph9</a></p><p>— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) <a href="https://twitter.com/ClutchPoints/status/1999302624110346494?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 12, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/new-orleans-pelicans/pelicans-news-herb-jones-jordan-poole-latest-injury-updates-leave-shorthanded">Herb Jones had been sidelined for eight games due to the calf injury</a>, and he made his return to the Pelicans’ lineup on Dec. 8 against the San Antonio Spurs. The matchup against the Blazers was only Jones’ second game back since the injury.</p><p>Before his ejection, he had four points, six rebounds and one blocked shot in a little over 14 minutes of play. He was shooting 2-of-9 from the field and 0-of-1 from the 3-point line. In his return against the Spurs, he had 17 points, six rebounds, four assists, four steals and one blocked shot.</p><p>Jones has appeared in 17 games so far this season for the Pelicans, at just about 30 minutes per game. He had been averaging 9.9 points, 3.9 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1.6 steals with splits of 40.4 percent shooting from the field, 34.7 percent shooting from the 3-point line and 78.6 percent shooting from the free-throw line.</p><p>The No. 35 overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, Jones has developed into the one of the best defensive players in the NBA. He has <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/los-angeles-lakers/nba-rumors-herb-jones-is-most-popular-lakers-trade-target-but-theres-a-pelicans-problem">reportedly drawn trade interest amid the Pelicans’ disappointing season</a>, but the team has shown no indication that they’re willing to engage in trade discussions.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Herb Jones ejected after heated moment with ref in Blazers game

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/new-orleans-pelicans/pelicans-news-joe-dumars-why-nba-world-wondering-what-fk-he-doing-draft-trade');   ga('set', 'title', 'Pelicans’ Joe Dumars gets why NBA world was wondering ‘what the f**k’ he was doing with draft-night trade');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Joe-Dumars.jpg"><figcaption>Leon Halip-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Pelicans’ Joe Dumars gets why NBA world was wondering ‘what the f**k’ he was doing with draft-night trade</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-12-11T15:38:07-08:00">December 11th, 3:38pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-12-11T15:38:07-08:00">December 11th, 3:38pm</time><address><a>Richard Pereira</a>Richard Pereira joined ClutchPoints in January 2025 as an Associate Editor. He earned his degree from Florida Atlantic University in 2023 and has been covering the school's athletic programs since 2020, having served as a Sports Editor at the FAU University Press. He was granted the unique opportunity to report on the men's basketball team's journey to the Final Four in Houston for FAU Owls Nest during March Madness, consistently striving to grow as a sports journalist.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Joe Dumars understood the confusion the NBA world had towards the moves he made this <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/new-orleans-pelicans/new-orleans-pelicans-2025-nba-draft-grades-every-pick">past offseason for the New Orleans Pelicans</a>.</p><p>New Orleans was active throughout the 2025 NBA Draft, where they drafted Derik Queen while making trades with their draft picks. This <a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/47190959/new-orleans-pelicans-derik-queen-jeremiah-fears-zion-williamson-willie-green" rel="noopener">caught many by surprise</a>, as one NBA executive told Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN.</p><p>“Everyone I talked to after the draft were like, what the f— were they doing?” one Western Conference executive said of the Pelicans’ draft trade. “… Queen obviously has some talent and skill and could very well end up being a very good player. Maybe it turns out that it is not that bad of a trade if this kid turns out to be a player.”</p><p>Dumars didn’t have shock towards the reactions he got from the moves he made. The president of basketball operations said he is building a culture that can stand out from the rest.</p><p>“I get it. So much of today’s NBA narrative is around picks and different things like that,” Dumars told ESPN. “I’m trying to build culture here with some really good young players, and I gave up some draft capital to do that. And I love the two young players we have. I hope that doesn’t get lost in all of this.”</p><h2><b>What lies ahead for Joe Dumars, Pelicans</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Derik-Queen.jpg"><figcaption>Stephen Lew-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>It’s clear the Joe Dumars is taking a direction that could give the Pelicans an interesting future moving forward. However, it will take a lot for the franchise to return to a winning status.</p><p>New Orleans has a 3-22 record on the season, being at the bottom of the Western Conference standings. They are 3.5 games behind the Los Angeles Clippers and Sacramento Kings.</p><p>The Pelicans will continue preparations for their upcoming matchups. They look to end their seven-game losing streak at home against the Portland Trail Blazers on Dec. 11 at 8 p.m. ET. After that, they go on the road to face the Chicago Bulls on Dec. 14 at 7 p.m. ET.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Pelicans’ Joe Dumars gets why NBA world was wondering ‘what the f**k’ he was doing with draft-night trade

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/los-angeles-lakers/nba-rumors-herb-jones-is-most-popular-lakers-trade-target-but-theres-a-pelicans-problem');   ga('set', 'title', 'NBA rumors: Herb Jones is most popular Lakers trade target, but there’s a Pelicans problem');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Herbert-Jones-of-the-New-Orleans-Pelicans.jpg"><figcaption>Stephen Lew-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>NBA rumors: Herb Jones is most popular Lakers trade target, but there’s a Pelicans problem</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-12-11T13:03:13-08:00">December 11th, 1:03pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-12-11T13:03:13-08:00">December 11th, 1:03pm</time><address><a>Julian Ojeda</a>Julian Ojeda is an Orlando-based sports journalist with 3 years of professional writing under his belt, specializing in both NBA and NFL coverage. A devoted Orlando Magic fan, he deftly balances fervent fandom with insightful reporting, possessing a keen eye for compelling narratives.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Los Angeles Lakers</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Trade <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/nba-stories/nba-rumors-espn-suggests-warriors-trade-draymond-green-jonathan-kuminga-for-anthony-davis-with-lakers-twist">chatter around the Los Angeles Lakers (17–7) continues to intensify</a>, but the team’s most frequently linked target may not be attainable. According to a Thursday report from The Athletic’s Dan Woike, New Orleans Pelicans wing Herbert Jones sits atop the Lakers’ internal wish list — yet league signals indicate the Pelicans have no interest in making him available.</p><p>Woike wrote that rival scouts and executives most often identify Jones as the Lakers’ preferred target. However, he noted two immediate barriers: Jones cannot be traded until Jan. 14 due to the three-year extension he signed in July, and New Orleans has <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6881281/2025/12/11/lakers-defense-trades-nba-cup-loss/" rel="noopener">shown no willingness to discuss a deal</a>.</p><p>“While Lakers fans can fantasize about some all-out liquidation of the three-win Pelicans’ roster, team and league sources tell The Athletic that New Orleans is not interested in moving Jones,” Woike wrote. “And considering what LA would have to offer in a deal, expiring contracts and a single first-round pick, the Pelicans almost certainly wouldn’t engage at that price point.”</p><p>Jones, 27, earned All-Defensive First Team honors in 2024 and is widely regarded as one of the league’s best point-of-attack defenders. He is averaging 9.9 points, 3.9 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1.6 steals per game while shooting 40.4 percent from the field and 34.7 percent from three across 17 appearances. Jones signed a three-year, $68 million extension in July, though that contract does not begin until the 2027–28 season. He is making $13.9 million this season on his current deal.</p><h2><b>Pelicans unwilling to move Herb Jones, limiting Lakers’ trade hopes</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Herbert-Jones-2-dribbles-against-San-Antonio-Spurs-forward-Keldon-Johnson-0.jpg"><figcaption>© Daniel Dunn-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Woike’s report also outlined skepticism around the Lakers’ draft capital, noting that their future first-round pick — likely in 2031 or 2032 — is not viewed as highly as it once was. The belief around the league, he wrote, is that owner Mark Walter’s track record with the Los Angeles Dodgers reduces the likelihood of a dramatic franchise downturn that would make such a pick significantly more valuable.</p><p>Even beyond Jones, the broader market for defensive-minded guards and wings remains thin. Woike mentioned Sacramento’s Keon Ellis as another example of a player valued enough that prying him loose would require meaningful assets — something the Lakers may not be positioned to offer.</p><p>The lack of available high-level defenders leaves Los Angeles relying on internal improvement. LeBron James continues to work back into rhythm after missing preseason and the season’s opening month, while Marcus Smart — the Lakers’ top individual defender — has already missed 10 games and has shared the floor with James only four times.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/los-angeles-lakers/lakers-news-austin-reaves-weakness-la-fix-prove-rich-paul-wrong">Los Angeles begins a four-game road trip Sunday against the Phoenix Suns</a> (14–11) at 8 p.m. ET, following its <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/los-angeles-lakers/lakers-fatal-flaw-on-full-display-in-ugly-nba-cup-loss-to-spurs">NBA Cup quarterfinal loss to the San Antonio Spurs</a> on Thursday night. New Orleans, meanwhile, will attempt to halt a seven-game losing streak when it hosts the Portland Trail Blazers (9–15) on Thursday night.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

NBA rumors: Herb Jones is most popular Lakers trade target, but there’s a Pelicans problem

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/new-orleans-pelicans/pelicans-news-jordan-poole-significant-injury-upgrade-vs-blazers');   ga('set', 'title', 'Pelicans’ Jordan Poole gets significant injury upgrade for Blazers game');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Pelicans-Jordan-Poole.jpg"><figcaption>Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Pelicans’ Jordan Poole gets significant injury upgrade for Blazers game</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-12-11T08:15:34-08:00">December 11th, 8:15am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-12-11T08:15:34-08:00">December 11th, 8:15am</time><address><a>Brett Siegel</a>Brett Siegel joined ClutchPoints as a credentialed NBA insider and reporter in May 2023 after previously covering the NBA for Fastbreak on FanNation and NBA Analysis Network, as well as working with Louisville Basketball. From playing to coaching to covering the game as a media member, Brett has been involved with the game of basketball from many different perspectives. Breaking the news of various free agent signings, yearly NBA Draft news and other key stories around the league, Brett is always on the phone, getting the latest news and rumors around the NBA. Be sure to follow him on Twitter @BrettSiegelNBA.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Jordan Poole has not played for the New Orleans Pelicans since Nov. 4 due to a <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/new-orleans-pelicans/pelicans-news-jordan-poole-will-miss-time-with-quad-strain">left quad strain</a>. Now, after missing over a month’s worth of action, it appears as if Poole <a href="https://x.com/PelicansNBA/status/1998869267589026173?s=20" rel="noopener">could make his return</a> on Thursday night against the Portland Trail Blazers.</p><p>For the first time in weeks, Poole has had his status upgraded to questionable ahead of this game against Portland, signaling the team’s optimism about his chances of playing.</p><p>This is the first time Poole has been listed as questionable, with an injury timeframe that is longer than what was initially described.</p><p>When the injury was <a href="https://x.com/PelicansNBA/status/1986826123099926888?s=20" rel="noopener">first announced</a>, the team downplayed the severity of Poole’s injury by saying he would be re-evaluated in a week. Over two weeks after their initial injury diagnosis for Poole, the Pelicans <a href="https://x.com/PelicansNBA/status/1993085505525727421" rel="noopener">cleared the guard for on-court basketball activities</a> with still no clear timetable for his eventual return.</p><p>Although the Pelicans have remained silent about Poole’s progression and his injury status, Wednesday’s announcement of the team listing him as questionable for Thursday’s game is certainly a step in the right direction.</p><p>This has been a forgettable season for the Pelicans to this point, as they are 3-22 overall. Since Poole’s injury, the team has gone 2-16, recently losing 135-132 to the San Antonio Spurs on Monday.</p><p>Before his injury, Poole was averaging 17.3 points and 3.4 assists per game while shooting 35.4 percent from the floor and 33.9 percent from 3-point range. Rookie guard Jeremiah Fears has taken over the lead point guard position in Poole’s absence, and it appears as if this will be his role moving forward, likely pushing the former NBA champion guard to the bench.</p><p>As a result of Fears’ emergence in New Orleans, many around the league have started to keep an eye on <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/nba-stories/how-giannis-antetokounmpo-injury-bucks-meetings-nba-trade-market-in-limbo">what Poole’s future with the organization will look like</a>. Although the Pelicans traded CJ McCollum in a package to acquire Poole this past offseason, his status with New Orleans has suddenly come into question.</p><p>Poole will make $31.8 million this season and $34 million next season before becoming an unrestricted free agent in 2027, which is why he could wind up having some suitors before Feb. 5. After all, he is a former NBA champion with the Warriors and was a key scoring weapon for them off the bench.</p><p>The Pelicans will certainly have some decisions to make about Poole ahead of the trade deadline, along with other key talents like Trey Murphy III, Herb Jones, and Jose Alvarado.</p><p>Further updates on Poole’s status for Thursday’s game against the Trail Blazers will be provided by the team later in the day.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Pelicans’ Jordan Poole gets significant injury upgrade for Blazers game

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/new-orleans-pelicans/pelicans-news-richard-jefferson-derik-queen-join-team-usa-breakout');   ga('set', 'title', 'Richard Jefferson stumps for Pelicans’ Derik Queen to join Team USA after breakout game');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Joe-Dumars-leaving-rivals-baffled-in-almost-every-way.jpg"><figcaption>© Stephen Lew-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Richard Jefferson stumps for Pelicans’ Derik Queen to join Team USA after breakout game</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-12-09T21:54:56-08:00">December 9th, 9:54pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-12-09T21:54:56-08:00">December 9th, 9:54pm</time><address><a>Paolo Mariano</a>Paolo Mariano is a freelance writer, editor, and producer based in Manila, Philippines. He is a journalism graduate from the University of Santo Tomas and the father of a young girl whose personality swings from Simone Biles to Dillon Brooks. A beacon of objectivity, he believes Penny Hardaway is the true NBA GOAT.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Add former NBA forward Richard Jefferson to the growing list of the recently formed Derik Queen Fans Club.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/new-orleans-pelicans/pelicans-news-deandre-jordan-locker-room-impact-derik-queen">The New Orleans Pelicans rookie has continued to turn heads</a> with his impressive performances. Denver Nuggets star Nikola Jokic had high praise for Queen after their matchup last month, while NBA legend Tim Duncan has also taken notice, saying, “I really like that Queen guy.”</p><p>Even the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/new-orleans-pelicans/pelicans-news-derik-queen-warning-hawks-falcons-shoutout">Atlanta Falcons started a friendly beef with Queen</a>.</p><p>Now, Jefferson has jumped on the bandwagon, even suggesting that the 20-year-old center <a href="https://twitter.com/PelsFilmRoom/status/1998601294542680308?s=20" rel="noopener">could be tapped</a> for Team USA.</p><p>“You know how bad we need Queen? I bet you if he keeps playing like this, he could be on the Olympic team as one of the bigs,” said Jefferson on “The Road Trippin’ Show.”</p><p>“His game is so important. If he continues to progress, he literally could be the big on Team USA or one of the bigs invited for USA Select. Because what he brings, we need so badly for USA basketball. So bad.”</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">"If he continues to progress, he literally could be the big on the USA team or one of the bigs invited for the USA Select. What he brings we need so bad on USA basketball"</p><p>— Richard Jefferson on Derik Queen <a href="https://t.co/7Ygzr35T3N">pic.twitter.com/7Ygzr35T3N</a></p><p>— Pelicans Film Room (@PelsFilmRoom) <a href="https://twitter.com/PelsFilmRoom/status/1998601294542680308?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 10, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/new-orleans-pelicans/pelicans-news-derik-queen-new-orleans-history-not-seen-2010">Queen tallied his first triple-double</a> on Monday against the San Antonio Spurs, finishing with 33 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists. He shot 11-of-15 from the field and also had four blocks. The Pelicans, however, lost, 135-132.</p><p>The 13th overall pick out of Maryland is averaging 12.9 points on 49.6% shooting, 6.4 rebounds, and 3.9 assists. Many have marveled at his vision, footwork, and basketball IQ—attributes that are not typically seen in young centers.</p><p>With the health issues of Anthony Davis and Joel Embiid and the aging of Bam Adebayo, it’s quite feasible for Queen to earn himself a spot on Team USA in the near future.</p><p>He participated in the training camps of Team USA’s youth pool in 2022 and 2023 but didn’t make the final rosters.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Richard Jefferson stumps for Pelicans’ Derik Queen to join Team USA after breakout game

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/new-orleans-pelicans/pelicans-news-derik-queen-takes-shot-doubters-historic-triple-double');   ga('set', 'title', 'Pelicans’ Derik Queen takes shot at doubters after historic triple-double');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Pelicans-Derik-Queen.jpg"><figcaption>© Stephen Lew-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Pelicans’ Derik Queen takes shot at doubters after historic triple-double</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-12-09T09:05:43-08:00">December 9th, 9:05am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-12-09T09:06:36-08:00">December 9th, 9:06am</time><address><a>Benjamin Adducchio</a>Benjamin Adducchio is a journalist and writer with more than a decade of experience in covering sports news. Ben is a passionate sports fan who loves college football, basketball, and the New York Yankees.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/new-orleans-pelicans/pelicans-news-derik-queen-triple-double-club-luka-lebron-wemby">New Orleans Pelicans got an epic performance from big man Derik Queen</a> on Monday. Queen posted a triple-double, leading his team in a close loss to the San Antonio Spurs. Following the game, Queen <a href="https://x.com/ClutchPoints/status/1998397487665528938" rel="noopener">had a message</a> to his doubters.</p><p>“It means a lot. It’s pretty good for a person that didn’t have a preseason, that was hurt [and] a lot of people doubted,” Queen said to reporters following the game.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">"It means a lot. It's pretty good for a person that didn't have a preseason, that was hurt [and] a lot of people doubted."</p><p>Pelicans rookie Derik Queen on his first career triple-double 🗣️</p><p>(via <a href="https://twitter.com/DillySanders?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DillySanders</a>)<br> <a href="https://t.co/bQUG7sZeR9">pic.twitter.com/bQUG7sZeR9</a> <a href="https://t.co/YHX3NqCxzb">https://t.co/YHX3NqCxzb</a></p><p>— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) <a href="https://twitter.com/ClutchPoints/status/1998397487665528938?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 9, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>Queen posted 33 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists for a struggling New Orleans club on Monday. The Pelicans dropped a 135-132 contest to the Spurs. The rookie also added four blocks, in 33 minutes.</p><p>This is the first time this NBA season that a rookie posted a triple-double. Queen was selected 13th overall in the 2025 NBA Draft, after playing college at the University of Maryland.</p><p>New Orleans is now 3-22 this season. The Pelicans are dead last in the Western Conference standings.</p><h2><b>Pelicans are looking for wins this season</b></h2><p>New Orleans has had a disaster of a season. Queen’s play is arguably the bright spot for this club right now. New Orleans needs him and others to step up,<a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/new-orleans-pelicans/pelicans-news-zion-williamson-miss-extended-time-with-adductor-injury"> following yet another injury to big man Zion Williamson</a>.</p><p>Queen did everything he could to earn a victory for his team on Monday. The rookie finished the game with 33 points in 33 minutes, and also a plus-minus of +14 in the game. Queen is averaging just under 13 points per game this season.</p><p>The rookie scored 29 of his points in the second half of the game. New Orleans briefly held a lead, after storming back in the second half to make the game a close contest.</p><p>New Orleans was an ice-cold 27 percent from three-point range against the Spurs. That continues the club’s trend of poor perimeter shooting on the season. This campaign, New Orleans is completing just under 35 percent of their three-point attempts. That has to improve in order for New Orleans to start winning again.</p><p>The Pelicans next play the Portland Trail Blazers at home on Thursday night. New Orleans has now dropped seven games in a row.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Pelicans’ Derik Queen takes shot at doubters after historic triple-double

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/new-orleans-pelicans/pelicans-news-derik-queen-triple-double-club-luka-lebron-wemby');   ga('set', 'title', 'Pelicans’ Derik Queen joins exclusive triple-double club featuring Luka, LeBron, Wemby');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Derik-Queen-makes-New-Orleans-history-not-seen-since-2010.jpg"><figcaption>Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption></figure><h1>Pelicans’ Derik Queen joins exclusive triple-double club featuring Luka, LeBron, Wemby</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-12-09T08:28:12-08:00">December 9th, 8:28am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-12-09T08:29:14-08:00">December 9th, 8:29am</time><address><a>Rishabh Bhatnagar</a>Rishabh is a seasoned NBA and sports journalist and editor with over seven years of experience working for reputed organizations. A novelist first and foremost, he has written three fiction books. His high threshold of knowledge combined with his writing skills gives him the ability to write uniquely insightful pieces across basketball, soccer, cricket, lawn tennis, eSports, and a variety of other sports.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Class of 2025’s Derik Queen has been a surprise success for the New Orleans Pelicans, averaging 12.9 points, 6.4 rebounds and 3.9 assists thus far despite being only the 13th pick from the draft. Against the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/new-orleans-pelicans/bill-simmons-floats-wild-card-trade-destination-for-pelicans-trey-murphy-iii">San Antonio Spurs, despite his team losing 135-132</a>, Queen recorded his best-ever performance in the NBA, joining an exclusive club in the process.</p><p>His 33 points, 10 assists and rebounds each meant he became only <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/new-orleans-pelicans/pelicans-news-trey-murphy-way-up-sick-alley-oop-spurs">the fifth player in league history to record a triple-double</a> before turning 21. The others on the list?</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Derik Queen put on a show vs. the Spurs but the Pelicans came up short 😳</p><p>He becomes just the 5th player in NBA history to drop a 30-point triple-double before turning 21! <a href="https://t.co/V7H8xSA4M9">pic.twitter.com/V7H8xSA4M9</a></p><p>— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/ESPNNBA/status/1998236040486690982?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 9, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>Luka Doncic, LeBron James, and two of his opponents in the game, in the form of Victor Wembanyama and De’Aaron Fox, <a href="https://x.com/ESPNNBA/status/1998236040486690982" rel="noopener">per a post</a> on X by ESPN. Queen returned with an 11-of-13 free-throw record and had personal bests in both scoring and blocks (4).</p><p>His performance placed him in multiple historic statistical categories. He became the first rookie center in NBA history to record a 30-point triple-double.</p><p>Queen achieved an additional milestone in the third quarter alone: he became the youngest player in NBA history to record a 20-plus point quarter without missing a shot, finishing that period with 21 points on perfect shooting from both the field and the free-throw line. He is now one of just three rookie big men under the age of 21 to record a triple-double, a group that previously included only Wembanyama and Chris Webber.</p><p>The triple-double also made him the first rookie in the league this season to accomplish the feat. His efficiency and production played a central role in a comeback attempt that saw New Orleans erase a 20-point deficit before falling late to San Antonio.</p><p>For San Antonio, Harrison Barnes returned as the top scorer with 24 points, while Stephon Castle and Fox added 16 and 14 points respectively in the absence of Victor Wembanyama. Regardless, while Queen will undoubtedly be disappointed after finishing on the losing side, his performance undoubtedly landed him in an elite club.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Pelicans’ Derik Queen joins exclusive triple-double club featuring Luka, LeBron, Wemby

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/new-orleans-pelicans/pelicans-news-trey-murphy-way-up-sick-alley-oop-spurs');   ga('set', 'title', 'Pelicans’ Trey Murphy III goes way up for sick alley-oop finish vs. Spurs');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/New-Orleans-Pelicans-at-Brooklyn-Nets.jpg"><figcaption>Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Pelicans’ Trey Murphy III goes way up for sick alley-oop finish vs. Spurs</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-12-08T20:12:12-08:00">December 8th, 8:12pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-12-08T20:12:12-08:00">December 8th, 8:12pm</time><address><a>Paolo Mariano</a>Paolo Mariano is a freelance writer, editor, and producer based in Manila, Philippines. He is a journalism graduate from the University of Santo Tomas and the father of a young girl whose personality swings from Simone Biles to Dillon Brooks. A beacon of objectivity, he believes Penny Hardaway is the true NBA GOAT.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The New Orleans Pelicans fell short against the San Antonio Spurs, 135-132, on Monday at Smoothie King Center. But there were many positives to take away from the loss.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/new-orleans-pelicans/pelicans-news-derik-queen-new-orleans-history-not-seen-2010">Derik Queen continued his impressive run</a> with his first triple-double, finishing with 31 points on 11-of-15 shooting, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists. He also had four blocks.</p><p>Trey Murphy III provided ample support with 32 points on 13-of-21 shooting, three rebounds, four assists, and two steals. He also made arguably the evening’s best highlight after throwing down a nasty alley-oop in the fourth quarter.</p><p>Jose Alvarado made the perfect lob on the break, and Murphy <a href="https://x.com/ClutchPoints/status/1998233240344109458" rel="noopener">slammed it home</a> with authority. More importantly, it cut the Spurs’ lead to just two points with only 1:40 left in the game.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Trey Murphy III got WAY UP for this alley-oop jam 🤯<a href="https://t.co/G2RPmwgMkB">pic.twitter.com/G2RPmwgMkB</a></p><p>— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) <a href="https://twitter.com/ClutchPoints/status/1998233240344109458?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 9, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>Unfortunately for the Pelicans, the Spurs held on for the win, with Dylan Harper making a layup and De’Aaron Fox sinking two free throws in the last nine seconds.</p><p>The 25-year-old Murphy has repeatedly shown that he has the hops, with fans and observers even urging him to join the Slam Dunk Contest.</p><p>Murphy, Queen, and Saddiq Bey have <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/new-orleans-pelicans/bill-simmons-floats-wild-card-trade-destination-for-pelicans-trey-murphy-iii">carried most of the load for New Orleans</a> amid the injuries to Zion Williamson, Herb Jones, and Dejounte Murray. They, however, have struggled with only three wins in 24 games, including seven straight defeats.</p><p>Murphy is continuing his impressive play after his breakout campaign last season. His length, versatility, and athleticism have made him a dependable two-way weapon and a borderline All-Star.</p><p>The Pelicans will return to action on Thursday against the Portland Trail Blazers.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Pelicans’ Trey Murphy III goes way up for sick alley-oop finish vs. Spurs

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/new-orleans-pelicans/bill-simmons-floats-wild-card-trade-destination-for-pelicans-trey-murphy-iii');   ga('set', 'title', 'Bill Simmons floats ‘wild card’ trade destination for Pelicans’ Trey Murphy III');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Bill-Simmons-floats-wild-card-Trey-Murphy-trade-destination.jpg"><figcaption>Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Bill Simmons floats ‘wild card’ trade destination for Pelicans’ Trey Murphy III</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-12-08T19:58:31-08:00">December 8th, 7:58pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-12-08T19:58:31-08:00">December 8th, 7:58pm</time><address><a>Richard Pereira</a>Richard Pereira joined ClutchPoints in January 2025 as an Associate Editor. He earned his degree from Florida Atlantic University in 2023 and has been covering the school's athletic programs since 2020, having served as a Sports Editor at the FAU University Press. He was granted the unique opportunity to report on the men's basketball team's journey to the Final Four in Houston for FAU Owls Nest during March Madness, consistently striving to grow as a sports journalist.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Bill Simmons had an intriguing <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/new-orleans-pelicans/pelicans-news-new-orleans-trade-zion-williams-gilbert-arenas">trade scenario for the New Orleans Pelicans</a>, especially when it involves Trey Murphy III.</p><p>Murphy is going through the fifth season of his NBA career, all with the Pelicans. He has elevated into a two-way star, shining as a standout on both sides of the ball.</p><p>However, the team’s struggles have compelled the scenarios of trade proposals to come to light. With the franchise in need of a major rebuild, Murphy has had his name in the trade rumor mill.</p><p>Simmons gave his thoughts on the Pelicans’ situation during a Dec. 8 episode of his self-titled podcast. He believes that the Denver Nuggets <a href="https://youtu.be/tbt6lRNiYBo?t=79" rel="noopener">would be a notable candidate</a> to acquire Murphy’s services.</p><p>“The only other one is Denver would be the wild card Trey Murphy team. Everyone will say San Antonio , Detroit, they’ll list all the usual suspects. But Denver can go Mac Daddy. Trade Cam Johnson, who they just traded for, throw some extra picks in there to New Orleans and get Trey Murphy. That’s the only team that can catch OKC,” Simmons said at the 1:19 mark.</p><h2><b>What lies ahead for Trey Murphy III, Pelicans</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Bill-Simmons-floats-wild-card-Trey-Murphy-trade-destination-2.jpg"><figcaption>Stephen Lew-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Bill Simmons has the right idea when it comes to teams who would gladly utilize Trey Murphy III’s skillset to the fullest. The Nuggets are definitely one of those teams that can provide the two-way standout with the right situation to succeed in.</p><p>22 games into the season, Murphy has been averaging 20.5 points, 6.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game. He is shooting 46.8% from the field, including 36.3% from beyond the arc, and 92% from the free-throw line.</p><p>In the meantime, Murphy and the Pelicans suffered a close loss to the San Antonio Spurs on Monday night. Despite their efforts in keeping up with their playoff-contending opponents, they were unable to make enough big plays down the stretch to pull off an upset.</p><p>New Orleans fell to a 3-22 record on the season, remaining at the bottom of the Western Conference standings. They are 3.5 games behind the Los Angeles Clippers and Sacramento Kings.</p><p>Going through seven consecutive losses, the Pelicans will look to return to the win column in their next matchup. They will be at home when they host the Portland Trail Blazers on Dec. 11 at 8 p.m. ET.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Bill Simmons floats ‘wild card’ trade destination for Pelicans’ Trey Murphy III

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/new-orleans-pelicans/pelicans-news-derik-queen-stuns-spurs-historic-quarter');   ga('set', 'title', 'Pelicans’ Derik Queen stuns Spurs with historic quarter');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Queen.jpg"><figcaption>Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Pelicans’ Derik Queen stuns Spurs with historic quarter</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-12-08T19:37:10-08:00">December 8th, 7:37pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-12-08T21:12:47-08:00">December 8th, 9:12pm</time><address><a>Rohan Brahmbhatt</a>Rohan Brahmbhatt is an adventure-driven sports writer, passionate footballer, mountaineer, and photojournalist. Rohan blends firsthand experience with storytelling—capturing the intensity of sport and the thrill of exploration. Whether on the field, a mountain trail, or behind the lens, he brings authentic, high-energy narratives that connect readers to the heart of the action.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>On Monday night, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/new-orleans-pelicans/pelicans-james-borrego-protecting-derik-queen-being-put-into-every-action-defense">Derik Queen didn’t just have a breakout moment</a>; he delivered a statement performance that may go down as one of the most shocking early-career explosions of the season. In a thrilling late finish, the New Orleans Pelicans lost to the San Antonio Spurs 135-132, but the rookie center was the engine behind their comeback attempt, especially in a third quarter that instantly became historic.</p><p>Queen recorded 21 points, four rebounds, and five assists with zero turnovers on perfect shooting in the third quarter, becoming the <a href="https://x.com/PolymarketHoops/status/1998226094638477461" rel="noopener">youngest player</a> in NBA history to post a quarter with 20+ points without a miss or turnover.</p><p>The efficiency left the crowd stunned, and the Spurs’ defense scrambling.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Derik Queen is the first rookie to score a triple double this season. <a href="https://t.co/QPVmTbgwa2">pic.twitter.com/QPVmTbgwa2</a></p><p>— New Orleans Pelicans (@PelicansNBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/PelicansNBA/status/1998230947464896796?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 9, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>Queen finished the night with a dominant stat line: 31 points, 10 rebounds, 10 assists, four blocks, and zero turnovers on 10-of-13 shooting and 11-of-13 from the free-throw line, securing a triple-double while controlling the paint on both ends.</p><p>It wasn’t just scoring; Queen impacted the game everywhere. His passing triggered ball movement, his physicality on the boards shifted momentum, and his confidence grew with every touch.</p><p>After the game, Trey Murphy III celebrated Queen for his efforts, noting how well he was able to help the Pelicans in <a href="https://x.com/Jim_Eichenhofer/status/1998255408595829137" rel="noopener">all facets of the game</a>.</p><p>“He’s a guy I can really play off of, because he’s able to score, pass really well. I’m just using his gravity, find cuts, find openings, get buckets and touches for him as well.”</p><p>While the Pelicans only have three wins, the emergence of Queen gives fans something to enjoy now and look forward to in the future as he continues to make history.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Pelicans’ Derik Queen stuns Spurs with historic quarter

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/new-orleans-pelicans/pelicans-news-derik-queen-new-orleans-history-not-seen-2010');   ga('set', 'title', 'Derik Queen makes Pelicans history not seen since 2010');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Derik-Queen-makes-New-Orleans-history-not-seen-since-2010.jpg"><figcaption>Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Derik Queen makes Pelicans history not seen since 2010</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-12-08T19:36:55-08:00">December 8th, 7:36pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-12-08T19:48:02-08:00">December 8th, 7:48pm</time><address><a>Paolo Mariano</a>Paolo Mariano is a freelance writer, editor, and producer based in Manila, Philippines. He is a journalism graduate from the University of Santo Tomas and the father of a young girl whose personality swings from Simone Biles to Dillon Brooks. A beacon of objectivity, he believes Penny Hardaway is the true NBA GOAT.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>New Orleans Pelicans rookie Derik Queen recently received high praise from San Antonio Spurs legend Tim Duncan. That’s why when the Pelicans hosted the Spurs at Smoothie King Center on Monday, Queen balled out.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/new-orleans-pelicans/pelicans-news-derik-queen-warning-hawks-falcons-shoutout">Queen registered his first triple-double</a> in the NBA after tallying 33 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists. He shot 11-of-15 from the field and also had four blocks.</p><p>In the process, he joined Chris Paul in 2006 and Darren Collison in 2010 as the only rookies in Pelicans history to <a href="https://twitter.com/ClutchPoints/status/1998231080667582757" rel="noopener">notch a triple-double</a>.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">The assist that gave Derik Queen his first career triple-double 👏<a href="https://t.co/tfaCjzAGzS">pic.twitter.com/tfaCjzAGzS</a> <a href="https://t.co/ORjPWcNmP8">https://t.co/ORjPWcNmP8</a></p><p>— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) <a href="https://twitter.com/ClutchPoints/status/1998231080667582757?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 9, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>San Antonio, however, escaped with the win, 135-132. The Spurs improved to 15-7, while the Pelicans dropped to 3-21, including 2-11 at home.</p><p>While New Orleans is languishing at the bottom of the team standings, the 20-year-old Queen has been a bright spot with his versatile game and high IQ. He had a slow start to his rookie year but has since picked it up.</p><p>With Zion Williamson still struggling to stay healthy, Queen has been the Pelicans’ main inside presence. His impressive play <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/new-orleans-pelicans/sources-zion-williamson-situation-beyond-repair-pelicans-open-trade-offers">has also made Williamson even more expendable</a>, as New Orleans is rumored to be shopping the oft-injured forward.</p><p>Queen was drafted by the Atlanta Hawks as the 13th overall pick but was swiftly traded to the Pelicans in exchange for Asa Newell and a future first-round pick. Queen and Newell, who was drafted by New Orleans as the 35th overall pick, were teammates at Montverde High School.</p><p>Don’t be surprised if Queen puts up even bigger numbers in the coming weeks as the Pelicans are expected to go into full tank mode.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Derik Queen makes Pelicans history not seen since 2010

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/new-orleans-pelicans/why-james-borrego-pelicans-not-worried-about-2-key-contributors-going-cold-trey-murphy-saddiq-bey');   ga('set', 'title', 'Why Pelicans are ‘not worried’ about 2 key contributors going cold');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Why-James-Borrego-not-worried-about-2-key-contributors-going-cold.jpg"></figure><h1>Why Pelicans are ‘not worried’ about 2 key contributors going cold</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-12-08T10:00:18-08:00">December 8th, 10:00am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-12-08T10:00:18-08:00">December 8th, 10:00am</time><address><a>Chris Dodson</a>Chris Dodson is a Memphis Grizzlies beat reporter for ClutchPoints who has also covered the New Orleans Pelicans. He has covered Louisiana high school and college basketball in spurts for over a decade. A basketball lifer from the bayou, his gumbo-stirring form matches his elbow jumper celebrations. Fast enough for varsity hoops, tall enough for a soccer scholarship. He has words and will travel, just not on the court.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Editorials</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>As the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/new-orleans-pelicans/james-borrego-pelicans-finding-valuable-possessions-prized-rookies-jeremiah-fears-derik-queen">New Orleans Pelicans begin a blistering holiday schedule</a>, two of their key perimeter threats have unfortunately hit a cold spell from beyond the arc. However, despite the season-long struggles to find a consistent rhythm, interim coach James Borrego is not sounding any alarms about Trey Murphy III or Saddiq Bey. The team’s two most trusted floor spacers must keep firing away until the wins come.</p><p>Murphy III is averaging 20.5 points (36.3% 3PA) on 46.8% shooting. That three-point percentage is near a career-worst. Bey is sitting at 14.2 points with a 35% success rate from three-point range, also below his career average. Murphy III’s numbers have stagnated under Borrego; Bey’s three-point percentage dipped (29.3% 3PA) considerably. Thankfully for the dynamic duo, Borrego’s belief in their shooting <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lBsuEDufxyU" rel="noopener">remains unwavering</a>.</p><p>“You’ve got to just trust that (Saddiq Bey and Trey Murphy III) more times than not,” began Borrego, “they are going to knock those shots down. I trust both of them, especially with high-quality shots too. I think the threes we are getting are high quality. Do we need more volume? Absolutely. That’s on me to continue to push this group.”</p><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/new-orleans-pelicans/key-area-pelicans-starting-show-winning-pride-james-borrego">Pelicans have excelled</a> at penetrating defenses and attacking the paint in recent weeks. Still, Borrego believes the team must capitalize on those advantages by generating more open looks from beyond the arc. It is not a coincidence that New Orleans is sitting 25th in points scored (112.3) and 26th in threes attempted (32.1).</p><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Trey-Murphy-III-dribbles-up-Pelicans.jpg"><figcaption>Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Getting Murphy III and Bey bombing away from beyond the arc more often is the only way to win the scoreboard’s most important math problem.</p><p>“We are touching the paint as much as anybody,” bragged Borrego. “We’ve got to then find those two, especially for more high-quality threes and just more threes in general, because I trust them to knock them down. Those are high-level shooters; I like to see five or six more threes out there in general. We will watch the film and continue to coach our guys on that because we are getting downhill as much as anybody right now.”</p><p>With the Pelicans already six games out of the NBA Play-In Tournament picture, Borrego outlined priorities that focused on decision-making at the rim and capitalizing on drive-and-kick chances.</p><p>“It’s now about rim decisions and kickout opportunities,” explained Borrego. “I’ll keep saying it until we figure it out, but we will figure it out and find some more threes. I’m not worried about Trey or Saddiq. They’ll bounce back.”</p><p>Reflecting on why the Pelicans have fallen short of preseason expectations, Borrego pointed to lapses in sustaining early momentum, particularly in late quarters.</p><p>“I wish I had the answer,” Borrego sighed. “Look, I think we are finding high-quality shots early. In a lot of these first quarters, we are finding a lot of high-quality shots when our pace and ball movement tend to be more of a focal point. I feel as if our guys are moving the ball. Our challenge now as a team offensively is, can we sustain it through the third and fourth quarter? I feel that we are doing in thirds, now we have to trust it even in fourth quarters and continue to keep our pace up.”</p><p>While offensive rhythm is a point of emphasis, Borrego circled back to defense as the primary benchmark for success down the stretch. He directly linked defensive stops to building the early leads that have slipped away from the Pelicans for years.</p><p>“I like the way our guys are playing in the first quarters,” Borrego replied. “They are moving the ball, they are sharing it. The biggest thing is we’ve got to get stops in the first quarter. I’ll take 30 all day. We’ve got to hold them to 30 and below to go win that quarter. Then we go score 32 instead of 28 or 26, which we are hovering in that range, so we’ve got to do a better job of getting off to better starts defensively. That is really the key for us.”</p><p>Perhaps Borrego <a href="https://www.nba.com/stats/teams/advanced?Period=1&amp;dir=D&amp;sort=NET_RATING" rel="noopener">should not like</a> those first quarters. The Pelicans are 1-11 in the first quarter since Willie Green was fired, sitting 22nd in points scored in those 12 minutes. They are 26th in Defensive Rating and dead last in Net Rating. That’s simply not going to work. It’ll take more than Trey Murphy III and Saddiq Bey hitting a few more shots to get the team back on track. They could be the spark, though, as soon as they start celebrating a few more swishes.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

New Orleans
Pelicans NEWS

Pelicans News: Get the latest New Orleans Pelicans news, scores, stats, standings, fantasy games, and more from ClutchPoints.

Latest Pelicans News

Herb Jones ejected after heated moment with ref in Blazers game

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Richard Jefferson stumps for Pelicans’ Derik Queen to join Team USA after breakout game

Pelicans’ Derik Queen takes shot at doubters after historic triple-double

Pelicans’ Derik Queen joins exclusive triple-double club featuring Luka, LeBron, Wemby

• Pelicans’ Trey Murphy III goes way up for sick alley-oop finish vs. Spurs

• Bill Simmons floats ‘wild card’ trade destination for Pelicans’ Trey Murphy III

• Pelicans’ Derik Queen stuns Spurs with historic quarter

• Derik Queen makes Pelicans history not seen since 2010

• Why Pelicans are ‘not worried’ about 2 key contributors going cold

New OrleansPelicans NEWS

Pelicans News: Get the latest New Orleans Pelicans news, scores, stats, standings, fantasy games, and more from ClutchPoints.

Latest Pelicans News

Herb Jones ejected after heated moment with ref in Blazers game

Pelicans’ Joe Dumars gets why NBA world was wondering ‘what the f**k’ he was doing with draft-night trade

NBA rumors: Herb Jones is most popular Lakers trade target, but there’s a Pelicans problem

Pelicans’ Jordan Poole gets significant injury upgrade for Blazers game

Richard Jefferson stumps for Pelicans’ Derik Queen to join Team USA after breakout game

Pelicans’ Derik Queen takes shot at doubters after historic triple-double

Pelicans’ Derik Queen joins exclusive triple-double club featuring Luka, LeBron, Wemby

• Pelicans’ Trey Murphy III goes way up for sick alley-oop finish vs. Spurs

• Bill Simmons floats ‘wild card’ trade destination for Pelicans’ Trey Murphy III

• Pelicans’ Derik Queen stuns Spurs with historic quarter

• Derik Queen makes Pelicans history not seen since 2010

• Why Pelicans are ‘not worried’ about 2 key contributors going cold

New Orleans
Pelicans NEWS