The New Orleans Pelicans and the San Antonio Spurs meet again on Tuesday night in a rematch of Sunday’s 114-96 Pelicans victory. While both teams have struggled this season, the showed signs of life in that win, particularly on the boards and with their new-look frontcourt. Can they keep the momentum going against a Spurs squad desperate to stay in the play-in race?
Pelicans’ Resurgence on the Glass
For much of the season, rebounding has been a glaring weakness for New Orleans. But in Sunday’s win, the Pelicans absolutely dominated the glass, outrebounding San Antonio 69-46. That margin wasn’t just impressive—it was historic. The 69 boards marked the third-most in franchise history, a testament to the team’s recent shift toward a much bigger starting lineup featuring 6-8 Trey Murphy in the backcourt along with 6-11 big men Yves Missi and Kelly Olynyk. Reserve center Karlo Matkovic (6-10) has had a much more prominent role as well.
Head coach Willie Green was quick to highlight the significance of that performance. “We can get (defensive) stops, but to finish possessions is huge for us,” Green said. “Close to 70 rebounds, and 52 defensive rebounds is evident we’re getting stops and contesting shots.”
Missi was key contributor to the rebounding surge, grabbing a career-high 15 rebounds. The 20-year-old has made a habit of crashing the offensive glass, ranking sixth in the league in offensive rebounds per game. His impact has only grown since the Pelicans began utilizing him alongside the newly acquired Olynyk.
The Olynyk Effect: A Perfect Fit with Zion?
Olynyk has played just two games for New Orleans, but his presence is already making a difference. A veteran stretch big, Olynyk brings a skill set the Pelicans have needed for years, a combination of rebounding, playmaking, and floor spacing. In his two appearances, he’s a plus-32 in just 49 minutes of action.
Green raved about Olynyk’s versatility after Monday’s practice. “He’s a huge bonus for our group,” Green said. “High IQ. He’s big, 7 feet, can stretch the floor, can play with the ball in his hands. Really good passer. His feel for the game is really helping our group.”
Olynyk’s presence has also benefitted Zion Williamson, who has thrived next to him. Less than two minutes into Olynyk’s Pelicans debut, he found Zion for an alley-oop in transition. His passing ability and the threat of him from long distance (Olynyk is a career 37% 3P shooter) opens up the floor for Williamson to operate more freely in the paint.
“Playing Kelly at (power forward) has been helping a lot,” Trey Murphy III added. “He’s a big who can shoot the ball and pass at a really high level. We haven’t really had that from our bigs.”
Keys to Beating the Spurs Again
If the Pelicans want to win back-to-back games for the first time since mid-January, they’ll need to replicate Sunday’s formula. That means:
- Winning the rebounding battle – The Pelicans exploited San Antonio’s lack of size without Victor Wembanyama, and they need to do it again.
- Defensive intensity – Holding the Spurs to 33% shooting on Sunday was no small feat. De’Aaron Fox, who shot just 3-of-16 in the last meeting, will be looking to bounce back.
- CJ McCollum’s leadership – The Pelicans’ veteran guard continues to be their stabilizing force, especially with Brandon Ingram out of the picture.
In the grand scheme of things, this isn’t a consequential matchup, but for New Orleans, it is an opportunity to build some momentum. Sunday’s win showed that the Pelicans might have found something with their new-look frontcourt. If Missi, Olynyk, and Zion continue to gel, New Orleans could be onto something—at least for the remainder of this season. And they could find a blueprint for next season.
Most Recent Starting Lineups
| San Antonio Spurs | New Orleans Pelicans |
| G – Chris Paul | G – CJ McCollum |
| G – De’Aaron Fox | G – Trey Murphy |
| F – Devin Vassell | F – Zion Williamson |
| F – Harrison Barnes | F – Kelly Olynyk |
| C – Bismack Biyombo | C – Yves Missi |
Injuries
San Antonio Spurs: Charles Bassey (knee) and Victor Wembanyama (deep vein thrombosis) are OUT.
New Orleans Pelicans: Brandon Boston (left ankle sprain), Herb Jones (right shoulder torn rotator cuff), and Dejounte Murray (right Achilles rupture) are OUT.
Who: New Orleans Pelicans (14-43) vs San Antonio Spurs (24-31)
Season Series:
- Dec. 8: Spurs def. Pelicans, 121-116
- Feb. 23: Pelicans def. Spurs, 114-96
- Feb. 25: Pelicans vs. Spurs
- Mar. 15: Pelicans at Spurs
Series History: The New Orleans Pelicans are 28-55 all-time against the San Antonio Spurs and have won eight of the last 10 in the series.
Where: Smoothie King Center
When: Feb. 25, 7:00 PM CST
Where to watch: Gulf Coast Sports & Entertainment Network
Where to listen: WWL Radio 870 AM
For more content, visit HITP Sports on YouTube or HITP Sports online.
READ MORE
- Pelicans rally past Spurs with dominant second half
- Can Pelicans take advantage of Wembanyama-less Spurs in home return?
- CJ McCollum’s 43 leads Pelicans past Kings in OT thriller
- Pelicans fade late as Kings’ hot shooting hands New Orleans 10th straight loss
- Pelicans host Kings hoping to avoid 10-game skid
- Pelicans struggle as Thunder set franchise record for threes in blowout loss
- Pelicans face red-hot Thunder looking to snap 8-game losing streak
- Can undermanned Pelicans end road losing skid in Sacramento?
- Porter, Jokic, too much to handle as Pelicans fall to Nuggets, 144-119
- Report: Pelicans trade Brandon Ingram to Raptors
- Pelicans seek to tie season series tonight vs. Nuggets
- Deal or no deal: It’s time for Pelicans to trade Brandon Ingram
- Murphy’s 41 not enough as Pelicans drop 6th consecutive game
- Injuries, trade rumors, tough road ahead for Pelicans
- Another Tough Loss, Another Brutal Injury for the Pelicans
- Pelicans buried under avalanche of threes, fall to Mavericks for fourth straight loss
- Pelicans host Mavericks aiming to snap three-game losing streak
- Pelicans fall to Raptors as frustrations boil over in tough road loss
- Pelicans look to salvage road trip in Toronto
- Bounce-back battle in Charlotte as Pelicans visit Hornets
- Second-half collapse ends Pelicans’ win streak in Memphis
- Pelicans look to extend 3-game winning streak with repeat performance against Jazz
- Pelicans soar past Jazz behind Zion’s double-double and hot shooting from deep
- Surging Pelicans look to leapfrog Jazz in the West
