Pelicans dominate Wizards 138-118, extending Washington’s losing streak to eight games
Mar 8, 2026; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson (1) shoots against Washington Wizards forward Anthony Gill (16) during the first half at Smoothie King Center. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images
The Washington Wizards‘ struggles continued on Sunday night as they fell to the New Orleans Pelicans 138-118, marking their eighth consecutive loss. Despite a competitive first half, the Wizards couldn’t contain the Pelicans’ offensive surge in the final two quarters.
Trey Murphy III paced the Pelicans with 24 points, while Saddiq Bey contributed 23 against his former team. Zion Williamson added 20 points and Dejounte Murray chipped in 19 as New Orleans dominated the paint, outscoring Washington 72-44 in that area.
Young shows promise in second Wizards appearance
Trae Young, playing just his second game since being traded from Atlanta, provided a bright spot for Washington with 17 points and eight assists in 18 minutes of action. Young was notably the only Wizards player to finish with a positive plus/minus ratio on the night.
Rookie Tre Johnson led Washington’s scoring with 20 points, marking his fourth time reaching that milestone this season. Will Riley added 19 points in the losing effort. Julian Reese, brother of former LSU star Angel Reese, grabbed nine rebounds along with five points after not starting due to Alex Sarr‘s return to the lineup.
The game remained tight through the first half, with New Orleans holding just a 67-65 advantage. Washington kept pace early by connecting on 10 3-pointers in the opening two quarters. The Wizards even briefly threatened in the third quarter, cutting the deficit to four points after Jaden Hardy‘s driving floater made it 95-91.
However, the Pelicans pulled away from that point with a decisive 12-4 surge capped by a 3-pointer from rookie Jeremiah Fears. The first-year guard, drafted seventh overall last summer, finished with 18 points and seven assists in 24 minutes off the bench. Fellow rookie Derik Queen contributed 13 points to the victory.
The win marked New Orleans’ sixth victory in nine games and matched their total win count from last season at 21. After a dismal 10-36 start, the Pelicans have shown significant improvement, winning 11 of their last 20 contests.
Washington will look to snap their losing streak when they visit the Miami Heat on Tuesday night, while New Orleans returns home to host the Toronto Raptors on Wednesday night.
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