The numbers are starting to tell a blunt story about New Orleans: this is no longer just a bad stretch, but a defensive problem that has followed the Pelicans into a West Group B game that matters for their NBA Cup hopes. Entering Friday night’s meeting with Memphis on November 13, 2026, the Pelicans had lost three straight games while allowing 130-plus points in each one, a run that turns every possession into part of a bigger concern.
That slide included losses to the Los Angeles Clippers, Golden State Warriors and Brooklyn Nets, with the most recent one coming in a 145-111 defeat to Brooklyn. Eleven days earlier, New Orleans had beaten Memphis 135-134 in overtime, but the contrast between that result and the current form is hard to ignore. A team that once won six consecutive victories now looks stuck searching for the basic defensive edge that has gone missing.
The numbers behind the problem
Jamahl Mosley did not hide from it. “The numbers speak for themselves,” he said, pointing to “three games in a row of 130-plus” and stressing that the issue is a mix of effort, preparation and staying connected when the game starts to slip. That is the right diagnosis because the Pelicans’ issue is not simply one matchup or one hot opponent. It is a pattern.
Zion Williamson framed it the same way from inside the locker room, saying the group has to look in the mirror and ask whether everyone has done enough for the team. That is a useful line because it shifts the conversation away from excuses and toward accountability. New Orleans is not just giving up points; it is repeatedly allowing games to get away from it early.
The broader context makes the concern sharper. In West Group B, every result matters, and a four-game losing streak can quickly change the path from contender to afterthought. The Pelicans have been competitive in flashes, but the recent trend suggests the margin for error has shrunk dramatically.
Memphis brings its own questions
Memphis arrived with a different kind of concern. After starting the season 6-0, the Grizzlies had dropped four of five, including a 123-118 loss at home to the Denver Nuggets on Wednesday. Ty Jerome said the real issue was the first half, adding that Memphis had been too soft and too slow early in games. That fits the larger picture: both teams entered this matchup needing a reset, but New Orleans’ defensive collapse gave the night its edge.
The most recent meeting between these teams showed how tight the margins can be. On November 2, 2026, New Orleans edged Memphis 135-134 in overtime. This time, the story was less about one dramatic finish and more about whether the Pelicans could stop the bleeding long enough to make the game on their own terms.
That is why the conversation around New Orleans now goes beyond one scoreline. A team can survive a rough shooting night. It is much harder to survive when the defense is allowing 130-plus points three games running. Until that changes, the Pelicans will keep turning routine regular-season games into tests of damage control.
