New Orleans Pelicans vs Washington Wizards: Did Zion Williamson set the paint on fire?

The New Orleans Pelicans moved to 21-45 and the Washington Wizards dropped to 16-47 at Smoothie King Center, where the 138-118 New Orleans Pelicans full-time result came with 5 ties and 6 lead changes. The New Orleans Pelicans vs Washington Wizards final score reflected a home line that shot 53 percent from the field and went 37-for-47 at the line, while the Wizards hit 45 percent and made 22 free throws.

First quarter

The New Orleans Pelicans scored 32 in the first quarter while the Washington Wizards put up 35 behind a 14-made-three team night that started with perimeter volume on 42 attempts. The Pels forced early mistakes on the way to 11 steals for the game, while the Wizards finished with 17 turnovers.

Second quarter

The New Orleans Pelicans flipped the game in the second quarter with 35 points as their fast-break work produced 22 points on 15 attempts. The Wizards added 30 in the quarter and leaned on 59 bench points overall, but the Pels kept getting to the stripe on the way to 31 fouls drawn.

Third quarter

The New Orleans Pelicans matched their second-quarter output with 35 in the third while piling up 72 points in the paint on 60 attempts for 60 percent. The Wizards scored 28 in the third and generated 23 second-chance points on 13 offensive rebounds, but the Pels stayed efficient with a 3.13 assist-to-turnover ratio on 25 assists and 8 turnovers.

Fourth quarter

The New Orleans Pelicans closed with 36 in the fourth and stretched the margin to a biggest lead of 23 while leading for 32:16 of game time. The Wizards posted 25 in the fourth and finished with 51 rebounds, but the Pels ended the night with 57 rebounds and 26 points off turnovers, a key swing in this New Orleans Pelicans vs Washington Wizards review.

Key Pelicans performers

Zion Williamson’s recent form carried over from the previous game, where he scored 20 points on 75 percent shooting and went 73 percent at the line. Trey Murphy the Third also arrived off the previous game with 24 points and a 44 percent mark from 3, and Saddiq Bey brought 23 points with 10 rebounds in that outing to boost the New Orleans Pelicans match rating conversation.

Up next

The New Orleans Pelicans are scheduled to host the Toronto Raptors at Smoothie King Center in New Orleans on 8:00 PM EDT on March 11, 2026, with viewing options listed as Gulf Coast Sports, Pelicans+, and SportsNet. Keep it locked for the next recap, and share this article with other Pels fans.