Pelicans' Kylor Kelley: Grabs five boards in finale
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Kelley ended Sunday's 115-100 loss to the Thunder with three points (1-1 FG, 1-2 FT), five rebounds, one assist and one block in 15 minutes.
Kelley received limited playing time during his third appearance with the Pelicans, averaging 3.3 points, 6.0 rebounds and 1.0 assists across 19.7 minutes per contest in that three-game span. The big man ended the campaign by signing two 10-day deals with New Orleans, though he also spent time with Dallas on a two-way contract before being waived in March. Kelley began the season with the G League's South Bay Lakers and will likely seek a two-way deal ahead of the 2025-26 season. The undrafted rookie finished the 2024-25 campaign with averages of 3.1 points, 3.5 rebounds and 0.5 assists across 11.5 minutes per game in 11 regular-season appearances with New Orleans and Dallas.
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Pelicans' Jamal Cain: Pours in 18 points in finale
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Cain posted 18 points (6-14 FG, 1-4 3Pt, 5-8 FT), four rebounds, one assist and one steal in 28 minutes during Sunday's 115-100 loss to Oklahoma City.
Cain finished as New Orleans' second-leading scorer during Sunday's regular-season finale. The 26-year-old two-way player will be a restricted free agent during the offseason, and he finished the 2024-25 campaign with averages of 5.3 points, 2.3 rebounds, 0.6 assists, 0.6 steals and 0.2 blocks across 13.6 minutes per game in 37 regular-season appearances.
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Pelicans' Keion Brooks: Solid outing in finale
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Brooks chipped in 15 points (5-10 FG, 1-4 3Pt, 4-5 FT), six rebounds, two assists, two steals and one block in 39 minutes during Sunday's 115-100 loss to the Thunder.
Brooks posted his sixth consecutive contest with double-digit points during the club's regular-season finale. The 24-year-old began the season under a standard contract, though he was waived in October before signing back on with the Pelicans under a two-way contract in January. Brooks is set to be a restricted free agent during the offseason, and he finished the 2024-25 campaign with averages of 10.1 points, 4.1 rebounds, 0.9 assists, 0.7 steals and 0.7 blocks while shooting 48.6 percent from the field across 23.7 minutes per game in 14 regular-season outings.
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Pelicans' Elfrid Payton: Shooting woes in finale
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Payton totaled three points (1-5 FG, 1-1 3Pt), three assists, two rebounds and one block across 18 minutes during Sunday's 115-100 loss to the Thunder.
Payton struggled from the field during his limited run in the regular-season finale. The veteran guard is slated to return to the Pelicans next season after signing a two-year contract in April, and he finished the 2024-25 campaign with averages of 3.5 points, 6.9 assists, 3.3 rebounds, 1.0 steals and 0.5 blocks across 21.3 minutes per game in 24 regular-season appearances between New Orleans and Charlotte. Payton also appeared in 14 G League games with the Birmingham Squadron, averaging 7.6 points, 4.6 assists, 4.1 rebounds and 1.1 steals across 22.4 minutes per contest in that span.
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Pelicans' Jose Alvarado: Poor efficiency in expanded role
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Alvarado ended Sunday's 115-100 loss to the Thunder with 14 points (5-16 FG, 1-9 3Pt, 3-3 FT), three rebounds, four assists and two steals across 34 minutes.
After both Dejounte Murray (Achilles) and Trey Murphy (shoulder) went down, Alvarado handled an expanded role for the Pelicans down the stretch of the year. Alvarado averaged 14.3 points, 5.0 assists, 3.1 rebounds, 1.3 steals and 1.9 three-pointers in 27.6 minutes through his last nine games of the regular season, but he logged 3.6 turnovers per contest and shot just 36.5 percent from the field during this stretch. Alvarado figures to begin the 2025-26 campaign in a reserve capacity, assuming the Pelicans are healthier.
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Pelicans' Lester Quinones: Strong performance against Thunder
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Quinones registered 17 points (5-15 FG, 2-9 3Pt, 5-5 FT), six assists and five rebounds in 33 minutes during Sunday's 115-100 loss to the Thunder.
Quinones paced the second unit in scoring during Sunday's loss, while also leading the team in assists. Quinones finished the season strong, logging at least 20 minutes in each of the last five games and averaging 13.4 points, 4.2 assists and 2.6 rebounds in 27.8 minutes per contest over that stretch.
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Pelicans' Jeremiah Robinson-Earl: Grabs 16 boards in loss
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Robinson-Earl totaled 10 points (4-16 FG, 1-7 3Pt, 1-2 FT), 16 rebounds, five assists and a steal in 33 minutes during Sunday's 115-100 loss to the Thunder.
Robinson-Earl was dominant on the glass Sunday, registering a career-high 16 rebounds. Aside from his performance on the boards, Robinson-Earl struggled, connecting on just 25 percent of his shots from the floor and 14.3 percent of his three-point attempts. Despite his inefficiency, Robinson-Earl extended his streak of double-digit scoring performances to three to close out the season.
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Pelicans' Antonio Reeves: Paces team in scoring
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Reeves logged 20 points (8-14 FG, 0-4 3Pt, 4-5 FT), six rebounds and a block in 39 minutes during Sunday's 115-100 loss to the Thunder.
Reeves was able to put together a solid offensive performance Sunday despite missing all four of his three-point attempts. The rookie guard had an impressive conclusion to the season, scoring in double figures in each of his final eight appearances. In those contests, he averaged 16.5 points, 2.9 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.0 steals in 32.6 minutes per game.
Reeves will start Sunday's game against the Thunder.
After starting five of the previous six games, Reeves operated off the bench Friday, but his role didn't change much. Over his last seven appearances, Reeves has averaged 16.0 points, 2.4 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.1 steals in 31.7 minutes per game.
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Pelicans' Kylor Kelley: Signs second 10-day contract
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Kelley signed a second 10-day contract with the Pelicans on Sunday, Keith Smith of Spotrac.com reports.
Kelley made two appearances under his first 10-day deal, averaging 3.5 points, 6.5 rebounds and 1.0 assists in 22.0 minutes. He'll be available for the regular-season finale against the Thunder on Sunday after signing another deal, but he's not in the starting lineup after starting Friday's 153-104 loss to Miami.
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Pelicans' Bruce Brown: Out for Sunday
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Brown (knee) is out for Sunday's game against the Thunder.
Brown will miss a third straight game due to right knee soreness, meaning the veteran's season has come to an end. Brown will end the 2024-25 campaign with averages of 8.3 points, 4.0 rebounds and 2.0 assists across 41 appearances (12 starts) between Toronto and New Orleans.
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Pelicans' Karlo Matkovic: Won't play against OKC
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Matkovic (hamstring) has been ruled out for Sunday's game against the Thunder.
Matkovic will miss Sunday's regular-season finale due to left hamstring soreness, and with the Pelicans dealing with a plethora of injuries, Kylor Kelley and Jeremiah Robinson-Earl should see a good chunk of playing time against the Thunder. With New Orleans eliminated from playoff contention, Matkovic will end the regular season averaging 7.7 points, 5.0 rebounds, 1.1 assists and 1.0 blocks in 18.8 minutes per game across 42 outings (seven starts).
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Pelicans' Brandon Boston: Won't play Sunday
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Boston (ankle) has been ruled out for Sunday's game against the Thunder.
Boston will end up missing the Pelicans' final 30 games of the regular season due to a fractured left ankle that he suffered in early February. The 2021 second-round pick played a meaningful role in the Pelicans' rotation prior to the injury. He'll finish his first regular season in New Orleans averaging 10.7 points, 3.2 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.3 steals in 23.6 minutes per game across 42 outings (10 starts).
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Pelicans' Jordan Hawkins: Sidelined for season finale
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Hawkins (back) is out for Sunday's game against the Thunder.
Hawkins will end up missing an eighth straight game in the season finale due to a nagging back problem. Antonio Reeves should continue to handle an increased role in Hawkins' absence. Hawkins will finish the season with averages of 10.8 points, 2.8 rebounds and 1.2 assists per game across 56 appearances (nine starts).
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Pelicans' Yves Missi: Won't suit up for finale
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Missi (ankle) is out for Sunday's game against the Thunder.
Missi will end up missing the final three games of the regular season due to left ankle soreness, though that could also be the wear-and-tear of his first season in the NBA. Missi had a successful season as a rookie, emerging as a reliable option at center and improving drastically as the season progressed. Missi averaged 9.1 points, 8.2 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 1.3 blocks per game across 73 appearances (67 starts) as a rookie.
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Pelicans' Kelly Olynyk: Out for Sunday
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Olynyk (Achilles) is out for Sunday's game against the Thunder.
Olynyk will end the season on the sidelines since he'll miss a third straight game with left Achilles tendinitis. The Pelicans were eliminated from playoff contention a while ago, so there's no point in risking the veteran forward. Olynyk ends the season with averages of 10.7 points, 5.9 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 0.9 steals per game in his 20 starts with New Orleans since being traded from Toronto midway through the season.
Reeves ended Friday's 153-104 loss to the Heat with 19 points (7-14 FG, 2-5 3Pt, 3-4 FT), five rebounds, four assists and one steal across 34 minutes.
Despite moving to the bench in Friday's blowout loss, Reeves still logged 34 minutes of action due to New Orleans dealing with a long list of injuries. The rookie guard has shot the ball efficiently from behind the arc across his last 10 outings, converting 45.6 percent of his 5.7 three-point attempts per contest.
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