Pelicans Vs Jazz: Bey's 42 Lifts New Orleans in 129-118 Win as Utah Battles Injuries
The New Orleans Pelicans defeated the Utah Jazz 129-118 on Thursday night in Salt Lake City, a result that underscores mounting injury issues for Utah and sends the teams into a Saturday rematch. Pelicans Vs Jazz matters now because the win extended New Orleans' recent surge and the Jazz arrived short-handed enough to affect lineup construction and draft outlooks.
Game score and rematch in Salt Lake City
The final score was 129-118, and the teams are scheduled to meet again in Salt Lake City on Saturday night. The Pelicans opened a six-game trip with the victory and have won three straight and five of their last seven. One listing had New Orleans at 18-42 after the game while another earlier piece had them at 17-42; similarly, one account had Utah at 18-41 while another listed Utah at 18-40.
Saddiq Bey's performance and Zion Williamson's contribution
Saddiq Bey finished with 42 points on 14-of-20 shooting, including 5 of 9 from three-point range, and he was perfect from the free-throw line at 9 of 9. Zion Williamson added 20 points on 9-of-14 shooting. Those individual efficiencies were a clear cause for the scoring margin: Bey's hot shooting and free throws created spacing and consistent scoring that Utah could not overcome.
Dejounte Murray's return and bench impact
Point guard Dejounte Murray supplied 17 points and nine assists in what was described as his second straight game back after missing more than a year because of a torn right Achilles. Murray’s return contributed to ball movement and scoring opportunities and was part of the Pelicans' backcourt production that helped sustain the six-game trip start.
Jazz injuries: Markkanen, Keyonte George, Jaren Jackson Jr., Jusuf Nurkic and Vince Williams Jr.
Utah’s availability picture was a determining factor. Lauri Markkanen suffered a right ankle and right hip issue during Jazz practice the day before the Pelicans game and was held out; he had missed two of his last three games but had played against the Houston Rockets in between, producing a 29-point outing with three rebounds, two assists and two steals. Keyonte George was downgraded to out before tip-off after a lengthy absence tied to ankle injuries that saw him sidelined for eight of the Jazz’s last nine games and now extending to his ninth missed game in his past 10 outings. Starters Jaren Jackson Jr. and Jusuf Nurkic were shut down for the season following surgeries. Utah also lost Vince Williams Jr. to a torn ACL on Monday night in a loss at Houston. Those absences prompted commentary that Utah would likely be forced into an extremely young starting five and that Thursday’s squad was a shell of a peak Jazz roster.
Trey Murphy III, roster notes and broader implications for draft positioning
The Pelicans were mainly healthy but remained without two-way wing Trey Murphy III, who is dealing with a right shoulder issue; one item in the context listed him as Try Murphy III and out with a right shoulder contusion. Utah had been slated to play in front of its fans for the first time in two weeks on Thursday, and the matchup was framed as important for the Jazz, who were pursuing protection of a top-eight draft pick. The Pelicans do not own their own 2026 first-round pick, so a New Orleans victory does not alter that team’s draft-asset position. What makes this notable is how injuries have compressed competitive and roster decisions into individual games: Utah’s string of setbacks directly translated into a depleted rotation and a four-game losing streak that affected their standing.
Ace Bailey led the Jazz with 23 points and Brice Sensabaugh added 20 in a short-handed Utah effort that has now lost four straight. The sequence of injuries and missed games — Markkanen’s practice ailment, George’s extended absence, season-ending surgeries for Jackson Jr. and Nurkic, and Williams Jr. 's torn ACL in Houston — combined to shape Thursday’s outcome and will influence both teams as they prepare for the Saturday rematch.
