Pelicans End 9-Game Skid with 143-130 Thriller Over Bulls in New Orleans

The New Orleans Pelicans snapped a nine-game losing streak in stunning fashion, outlasting the Chicago Bulls 143-130 at the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans on Monday, November 24, 2025. It wasn’t just a win—it was a release. After weeks of close losses, defensive breakdowns, and mounting frustration, the Pelicans finally turned the tide in front of a roaring home crowd, turning a winless November into something resembling hope. The game, originally listed for November 25, was moved up a day, and fans who showed up got more than they bargained for: a high-octane, back-and-forth shootout that felt more like playoff basketball than a midseason matchup between two struggling teams.

From Desperation to Dominance

Entering the game, the Pelicans were 2-15 on the season, the worst record in the Western Conference. They’d lost their last nine by an average of 12.4 points. The Bulls, meanwhile, were 9-7 and clinging to a playoff spot in the East, though their road record (3-5) hinted at deeper issues. Nobody expected this kind of offensive explosion. But when Trey Murphy III hit his fourth three-pointer in the third quarter, followed by a thunderous alley-oop from Zion Williamson, the energy shifted. The crowd, once quiet with resignation, became a wall of noise.

What made this win different wasn’t just the scoring—it was the balance. Seven Pelicans scored in double figures. Jose Alvarado, the undersized guard often overlooked, came off the bench and dropped 28 points—yes, 28—in just 22 minutes. His steal-and-dunk in the final minutes, followed by a cold-blooded three over Coby White, sealed the deal. "Jose was massive," said one ESPN analyst during the broadcast. "He didn’t just score—he dictated tempo. That’s the heartbeat of this team right now."

The Role Players Stepped Up

This wasn’t a Zion-is-everything story. Not tonight. While Williamson finished with 27 points, 11 rebounds, and six assists—many of them on putbacks after brutal contact—the real story was the depth. Trey Jones orchestrated the offense with surgical precision, dishing out 12 assists and only one turnover. Jamon Carter, a fringe rotation player, hit four threes in the fourth quarter, including one from the corner with 1:12 left that gave New Orleans a 13-point lead. "We’ve seen him shoot before," said the commentator. "But tonight? He believed. And that’s contagious."

Even Julian Phillips, a second-year forward who’d played under 10 minutes in his last three games, logged 18 minutes and grabbed eight rebounds. The Pelicans’ bench outscored Chicago’s 58-34—a season-high for New Orleans and a damning stat for the Bulls, whose second unit looked disorganized and out of sync.

Chicago’s Road Woes Deepen

For the Bulls, it was another frustrating chapter in a season that’s started with promise but unraveled on the road. Josh Giddey had his usual all-around game—22 points, 9 rebounds, 7 assists—but no one else consistently stepped up. Coby White shot 7-for-21, and Nikola Mirotic, who’s been a rotation staple, was held to just 8 points in 24 minutes. Chicago’s offense, which had been averaging 118.3 points per game on the road, was held to 130—well below their average—and committed 19 turnovers.

"We had chances," said Bulls head coach Billy Donovan after the game. "But when you’re down 15 in the fourth and you’re missing open looks, you’re not just losing—you’re giving the other team belief. And tonight, they had it. We didn’t."

What This Means for the Pelicans

This win didn’t magically turn the Pelicans into contenders. They’re still 3-15, and they sit just one spot ahead of the last-place Dallas Mavericks. But it changed something intangible. For the first time since November 6, they won a game they were expected to lose. And they did it with heart, with chemistry, with unselfish play.

The victory lifted them from 15th to 14th in the Western Conference standings. More importantly, it gave their young core—Williamson, Murphy, Alvarado, Jones—a foundation to build on. "We’ve been through hell," said Murphy after the game, wiping sweat from his brow. "But this? This feels like the start of something. Not the end."

What’s Next?

The Pelicans host the Bulls again on November 1, 2026, in the second game of their two-game series—a rare scheduling quirk that hints at a potential rescheduling due to weather or arena conflicts earlier in the season. But for now, New Orleans is savoring this. They face the Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday, then travel to San Antonio on Friday. Both are winnable games. And if they play with the same energy they showed on November 24, they might just start climbing.

The NBA League Pass, ESPN, and fuboTV all carried the game, and highlights from GAMETIME HIGHLIGHTS on YouTube have already surpassed 2.3 million views. The footage shows Williamson absorbing contact like a linebacker, Alvarado darting through defenses like a hummingbird, and the entire Pelicans bench erupting when the final buzzer sounded. It’s the kind of moment that doesn’t show up in box scores—but it’s the kind that rebuilds teams.