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New Orleans Pelicans forward Saddiq Bey speaks with the media ahead of the Pelicans' game against the Utah Jazz on Wednesday, Nov. 4 during the 2026-27 NBA season.

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Saddiq Bey on roster depth, Derik Queen | Pelicans-Jazz Shootaround 11/4/2026

Jim Eichenhofer

Perhaps it’s a bit too early to start mailing out the Sixth Man of the Year campaign materials, but forward Saddiq Bey enters Wednesday’s home game vs. Utah (7 p.m., Fox 8-WVUE, GCSEN on TV; WWL on radio) as the NBA’s leading bench scorer, averaging 15.6 points. Bey has New Orleans company near the top of that leaderboard, with second-year big Derik Queen ranked No. 10 on the same list (minimum five games played, via NBA.com), producing 12.4 ppg, all as a reserve. The Pelicans are also getting notable scoring punch from guard Bennedict Mathurin (7.1).

Add it up and New Orleans (3-4) has the league’s second-best bench in terms of scoring average (46.7, behind only Memphis). Pelicans backups are also seventh in rebounding (18.6 rpg, partly due to Queen’s 7.7 rpg, second among NBA subs) and fifth in minutes played.

“People might think I’m biased, but we’ve got to be up there for the deepest team in the league,” Bey said after Wednesday’s morning shootaround. “I think every guy on our roster can be a major contributor any night. It just helps through the long 82 games. We need everybody, whether it’s in practice, the games, on the road. They did a great job of having so much depth, that anybody you call on can help win.”

Queen (20 points, 18 in the first half) and Bey (18 points, 16 in the second half) took turns providing vital offense during Monday’s dramatic overtime victory at Memphis. With Queen rolling early, Bey bided his time until more opportunities arrived later.

“It was just one of his nights,” Bey said of Queen’s early eruption. “For me, it’s like, ‘Hey, how can I continue to try to feed that?’ We were winning and playing well, playing through him at that time. Nights like that, any guy in the second unit, we’ve got to feed the hot hand, whoever has it going.”

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Streak: Lost 5 (vs. LA Lakers, vs. Memphis, vs. San Antonio, vs. Portland, at San Antonio)

Go-to guy: Fourth-year guard Keyonte George leads Utah in scoring at 19.6 ppg. He generated 19 points and 10 assists in the Jazz’s narrow 120-119 win over the Pelicans on Oct. 23 in Salt Lake City.

On the rise: Pass-first point guard Isaiah Collier started a total of 65 games over his first two NBA seasons, but in Year 3 with the Jazz, he’s coming off the bench. Collier dished seven assists to go with 10 points against New Orleans on Oct. 23.

In the clutch: Utah is 1-3 in clutch games this season. George leads the Jazz in clutch scoring with 11 points, but he’s shot just 4/15 from the field in those situations.

Three-point attack: Bottom 10 in makes, attempts and percentage (33.1, ranked 22nd), Utah is off to a subpar start from beyond the arc. Individually, instant-offense sub Brice Sensabaugh has been an outlier at 44.8 percent, going 13 of 29.

Keyonte George, Darryn Peterson, Ace Bailey, Lauri Markkanen, Jaxson Hayes

Notes: The Jazz sustained a damaging early-season injury when Jaren Jackson Jr. was sidelined by a right MCL tear. Jackson is out Wednesday, as is center Jusuf Nurkic (plantar plate tear). Backup big Mo Bamba (ankle) is questionable. … Utah is 0-1 on a challenging four-game West road trip, which continues Friday in Dallas (NBA Cup) and Sunday at Minnesota. The Jazz are 1-4 at home; those five games on their home floor are tied for the most any team has played through the first two weeks of the regular season. … Utah leads the all-time series vs. New Orleans by a 49-34 margin, but the Pelicans have won eight of the last nine meetings.

Jeremiah Fears, Herb Jones, Trey Murphy, Zion Williamson, Karlo Matkovic

Notes: Murphy (patella) and Jordan Poole (ankle) are probable. Yves Missi (knee) is out. … Over the Pelicans’ three-game winning streak, seven players are averaging double-digit points, led by Williamson at 20.7. Williamson is shooting 68.6 percent from the field during that span, while averaging 7.7 rebounds and 2.7 steals. He’s fourth in the NBA in steals average (also 2.7), only trailing Dyson Daniels, Kris Dunn and Collin Gillespie (minimum five games played). … New Orleans’ next three games are also against West opponents, including Friday’s NBA Cup home tilt vs. Minnesota, followed by a California back-to-back at the Clippers and Golden State on Sunday and Monday, respectively.

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Pelicans shootaround update: Saddiq Bey, Derik Queen power productive New Orleans bench

The Pelicans host the Utah Jazz on Wednesday at the Smoothie King Center at 7:00 pm CT. The game will be broadcast on the Gulf Coast Sports and Entertainment Network and FOX 8 WVUE. Fans can also stream the game via Pelicans+ or listen to the radio call on WWL 870 AM.

Get the latest Pelicans-Jazz injury report, team news, tune in details, and gameday information:

PELICANS INJURY REPORTYves Missi OUT (left knee contusion/bone bruise)Malik Dia DOUBTFUL (G League two-way)Jaron Pierre Jr. DOUBTFUL (G League two-way)Trey Murphy III QUESTIONABLE (bilateral patella tendinopathy)Jordan Poole PROBABLE (left ankle tendinopathy)Julian Reese AVAILABLE (G League two-way)

JAZZ INJURY REPORTTrey Alexander OUT (G League two-way)Harrison Ingram OUT (G League two-way)Jaren Jackson Jr. OUT (right MCL tear)Jusuf Nurkic OUT (right plantar tear)Mo Bamba QUESTIONABLE (right ankle sprain)

Highlights from New Orleans Pelicans forward Saddiq Bey vs. the Utah Jazz on Friday, October 23 during 2026-27 NBA season.

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Saddiq Bey Highlights vs. Utah Jazz 10/23/2026

Highlights from New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson vs. the Utah Jazz on Friday, October 23 during 2026-27 NBA season.

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Zion Williamson Highlights vs. Utah Jazz 10/23/2026

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Jazz 120, Pelicans 119: Zion Williamson 23 points | Postgame wrap

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Photos: Pelicans at Jazz | Game Action 10/23/26

2026-2027 NBA Season Opponent Matchup Stats

UTAH JAZZ (1-6)Previous Game Lineup: November 2 loss at San Antonio SpursAce Bailey, Lauri Markkanen, Jaxson Hayes, Darryn Peterson, Keyonte George

NEW ORLEANS PELICANS (3-4)Previous Game Lineup: November 2 win at Memphis GrizzliesTrey Murphy III, Zion Williamson, Karlo Matković, Herb Jones, Jeremiah Fears

Pelicans vs. Jazz Game Time, TV Channel, Radio & Location

Icon Edition

Utah Jazz at New Orleans Pelicans

Association Edition

pelicans-vs-jazz-injury-report-game-preview-11-4-2026

Pelicans vs. Jazz: Injury Report, Game Preview 11/4/2026

New Orleans Pelicans forward/center Derik Queen speaks with the media following practice at the Ochsner Sports Performance Center on Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026 ahead of their game against the Utah Jazz on Nov. 4.

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Derik Queen on Zion Williamson's overtime performance, Karlo Matković | Pelicans Practice 11/3/2026

New Orleans Pelicans Head Coach Jamahl Mosley speaks with the media following practice at the Ochsner Sports Performance Center on Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026 ahead of their game against the Utah Jazz on Nov. 4.

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Jamahl Mosley on taking care of the basketball, Derik Queen | Pelicans Practice 11/3/2026

The New Orleans sideline is generally boisterous when something positive happens on the court, with players springing up from their seats on the bench to celebrate a defensive highlight or game-changing basket. The reaction may be even more raucous when a certain third-year center rises above the rim for an alley-oop slam, or drains a three-pointer from his favorite spot – the right corner.

Karlo Matkovic moved into the New Orleans starting lineup after the team’s 0-4 start to the regular season and immediately helped change the results, as the Pelicans beat Sacramento, Atlanta and previously-undefeated Memphis with the 6-foot-10 Croatian in the first unit. The 25-year-old is averaging 15.0 points, 6.7 rebounds, 2.0 steals and a block since becoming a starter, topped by his career-high 25-point night in Monday's overtime road victory against the Grizzlies. He shot 5/8 from three-point range and is 8/14 on treys as a starter. Overall, he’s shooting 10/19 from distance, ranking fourth in the NBA at 52.6 percent (via NBA.com, minimum 10 makes).

In addition to those numbers, the vibes Matkovic brings to the locker room and court seem to be boundless.

“I’ve said this about Karlo before, he’s one of those special ones – he’s about everybody else,” Pelicans head coach Jamahl Mosley said of Matkovic’s selfless connection with other players. “He’s about the team. You can see it when he makes a shot, or makes a big play, that his teammates celebrate him. That says everything about him as a human being, but also as a basketball player, that they want to celebrate the work he puts in, because he wants none of the light, but he’s always willing to give it (out). That’s why his teammates will celebrate him the way that they do.”

One challenge for Matkovic since he debuted with the Pelicans in October 2024 has been a lack of consistent playing time. As a rookie, he only played in six of New Orleans’ first 42 games. Last season, he again experienced a lengthy DNP stretch. Even to begin 2026-27, he did not play in the Oct. 21 regular season opener vs. Indiana, then logged single-digit minutes in subsequent defeats to Utah and Denver.

He was a key reserve in a second loss to the Nuggets (18 minutes) on Oct. 28, delivering his usual dose of energy and hustle, setting the stage for Mosley to name him a starter prior to the next night’s first Pelicans victory over Sacramento.

“It’s an awesome feeling,” Matkovic said of being a first-stringer for three straight wins. “I’m blessed to be starting in the NBA, at (this) level. It’s something to be happy about. I cherish it. I enjoy every game. I appreciate the coaches believing in me.”

“(I expect) nothing less from Karlo,” said forward Zion Williamson, who tied Matkovic on Monday with a team-best 25 points in Memphis. “He’s shown that over the years he’s been with us: Whenever his number is called, he always steps up.”

Mosley on center Yves Missi’s progress recovering amid a left knee bone bruise, sustained Oct. 23 in the second game of the season at Utah: “Yves is doing a little bit better. He’s able to get on the floor, get some standstill shooting, moving around a little bit, but still not 100 percent. But his ability to get on the floor and be around these guys has been great.”

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Karlo Matkovic Highlights vs. Memphis Grizzlies 11/2/26

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Karlo Matkovic providing big boost as starter, sparking Pelicans to three straight wins

Faces of Virtue gives a step-by-step tutorial on how to replicate the PelSquad 2026 season look.

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PelSquad 2026 season look makeup tutorial with Faces of Virtue

New Orleans Pelicans guard Jeremiah Fears surprised patients with a visit to The Gayle and Tom Benson Cancer Center on Tuesday, October 27, 2026.

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Recap: Jeremiah Fears surprises patients at Gayle and Tom Benson Cancer Center at Ochsner

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