Somber Pelicans start 2025 with 119-108 loss in Miami
MIAMI (AP) – In a season that has been full of losses, the Pelicans started 2025 with another one Wednesday (Jan. 1) in Miami.
Tyler Herro scored 32 points to lead the Heat to a 119-108 victory. But the Pelicans were feeling a deeper sense of loss from the news of the early morning terror attack back home in New Orleans that left 15 dead and dozens injured on Bourbon Street.
“A senseless act of violence,” Pelicans coach Willie Green said. “We’ve discussed it a bit with our players. But we’re just living in times and in a world where you just don’t know where you’re safe. Schools? Churches? People should be able to go out and have a good time and walk the streets.
“It’s devastating. And I can only imagine what those families are going through, what they have to deal with now for the rest of their lives.”
The Pelicans, who never led, lost their 11th consecutive game and are 1-20 in their last 21 contests.
“We have to do a better job of starting games with a sense of urgency,” Green said. “And every time we got right back in it, they made more plays than we did.”
Trey Murphy III scored a game-high 34 points for the Pelicans. Murphy tied for the third-most points by a Pelicans player this season. C.J. McCollum had 36 on Dec. 12 and Murphy had 35 on Dec. 27.
“Trey was great,” Green said. “He attacked all night. It’s good to see him be as aggressive as he was.”
Bam Adebayo flirted with a triple-double with 23 points, nine rebounds and 10 assists for Miami, which also got 17 points from Duncan Robinson.
McCollum scored 22 for New Orleans.
Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said the news out of New Orleans, when displayed on televisions in the team weight room Wednesday morning, brought everyone “to an absolute halt.”
“It’s terrifying,” Spoelstra said. “It’s horrific. Until we all find out more details, you pray for all the families and everybody that’s experiencing loss.”
The Heat held a pregame moment of silence for the victims in New Orleans, adding that to one previously planned to commemorate the life of President Jimmy Carter, who died earlier this week.
On the Pelicans’ television broadcast, play-by-play announcer Joel Meyers and analyst Antonio Daniels expressed their anguish over what happened in New Orleans.
“If you think about what Bourbon Street represents, it’s a place of joy. It’s a place of laughter. It’s a place of marriages, of bachelorette parties, bachelor parties, a place where people come together,” Daniels said. “And like Coach Green said, a senseless act of violence comes to try and tear this city apart? My heart hurts. My heart hurts for this city. It’s unfortunate. It’s unfortunate that this is the dark world that we live in today.”
The Pelicans have dropped 15 in a row on the road. It’s the 100th time in NBA history that a team has had a road losing streak of 15 or more in the same season.
The Pelicans return home to face the Washington Wizards on Friday.
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