James Borrego's Pelicans are giving Jeremiah Fears and Derik Queen room to grown but it's not a winning recipe for Zion Williamson.

Kevin Durant had 18 points and moved into sixth place on the NBA’s career points list, and Jabari Smith Jr. scored a season-high 32 points as the Houston Rockets beat the New Orleans Pelicans 119-110 Sunday night.

The Pelicans have gone 4-24 against Western Conference opponents. New Orleans is seventh in the NBA with 12.4 offensive rebounds per game led by Yves Missi averaging 2.9.

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Trey Murphy III scored 34 points, Saddiq Bey made a 3-pointer, converted an offensive rebound into a dunk and hit two free throws in the final 1:04, and the New Orleans Pelicans edged the Brooklyn Nets 116-113.

The Chicago Bulls have been linked to a former 2024 first-round pick with the trade deadline only a few weeks away.

The Pelicans are in desperate need of a pivot around Zion Williamson but Trey Murphy III is not strong enough to carry those burdens alone.

Both the Houston Rockets and New Orleans Pelicans may be without multiple key players in Sunday night's matchup.