Pelicans Make Franchise History vs Pistons

New Orleans set a new franchise mark on Sunday against Detroit on the road.

Mar 23, 2025; Detroit, Michigan, USA; New Orleans Pelicans guard CJ McCollum (3) drives to the basket against Detroit Pistons center Isaiah Stewart (28) and forward Simone Fontecchio (19) in the first quarter at Little Caesars Arena. Mandatory Credit: Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images / Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images

The New Orleans Pelicans ended their road trip with a 136-130 loss to the Detroit Pistons on Sunday.

Zion Williamson missed his second consecutive game with back soreness after falling awkwardly on Wednesday night against the Minnesota Timberwolves. Pelicans' guard CJ McCollum led all scorers with 40 points in the loss.

New Orleans made franchise history with four players recording at least seven assists in a game. Kelly Olynyk (8), Jose Alvarado (8), CJ McCollum (7), and Jeremiah Robinson-Earl (7) helped the Pelicans accumulate 35 assists on the afternoon. New Orleans played much better versus the Pistons on Sunday than last week when Detroit beat New Orleans by 46 points.

First time in #Pelicans history to have 4 players with 7+ assists in a game

Olynyk - 8
Alvarado - 8
McCollum - 7
Robinson-Earl - 7 pic.twitter.com/iunr2Vl4Fx

— New Orleans Pelicans (@PelicansNBA) March 23, 2025

Detroit played Sunday's game without star guard Cade Cunningham, who was a late scratch from Sunday's lineup with a calf injury. The former No. 1 overall pick did not appear in the team's injury report but was ruled out of the game shortly before tip-off. Pistons forward Ronald Holland II came off the bench and led the team in scoring with 26 points.

New Orleans returns home on Monday to face the injury-riddled Philadelphia 76ers. There is no immediate word on the status of Zion Williamson, whom the team has withheld from playing back-to-back games since his return from injury in February. The Pelicans are far removed from playoff contention, so the team is cautious with its star for the remainder of the year.

Smooth Hawk-KO connect pic.twitter.com/7Tk8bd5mu0

— New Orleans Pelicans (@PelicansNBA) March 23, 2025

The Pelicans have experienced season-ending injuries to Trey Murphy III, Dejounte Murray, and Herb Jones in a disappointing season for the franchise. New Orleans won 49 games last year, which is the second-highest in franchise history. This year, the Pelicans have the second-worst record in the Western Conference.

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