On January 21, 2025, Beijing time, the 11-win and 32-loss Pelicans faced the 10-win and 30-loss Jazz at home. The Pelicans were missing Zion, Ingram, Jones, and Missy, starting with Murray, McCollum, Murphy, Green, and Tais. On the Jazz side, Markkanen, Sexton, Collins, and Clarkson were absent, starting with Collier, George, Mihai, Kovi, and Kesler.
In the first quarter, Kesler, Collier, and George scored 14-0, followed by a three-pointer from Murphy. Collier and George responded with threes, giving the Jazz a 20-3 lead. McCollum then started scoring continuously, but Collier, Phil, and Sensabo responded, extending the Jazz's lead to 19 points. Murphy dunked, and Youban responded with a 2+1, making the gap 20 points. Murphy made free throws, but Kovi and Youban responded, keeping the difference at 22 points. McCollum scored another four points, while Phil made free throws. At the end of the first quarter, the Jazz led 38-19.
In the second quarter, Murray scored a layup, but Mihai and Youban responded strongly, increasing the lead to 25 points. Hawkins and Murray reduced the gap to 19 points, but Collier and Mihai scored again. Hawkins continued to score, reducing the gap to 18 points. Phil and Kesler extended the lead to 22 points, but Murray, Hawkins, and Murphy narrowed it back to 15 points. Sensabo, Kesler, and Collier scored consecutively, while Murphy, McCollum, and Murray tried to catch up, leaving the halftime score at 69-49 in favor of the Jazz.
In the third quarter, George scored four points, giving the Jazz a 24-point lead. Tais, Murphy, and Murray scored for the Pelicans, but George, Kesler, and Mihai responded, maintaining a 23-point lead. Murray and McCollum reduced the gap to 16 points, but Mihai and Collier extended it back to 21 points. Murray, Murphy, and McCollum brought the gap down to 9 points. Youban made free throws, and Hawkins scored five consecutive points, reducing the gap to just 5 points. Collier scored a layup, ending the third quarter with the Jazz leading 89-82.
In the fourth quarter, McCollum, Hawkins, and Alvarado scored 8-0, allowing the Pelicans to take a one-point lead. Mihai, Mills, and Youban responded, regaining a seven-point lead. Murphy and McCollum narrowed the gap to one point, but Harkless made free throws. McCollum scored another five points, giving the Pelicans a two-point lead. Sensabo made a three-pointer to take the lead by one point, but McCollum responded with a three-pointer to lead by two points. George made both free throws to tie the score. In the following two minutes, neither team scored. Kesler scored off an offensive rebound, giving the Jazz a two-point lead with 33 seconds left. Murray tied the score with a layup, leaving 16 seconds on the clock. Collier missed a floater, leading to overtime, during which McCollum scored 18 points.
In overtime, McCollum scored a layup, while George made one of two free throws. McCollum and Tais scored four consecutive points, giving the Pelicans a five-point lead. Phil dunked, but McCollum responded with two free throws, maintaining a five-point lead. George scored four consecutive points, reducing the gap to one point. Murphy made a three-pointer, creating a four-point lead. Kesler scored off an offensive rebound, reducing the gap to two points with 30 seconds left. McCollum missed a mid-range shot, but Tais grabbed the offensive rebound, forcing the Jazz to foul. Murphy made both free throws, maintaining a four-point lead. George missed a three-pointer, ending the game with the Pelicans winning 123-119. This victory was a miracle, as they had trailed by 25 points at one point.
McCollum made 18 of 31 shots (5 of 13 from three-point range) for 45 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists, and 3 blocks, achieving his first 45+5 record this season. Murray made 8 of 24 shots for 26 points, 9 rebounds, and 11 assists. Murphy made 6 of 15 shots for 24 points, 7 rebounds, and 2 assists. Hawkins scored 18 points and 1 rebound.
Collier made 7 of 20 shots for 20 points, 3 rebounds, and 11 assists, setting a career record with double-digit assists in three consecutive games. This 29th pick from the 2024 draft has shown great potential. George made 6 of 20 shots for 23 points, 4 rebounds, and 7 assists. Kesler made 8 of 10 shots for 19 points and 13 rebounds. Mihai scored 19 points and 4 rebounds, while Phil scored 10 points and grabbed 17 rebounds.
After this win, the Pelicans have achieved a four-game winning streak. However, they remain ranked 14th in the West, still ten games behind the 11th-ranked Warriors. It will be challenging for the Pelicans to reach the play-in tournament area. Despite their impressive roster on paper, injuries have plagued them this season, resulting in poor performance. Reports suggest that the Pelicans are considering trading away Zion due to his low attendance rate, as building a team around him seems futile. If they can trade Zion for suitable players, the Pelicans could still be competitive.