Pelicans close the preseason Friday night against the Wizards at the Smoothie King Center
New Orleans plays its fourth and final preseason game on Friday, Oct. 16, at home against Washington, two nights after a 101-97 win at Dallas, with the regular season opener against Indiana set for Wednesday, Oct. 21.
NEW ORLEANS: The Pelicans play at home for the first time this preseason on Friday night, Oct. 16, closing their exhibition schedule against the Washington Wizards at the Smoothie King Center. Tipoff is set for 8 p.m. Eastern, according to the previews published by Bullets Forever and Maryland Sports Blog, and the fixture listing at Sportradar, which lists Gulf Coast Sports and Pelicans+ as the New Orleans market broadcasts.
It is the fourth and final preseason game for both teams. Bullets Forever noted that New Orleans, like Washington, is working through a young roster and will move toward final cuts after Friday, ahead of the start of the regular season next week.
New Orleans arrives off a 101-97 win at Dallas on Wednesday night, a result Maryland Sports Blog carried in its preview. Washington arrives with preseason wins over New York, 111-109, and Detroit, 114-108 in overtime, and a 131-122 loss at Brooklyn on Monday, according to Maryland Sports Blog. Bullets Forever also flagged that Brooklyn loss, noting Washington allowed the Nets to shoot 57 percent from the field.
Who is listed, and who may sit
The injury report in the Bullets Forever preview listed Pelicans guard Dejounte Murray as questionable with a toe injury. For Washington, the same preview listed Anthony Davis and Khris Middleton as questionable for rest, and Jamir Watkins, with a knee injury, and Tristan Vukcevic, with a hip injury, as out.
Friday is also the last look at the back of the Pelicans roster before decisions are made. That sorting continued on Thursday, when the team re-signed center Hunter Dickinson, according to reports by Hoops Rumors and Hoops Wire. Both reported the new agreement is a non-guaranteed camp deal, that Dickinson was waived from a two-way contract in August, and that he averaged 17.6 points, 11.0 rebounds and 3.3 assists in 44 games last season for the club’s G League affiliate, the Squadron.
Then it counts
The Pelicans’ first three preseason games were all played on the road, at Oklahoma City, Miami and Dallas, according to the schedule release reported by Louisiana First News. The regular season opener is also at home, against the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday, Oct. 21, at the Smoothie King Center.
Washington opens its regular season the same night, Oct. 21, against Milwaukee, according to Maryland Sports Blog. For both benches on Friday, the minutes given to the deeper parts of the roster will say as much as the score about where each team believes it stands.
None to date. The Tribune corrects errors promptly and transparently. Read our corrections policy.
