The New Orleans Pelicans survived a furious Memphis Grizzlies comeback on Monday night to win their third straight game. New Orleans’ 135-134 overtime victory came after the Grizzlies erased a Pelicans’ nine-point lead with less than two minutes to go in regulation. Grizzlies guard Ty Jerome scored the final nine points in regulation as part of his game-high 40 points, leading all scorers.

Zion Williamson and Karlo Matkovic led New Orleans with 25 points apiece, with Williamson asserting himself late in the game and in overtime to help the Pelicans win. New Orleans handed the Grizzlies their first loss of the year after starting 6-0.

Words were exchanged after the game, and assistant coaches had to separate the players near midcourt. The teams face off again in less than two weeks at the Smoothie King Center. Here are a few things we learned from the Pelicans' victory on Monday.

1. Karlo Matkovic Deserves to Start Moving Forward

Matkovic made his third straight start of the year and had his best performance in the win. The former second-round pick scored 25 points, shot 5/8 from beyond the three-point line, and grabbed six rebounds.

It’s clear the best lineups with Zion Williamson include outside shooting, and Matkovic represents the only stretch big on the roster. The difference in spacing with Matkovic on the court and Yves Missi is noticeable.

For the season, the Croatian-born forward is shooting 45% from three, up from a career-high 42% last season. This improvement justifies his being on the court more with Williamson, even when Missi returns from injury.

The current starting five is 3-0 since head coach Jamahl Mosley inserted this group after the 0-4 start. They deserve to continue the momentum, and Matkovic deserves to start for the long haul.

2. The Bench is Good for Derik Queen

Rarely do you see so much given up for a player on draft night like the Pelicans did for Queen during the 2025 NBA Draft. New Orleans surrendered an unprotected first-round pick to the Atlanta Hawks to move up and draft Queen with the 13th overall pick.

The former Maryland star had his ups and downs last season, with the team moving him to the bench midway through the season. Instead of his continuing to come off the bench this season eroding his confidence, the 21-year-old is carving out a key role as a second-unit facilitator.

Queen’s skill set as a big man allows the Pelicans to use him as a point-forward off the bench, and he usually creates a massive mismatch against the opponent’s reserve bigs. The last couple of games have really showcased his passing ability, with Queen recording five assists on Monday and four on Saturday. He also led all bench players with 20 points on 7-for-13 shooting. This is the Queen the Pelicans envisioned when they moved up to draft him. He’s just best suited coming off the bench.

3. Zion Williamson is Willing to Let it Fly

A major knock on Zion’s game early in his career was his inability to expand past the paint. Now, Williamson is not only attempting outside shots, but shooting them with confidence. Last season, the former two-time All-Star attempted just four three-pointers.

This season, Williamson attempted four in the team’s season opener. On Monday, with the game still in the balance in a tightly contested overtime, Williamson rose for a swished midrange shot, giving the Pelicans a four-point advantage.

His unique skill set of size, speed, and agility always made him a nightmare for opposing teams to guard in the paint. His willingness to attempt outside shots gives defenses yet another thing to think about when guarding him, allowing his offensive game to expand even more.

Guarding Zion was difficult before. Now, adding this element to his game consistently will make him nearly impossible to stop.