The New Orleans Pelicans (3-20) travel to face the Brooklyn Nets (5-17) in a matchup between two of the NBA’s most struggling squads this season. Both teams are mired in the basement of their respective conferences—the Pelicans sitting 15th in the Western Conference and the Nets 13th in the Eastern—desperately seeking momentum amid injury woes and poor execution. This inter-conference clash at Barclays Center could turn into a defensive battle or a high-scoring affair, depending on which depleted roster shows up. With the Pelicans on a brutal five-game skid and the Nets riding a mini two-game home win streak interrupted by a loss, expect fireworks from the few healthy stars on both sides.
Game Information
Tipoff: 5:00 PM ET (2:00 PM PT)
Venue: Barclays Center, Brooklyn, New York (Capacity: 17,732; Home of the Brooklyn Nets since 2012)
Broadcast: YES Network (Nets), Gulf Coast Sports & Entertainment Network (Pelicans), Pelicans+ streaming; Radio on WWL 870 AM for Pelicans fans
Officials: To be announced (NBA typically assigns crews closer to tip-off)
Team Records
| Team | Overall Record | Conference Record | Home/Away Split | ATS Record | O/U Record |
| New Orleans Pelicans | 3-20 (.130) | 1-12 West | 2-10 Home / 1-10 Away | 8-14-1 | 9-14 |
| Brooklyn Nets | 5-17 (.227) | 3-9 East | 1-10 Home / 4-7 Away | 9-13 | 11-11 |
The Pelicans own the league’s worst winning percentage, while the Nets have scraped together a few more victories but remain one of the East’s bottom-feeders.
Recent Team Forms
Both teams are trending downward, but the Nets have shown fleeting signs of life at home.
New Orleans Pelicans (0-5 in last 5 games):
Dec 4: L 116-125 vs. Minnesota Timberwolves (struggled with turnovers and perimeter defense)
Dec 2: L 142-149 vs. Minnesota Timberwolves (high-scoring loss; poor rebounding)
Nov 30: L 121-133 @ Los Angeles Lakers (outshot from deep; 50.5% FG but 50% 3PT allowed)
Nov 29: L 96-104 @ Golden State Warriors (season-low scoring; cold from three at 23.3%)
Nov 26: L 128-133 vs. Memphis Grizzlies (hot shooting but overwhelmed by Grizzlies’ pace)
The Pelicans have been torched defensively, allowing 123.4 PPG (30th in NBA), and their offense has sputtered without key pieces, averaging just 112.7 PPG (24th).
Brooklyn Nets (2-3 in last 5 games):
Dec 4: L 110-123 vs. Utah Jazz (defensive lapses; 26.2% from three)
Dec 3: W 113-103 @ Chicago Bulls (Mikal Bridges erupted for 33 points in a gritty road win)
Dec 1: W 116-103 vs. Charlotte Hornets (balanced attack; 39.5% from deep)
Nov 29: L 99-116 @ Milwaukee Bucks (overmatched inside; 20 turnovers)
Nov 28: L 103-115 vs. Philadelphia 76ers (solid effort but edged out in clutch)
The Nets have won two of their last three home games but rank 27th in scoring (109.0 PPG) and 25th in defensive rating.
Injury Report
Injuries have decimated both rosters, particularly New Orleans, which is without its top scorer and playmaker. Here’s the latest as of December 5 (subject to change at shootaround):
| Team | Player | Position | Status | Injury Details | Est. Return |
| Pelicans | Zion Williamson | PF | OUT | Right adductor strain | Late December |
| Pelicans | Dejounte Murray | PG | OUT | Right Achilles rupture | January 2026 |
| Pelicans | Herb Jones | SF | OUT | Right calf strain | Dec 8 |
| Pelicans | Jordan Poole | SG | OUT (Day-to-Day) | Left quad strain | Dec 6 (GTD) |
| Pelicans | Yves Missi | C | QUESTIONABLE | Right foot/ankle sprain | Dec 6 |
| Pelicans | Hunter Dickinson | C | OUT | G League two-way assignment | N/A |
| Nets | Cam Thomas | SG | OUT | Left hamstring strain | Dec 18 |
| Nets | Haywood Highsmith | SF | OUT | Knee | TBD |
| Nets | Noah Clowney | PF | PROBABLE | Back soreness | Dec 6 |
| Nets | Nolan Traore | PG | OUT | G League assignment | N/A |
The Pelicans are especially vulnerable without Williamson (29.3 PPG) and Murray (18.2 PPG, 6.4 APG), forcing Brandon Ingram into a heavy usage role. For Brooklyn, Thomas’s absence (21.5 PPG) shifts the scoring burden to Mikal Bridges.
Key Player Matchups
With so many absences, this boils down to a few pivotal battles. The Pelicans’ thin backcourt will test Brooklyn’s depth, while the Nets’ wings could exploit New Orleans’ perimeter weaknesses.
Brandon Ingram (Pelicans SF, 24.1 PPG) vs. Mikal Bridges (Nets SF, 22.8 PPG): Ingram’s isolation scoring (42% usage) faces Bridges’ elite on-ball defense (1.2 SPG). Bridges held opponents to 42% shooting last week; if he shadows Ingram effectively, New Orleans’ offense grinds to a halt.
CJ McCollum (Pelicans PG, 19.7 PPG) vs. Dennis Schröder (Nets PG, 14.2 PPG, 5.8 APG): McCollum’s pull-up game (38% 3PT) vs. Schröder’s pesky pressure. Brooklyn’s backcourt has forced 15.2 turnovers per game lately—McCollum’s 2.1 TOV average could balloon.
Yves Missi (Pelicans C, QUES., 8.4 PPG, 7.2 RPG) vs. Nic Claxton (Nets C, 11.5 PPG, 9.1 RPG): If Missi plays, his athleticism challenges Claxton’s rim protection (1.8 BPG). Brooklyn ranks 8th in offensive rebounding; expect a battle on the glass.
Dorian Finney-Smith (Nets SF, 10.2 PPG) vs. Pelicans’ Wing Depth: With Jones out, Finney-Smith’s 3-and-D prowess (37% 3PT) could feast on secondary options like Naji Marshall.
Bench sparks like Nets’ Cam Johnson (14.8 PPG off the pine) vs. Pelicans’ Jose Alvarado could swing momentum.
Series History
The Nets hold a slight all-time edge in this matchup, but recent games have been competitive and high-scoring (average total: 214.5 points). Over 48 regular-season meetings since the Pelicans’ inception:
All-Time Record: Nets 25-23
At Barclays Center: Nets 14-10
Last 10 Meetings: Nets 6-4 (including a 119-114 Nets win on April 8, 2025)
Recent Results:
Apr 8, 2025: Nets 119-114
Nov 11, 2024: Pelicans 105-107 (OT)
Mar 19, 2024: Nets 91-104
Jan 2, 2024: Nets 112-85
Jan 6, 2023: Pelicans 102-108
Brooklyn has covered the spread in 6 of the last 8, often thriving in low-possession games.
Trends:
Nets are 7-3 ATS in last 10 vs. West teams.
Pelicans are 1-9 SU in last 10 road games, 5-2 ATS as underdogs.
Over has cashed in 6 of Nets’ last 8 home games (avg. 228.2 points).
Sharp money leaning Nets ML (65% handle) and Over (opening at 225.5, now 227.5).
Game Odds
New Orleans Pelicans 227.5
Brooklyn Nets – 3.5
Odds Courtesy of Sports Odds Direct as of Friday, December 5, 2025
