The Smoothie King Center in New Orleans hosts the NBA preseason matchup between the New Orleans Pelicans and the Washington Wizards this Friday (16). Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. local time (9 p.m. Brasília time), and fans in Brazil can watch the live broadcast exclusively on NBA League Pass.
Both franchises take the court holding identical records of two wins and one loss in the 2026-27 exhibition standings. The New Orleans Pelicans sit in third place in the Western Conference after securing a 101-97 road victory over the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday (14). Meanwhile, the Washington Wizards occupy the sixth spot in the Eastern Conference following a 131-122 loss to the Brooklyn Nets on Monday (12). In the most recent official regular-season meeting between the two sides, held on March 8, 2026, the Louisiana squad defeated the visitors 138-118.
Broadcast details and live streaming options for the game
Coverage of the exhibition contest for viewers in Brazil is restricted to the league’s official digital subscription platform. Fans can follow the action live through the following service:
- NBA League Pass (streaming platform).
Tip-off time and arena information in New Orleans
The two teams meet in Louisiana to complete their preparation ahead of the official campaign. The complete scheduling and venue details for the Friday night contest are listed below:
- Date: Friday, October 16, 2026.
- Time: 7 p.m. local time in New Orleans (9 p.m. Brasília time).
- Venue: Smoothie King Center, in New Orleans.
- Competition: NBA Preseason.
Jamahl Mosley evaluates Pelicans roster and Dejounte Murray injury status
This contest concludes a four-game exhibition slate for the New Orleans Pelicans under head coach Jamahl Mosley, who took over the team in May 2026 after spending five seasons in charge of the Orlando Magic. On Thursday (15), the front office bolstered its training camp roster by announcing the signing of center Hunter Dickinson.
The projected starting lineup for the home team features point guard Dejounte Murray, shooting guard Trey Murphy III, small forward Herbert Jones, power forward Zion Williamson, and center Yves Missi, who is averaging 7.7 points and 8.3 rebounds per game during the preseason. However, Murray is officially listed as questionable due to a right toe contusion. After playing in the preseason opener against the Oklahoma City Thunder, the guard was held out of the 128-118 loss to the Miami Heat on Thursday (8) as well as the victory over the Dallas Mavericks.
“We are going to continue to be cautious with that. We will just keep evaluating him and seeing how he responds to the treatment we are applying. So right now, to try to gauge whether he plays or not, we are 10 days away from the start of the practice period. Therefore, I will evaluate that when we start getting into the regular-season games,” said Jamahl Mosley regarding the player’s recovery timeline.
With the veteran starter sidelined as a precaution, second-year point guard Jeremiah Fears, who holds a preseason average of 13.0 points per outing, and shooting guard Bennedict Mathurin have stepped into starting roles. During the road win against the Dallas Mavericks, Fears recorded 16 points, 5 assists, and 3 steals across 20 minutes on the floor, while Derik Queen grabbed 11 rebounds. “I think we did a very good job. The most important thing was just playing together. We committed to one thing, which was winning the game,” stated Fears after that matchup.
Washington Wizards lineup features rookie AJ Dybantsa alongside Trae Young
On the opposing bench, the Washington Wizards are led by head coach Brian Keefe, who was retained by general manager Will Dawkins for the 2026-27 cycle. The visitors’ projected starting five consists of point guard Trae Young, shooting guard Kyshawn George, rookie small forward and first overall collegiate draft pick AJ Dybantsa, power forward Anthony Davis, and center Alex Sarr.
According to the medical report from the capital franchise, center Tristan Vukcevic is ruled out with a hip injury that has kept him sidelined for at least four weeks since October 1, 2026. Small forward Jamir Watkins will miss the entire campaign after undergoing surgery in July 2026 to reconstruct the anterior cruciate ligament in his knee. Additionally, power forward Anthony Davis and small forward Khris Middleton are listed as questionable on the official status report due to rest management.
In the loss to the Brooklyn Nets on Monday (12), Kyshawn George paced the Washington offense with 21 points and currently holds an average of 15.7 points per game in the exhibition tournament. In that same contest, Bilal Coulibaly contributed 19 points off the bench, while AJ Dybantsa scored 14 points to maintain his 13.0-point preseason average, and Trae Young posted a double-double of 11 points and 11 assists, bringing his current average to 7.7 assists per game.
Status of the officiating crew for the Friday night matchup
The NBA league office had not yet released the official referee assignments for the game in New Orleans prior to tip-off. The officiating crew is designated by the league operations department ahead of the opening tip at the Smoothie King Center.
Head-to-head history and upcoming regular-season openers
The New Orleans Pelicans hold a narrow edge in the all-time regular-season series against the Washington Wizards, boasting 25 wins and 24 losses across 49 meetings. The Louisiana franchise has put together a six-game winning streak against the Eastern Conference opponent dating back to December 13, 2023, which includes two victories in 2026: a 128-107 road win in Washington on January 9, and a 138-118 home triumph in New Orleans on March 8. During the 2025-26 regular season, the Pelicans finished with a 26-56 record, whereas the Wizards ended the campaign at 17-65.
Both rosters return to action on Wednesday (21) to tip off their upcoming schedules. On that date, the Washington Wizards take on the Milwaukee Bucks, while the New Orleans Pelicans face off against the Indiana Pacers.
