Derik Queen leaves Pelicans bench in 138-87 loss to Warriors
New Orleans Pelicans head coach Jamahl Mosley said on Wednesday (11) that Derik Queen left the bench early in the fourth quarter to get treatment on his neck. The walkout became a viral video after the team’s 138-87 loss to the Golden State Warriors.
Mosley spoke to reporters before the Pelicans hosted the Brooklyn Nets in New Orleans. He addressed the episode publicly for the first time, after the clip spread on social media.
Derik Queen left the bench for neck treatment, Mosley says
According to Mosley, Queen had been talking about his neck before the game, and he wanted to lie down for treatment rather than stay on the bench. The coach said Queen chose a route to the locker room that took him away from the crowded area behind the bench.
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“I mean, we’ve seen it. We’ve all looked at it. And the thing about that was Derik had been talking about his neck prior to the game,” Mosley said. He added that Queen had gone back to get treatment and did not want to lie down on the bench.
Pelicans lost 138-87 to Warriors at Chase Center
The Pelicans lost on Monday (9) at Chase Center, in San Francisco, where the Warriors won 138-87. Queen left the bench during the fourth quarter and walked to the visiting locker room, a move that drew attention from fans and from the broadcast.
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Queen finished the game as one of the Pelicans’ best players in the defeat. The episode came during a stretch the team had hoped to build on after a run of wins the week before.
- Date of the game: November 9, 2026
- Venue: Chase Center, San Francisco, California
- Final score: Golden State Warriors 138, New Orleans Pelicans 87
- Derik Queen: 16 points, 4 rebounds and 3 blocks
- Pelicans streak: third straight loss, after defeats to the Timberwolves, the Clippers and the Warriors
Mosley says the Pelicans already talked to Queen
Mosley said the team had already spoken with Queen about the episode. He said the player understood how the moment looked to people watching.
“But again, the route was not the one that we wanted him to take. And that we understand that look. That’s something that we’ve expressed to him and he understands what that looks like as well,” Mosley said.
Why the route to the locker room was a problem
Mosley described the layout of the arena as the main reason for the path Queen took. He said the quickest way to the locker room is the one used by players, while the other option runs behind the bench and then around the outside of the building.
A Warriors employee explained that at Chase Center the visiting bench sits diagonally from the visiting locker room, which forces players to use alternate routes. The arrangement, according to that employee, leaves little room for a direct walk without crossing the area near the bench, where fans are seated.
The walkout came early in the fourth quarter, after Queen was called for a foul on Graham Ike and then pushed the player. The push led to technical fouls on Queen and on Warriors player Yaxel Lendeborg. After that play, Queen walked across the court while the game was still being played and went to sit on the baseline, according to EssentiallySports. The sequence came before the walk to the visitors’ locker room that became the viral video.
Derik Queen’s season numbers and the Pelicans’ losing run
Queen, who wears number 22, had averages of 11.7 points and 7.1 rebounds in the 2026-27 season before the game against the Warriors, according to ClutchPoints. Before that, he had left the bench in the season opener after 18 minutes, a situation that local media had already been commenting on.
The Warriors game was the third straight defeat for the Pelicans, who had won the games before that stretch. The losing run came as the team tried to recover from the early weeks of the season.
Queen had already drawn attention for leaving the bench earlier in the season. In the season opener he came out of the bench after 18 minutes, a situation that local media had been commenting on before the Warriors game. Mosley’s comments came two days after the game, which was played on Monday (9) at Chase Center. Mosley acknowledged that the route was not the one the team wanted and that the image was bad for the team.
What is still unknown about Derik Queen’s absence
No other source confirmed how long Queen was away from the bench or the exact cause of the neck problem. The only details on both points come from Mosley.
The Pelicans have not announced any disciplinary measure against Queen, and no sanction has been confirmed. The result of the game against the Brooklyn Nets, played after Mosley’s statement, has not been verified.
