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Timberwolves at Pelicans: New Orleans’ streak meets a Minnesota team finding points without Edwards

The Pelicans have won four straight after opening 0–4. The Timberwolves are 6–3 and already have a victory in West Group B of the NBA Cup. Friday’s game in New Orleans tests whether Minnesota’s shared scoring can withstand the home team’s attacks around the basket and its recent resilience in close finishes.

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Daytime exterior of Smoothie King Center in New Orleans, with Pelicans lettering on its facade and people near the entrance, in 2020.
Smoothie King Center, the Pelicans’ home arena in New Orleans. Archive image from 2020. © Infrogmation of New Orleans / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0; resized)

New Orleans climbed back from a six-point deficit at the start of overtime to beat Utah on Wednesday. Minnesota, playing without Anthony Edwards, closed a 117–107 win in Houston with six players scoring in double figures. Those performances give this Cup meeting a more specific question than the standings alone: which team can sustain its preferred offense when the other forces it away from the paint?

  • Competition: 2026 NBA Cup, West Group B.
  • Game: Minnesota Timberwolves at New Orleans Pelicans.
  • Tipoff: Friday, November 6, at 7:00 p.m. CST in New Orleans; 8:00 p.m. EST; Saturday, November 7, at 01:00 UTC.
  • Venue: Smoothie King Center, New Orleans, Louisiana.

How both teams arrived at this Cup game

Minnesota opened its group schedule with a 127–101 win over the Clippers on October 30. LaMelo Ball scored 24 points and Jaden McDaniels 23 in that game, leaving the Wolves 1–0 in the group. Their overall record rose to 6–3 after Wednesday’s win over Houston. Ayo Dosunmu led Minnesota with 21 points and six assists, Ball added 20 and six, and Jonathan Kuminga scored 16, including four three-pointers. The Wolves outscored Houston 35–23 in the fourth quarter, according to the NBA box score. Without Edwards, the last two wins have required contributions from several positions rather than a single replacement scorer.

The Pelicans have taken a different route to 4–4. They lost their first four games and have now won four in succession, the last two in overtime. Against Utah, they trailed by ten entering the fourth quarter and by six early in the extra period before winning 120–113. Zion Williamson had 23 points, Saddiq Bey 22 and Dejounte Murray 20; Derik Queen supplied 20 points, nine rebounds and six assists. Friday is New Orleans’ first game in West Group B, so Minnesota enters with one Cup result already on its record while the Pelicans are starting theirs.

Paint pressure against a wider scoring attack

New Orleans scored 62 points in the paint against Utah, according to the NBA. Williamson can generate that pressure with his strength; Queen offers another inside option while also passing out of congestion. Rudy Gobert gives Minnesota an established rim protector, but the visiting perimeter defenders will have to contain drives before they reach him. Repeated help toward the basket could leave room for New Orleans’ outside shooters.

At the other end, Ball and Kuminga made important perimeter shots in Houston’s fourth quarter. If the Pelicans extend their defense toward those shooters, Dosunmu and McDaniels could find space on the next pass or cut. New Orleans erased a late deficit against Utah, but another comeback against Minnesota would also demand secure defensive rebounds and fewer second chances.

Availability remains unsettled

The Timberwolves announced on October 29 that Edwards had undergone arthroscopic surgery on his right knee and said they would provide an update as his recovery progressed. They gave no return date. The NBA injury report issued Thursday, November 5, at 6:45 p.m. EST rules him out for Friday. Donte DiVincenzo is also out as he recovers from surgery on his right Achilles tendon. Terrence Shannon Jr. is questionable with a left hip contusion.

Trey Murphy III missed the Pelicans’ win over Utah after being listed with a condition affecting both knees. On the same NBA report, he is probable for Friday. Yves Missi is out with a left knee bone bruise; Malik Dia and Jaron Pierre Jr., both two-way players, are listed as doubtful. Dejounte Murray scored 20 against Utah. Player designations can change before tipoff.

Where to watch Timberwolves–Pelicans

  • United States — Friday, November 6, 8:00 p.m. EST / 5:00 p.m. PST: NBA League Pass outside the teams’ local markets, subject to league blackouts. The Pelicans’ official game preview lists KARE 11 and DAZN-MIN for Minnesota’s market, plus Gulf Coast Sports & Entertainment Network and Pelicans+ for New Orleans’ authorized local market.
  • United Kingdom — Saturday, November 7, 01:00 GMT: NBA League Pass; no separate UK channel is listed for this game by the operator.
  • Australia, Sydney and Melbourne — Saturday, November 7, 12:00 AEDT: NBA League Pass; no separate Australian channel is listed for this game by the operator.
  • Australia, Brisbane — Saturday, November 7, 11:00 AEST: NBA League Pass; no additional game-specific channel confirmed.
  • Australia, Perth — Saturday, November 7, 09:00 AWST: NBA League Pass; no additional game-specific channel confirmed.

A Minnesota win would be its second in the group; New Orleans is seeking its first. The game will also show whether the Pelicans’ late-game run holds against an opponent distributing the scoring load while Edwards is out.