Pelicans End the Grizzlies' Unbeaten Start 135-134 in Overtime Despite Ty Jerome's 40

By The Arena Staff

MEMPHIS, Tenn., Nov. 2, 2026 — Ty Jerome did almost everything a player can do to keep a perfect season alive. It still came down to two free throws by the other team.

Jeremiah Fears made both with 7.3 seconds left in overtime, Jerome's last-second pull-up came up short, and the New Orleans Pelicans beat the Memphis Grizzlies 135-134 on Monday night at FedExForum, handing the NBA's last unbeaten team its first loss.

Memphis came in 6-0 and one win from the best start in franchise history, according to USA Today. For most of the fourth quarter it looked like that chase was over. Karlo Matkovic hit a 3-pointer with 2:36 to play that put New Orleans up 124-115, according to ESPN's play-by-play.

Then Jerome took over. He scored Memphis' final nine points of regulation on three floaters and a 26-foot running 3, and his last floater with 4.6 seconds left tied it at 124. Saddiq Bey missed a 3 at the buzzer, and the game went to overtime.

The extra period was a duel between Jerome and Zion Williamson. Jerome hit a 30-foot step-back 3 to give Memphis a 129-127 lead, and Williamson answered with nine of New Orleans' 11 overtime points, including a step-back jumper that made it 133-129 with 1:16 left. Jerome scored the next five, finishing with a three-point play with 18.8 seconds to go that put the Grizzlies back in front 134-133.

New Orleans needed one more possession and got it the hard way. Williamson missed a turnaround jumper, Bey grabbed the offensive rebound, and Fears was fouled by Jaylen Wells. He made both. Jerome's 14-foot pull-up on the other end didn't fall.

Jerome finished with 40 points on 14-of-22 shooting, including 5 of 6 from 3-point range, and made 7 of 8 free throws. Rookie Cameron Boozer added 18 points and nine rebounds, and Wells scored 16.

Williamson led the Pelicans with 25 points and 11 rebounds. Matkovic also scored 25 and made five 3-pointers, Derik Queen had 20 off the bench, and Bey and Trey Murphy III scored 18 apiece. New Orleans, which opened the season 0-4, has now won three straight and is 3-4. Memphis is 6-1.

Sources: ESPN, Fox 8 WVUE and USA Today.