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The Pelicans will start Jeremiah Fears, Dejounte Murray, Trey Murphy, Zion Williamson and Karlo Matković against the Timberwolves on Friday. Murphy returns after missing Wednesday’s win over Utah, while Herb Jones moves to the bench in New Orleans’ only change to its starting five.
The New Orleans Pelicans will start Jeremiah Fears, Dejounte Murray, Trey Murphy, Zion Williamson and Karlo Matković against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday. Murphy returns after sitting out Wednesday’s win over Utah, and his return puts Herb Jones on the bench in the only change to New Orleans’ starting five.
The starting lineup was reported ahead of Friday’s game by NBC Sports’ fantasy basketball coverage. Murphy had been listed as probable on Thursday, making his availability for the matchup expected, though the lineup update confirms he will start. He missed one game, against the Jazz, before being named among the starters against Minnesota.
Murray also returns to the starting group after missing the Pelicans’ previous three games for personal reasons, according to the report. Fears started during Murray’s absence and played well in the lead playmaker role. The report noted that his performance had prompted questions about how coach Jamahl Mosley would arrange the backcourt once Murray was available; Friday’s lineup has both guards starting.
Murphy’s return changes the forward rotation. Jones moves out of the starting five, while NBC Sports said Murphy could take some playing time from Jones and Saddiq Bey. The report does not give a projected minute total for any of the players, so the scale of those changes is not confirmed. The announced starters are a lineup update, not a full account of how minutes will be distributed during the game.
Murphy’s Return Reshapes the Rotation
Friday’s announcement clarifies how New Orleans will fit two returning players into the starting group. Murphy is back after a one-game absence, while Murray is listed as a starter after missing three games for personal reasons. Their availability gives the Pelicans a different starting combination from the one used during those absences.
For the team, the immediate takeaway is that Jones will begin on the bench, rather than keep a starting role after filling in during Murray’s absence. The lineup could also affect opportunities for Bey, whom NBC Sports identified as another player who may see reduced playing time with Murphy back. Those are projected rotation effects, not confirmed changes to their eventual minutes.
The update is also useful for fantasy basketball decisions made before tipoff. It confirms who is expected to start, but it does not establish how much each player will play or how productive they will be. Managers should distinguish the confirmed starting five from predictions about playing time and fantasy output.
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Absences Behind Friday’s Lineup
The reported lineup follows a short stretch in which the Pelicans had to adjust around player absences. Murray missed three consecutive games for personal reasons, and Fears took on the lead-playmaker role during that period. Jones also entered the starting lineup while Murray was unavailable, according to the report’s account of the team’s recent rotation.
Murphy missed Wednesday’s win over Utah before being listed as probable Thursday. The Pelicans won without him, but Friday’s update brings him back into the first five. NBC Sports also reported that Murphy had played 40 minutes in an overtime game against Memphis earlier in the week, despite having been listed as probable beforehand. That history offers some context for his availability designation, but it does not establish a minutes plan for Friday.
The source identifies Friday’s game against Minnesota as the setting for the change. It does not provide further detail on the reasons for Murray’s absence, and no explanation is needed to understand the confirmed lineup decision.
““Jeremiah Fears, Dejounte Murray, Trey Murphy, Zion Williamson and Karlo Matković will start Friday’s game against the Timberwolves.””
— NBC Sports’ fantasy basketball report
Minutes and Rotation Remain Open
The source confirms the starters but does not state how many minutes Murphy or Murray will play, whether either player will face a restriction, or how the coaching staff will divide minutes among the forwards. The report describes possible reductions for Jones and Bey, but gives no specific rotation projection or commitment from the team.
The report does not provide a detailed update on the cause or status of Murphy’s knee tendinitis, which was mentioned in earlier player-news notes. It also gives no further information about Murray’s personal absence. Readers should not infer a medical explanation or a change in health status beyond the reported probable designation and his inclusion in the starting lineup.
Tipoff Will Test the New Group
The next immediate checkpoint is Friday’s game against the Timberwolves. The announced lineup establishes who will open the game, while the Pelicans’ actual substitutions and playing-time distribution will show how Murphy and Murray are reintegrated and how Jones and Bey fit into the rotation.
Further information about minutes, health management or future lineup decisions may emerge through team updates or after the game. Until then, the confirmed development is limited to the starting five and Jones’ move to the bench; no longer-term rotation change is established by the report.
Key Questions
Who is starting for the Pelicans against the Timberwolves?
Jeremiah Fears, Dejounte Murray, Trey Murphy, Zion Williamson and Karlo Matković are the announced starters.
Why is Trey Murphy back in the lineup?
Murphy returns after missing Wednesday’s win over Utah. He had been listed as probable Thursday and was named in Friday’s starting five.
Who moves to the bench with Murphy’s return?
Herb Jones moves out of the starting lineup. NBC Sports described this as the Pelicans’ only change to their starting five.
Does the report confirm how many minutes the players will get?
No. It confirms the starters but provides no minutes projections. Any effect on Jones’ or Saddiq Bey’s playing time remains a possibility, not a confirmed total.
Source: nbcsports.com
