By Clipper Nation Insider (@ClipNationIns) | Nov. 8, 2026 | Intuit Dome, Inglewood
Clippers vs Pelicans, Sunday, Nov. 8, 2026, 6:00 PM PT, Intuit Dome
The LA Clippers (1-7, seven straight losses) host the New Orleans Pelicans (4-5) tonight without five players, including both backup bigs Isaiah Jackson (left groin soreness) and Yanic Konan Niederhauser, while New Orleans is missing only center Yves Missi. The deciding lever is ball security: LA commits a league-worst 20.1 turnovers per game, and New Orleans leads the NBA with 11.8 steals per game. CNI pick: Pelicans 117, Clippers 112.
Final availability: Clippers vs Pelicans injury report and projected starters
Clippers out (NBA injury report, 7:15 PM ET): Bradley Beal (right knee injury management), Brandon Ingram (right heel surgery), Isaiah Jackson (left groin soreness), Jordan Miller (left rotator cuff surgery), Yanic Konan Niederhauser (right Lisfranc surgery). Pelicans out: Yves Missi (left knee contusion, bone bruise), plus two-way players Malik Dia and Jaron Pierre Jr. on G League assignment.
Projected starters (DailyOverlay, pending official lineups): Clippers: Darius Garland, Kris Dunn, Derrick Jones Jr., Rui Hachimura, Brook Lopez. Pelicans: Dejounte Murray, Jeremiah Fears, Trey Murphy III, Zion Williamson, Karlo Matkovic.
1. Ball security against the NBA's steals leader
The number: 20.1. That is how many turnovers the Clippers average, 30th in the NBA, on a 17.5 percent turnover rate that also ranks 30th. Garland alone averages 5.5. New Orleans averages 11.8 steals (1st) and forces 17.4 turnovers per game (7th).
Why it decides tonight: This is the matchup's biggest mismatch. Murray (2.2 steals) and Zion Williamson (2.4 steals) jump passing lanes, and the Pelicans play at a 101.7 pace (4th), so live-ball turnovers become layups before LA can set its half-court defense. With LA's offense rated 108.1 (25th), the Clippers cannot afford to lose possessions before they even get a shot up.
Success looks like: 15 or fewer turnovers and Garland at 3 or fewer. Failure: 20-plus again and New Orleans winning the transition battle by double digits.
2. No free points: keep New Orleans off the free-throw line
The number: 31.3. New Orleans averages 31.3 free-throw attempts per game (3rd) and ranks 2nd in free throws per field-goal attempt (0.292). Williamson takes 7.0 per game, and Derik Queen and Trendon Watford add 4.2 each off the bench.
Why it decides tonight: LA's defense is actually decent here, holding opponents to 0.205 free throws per field-goal attempt (10th). But with Jackson and Konan Niederhauser out, Lopez is the only true center, and every early foul on him pushes Hachimura or Jones Jr. into small-ball minutes against Williamson and Queen. The Clippers attempt only 23.3 free throws (23rd), so a big gap at the line is hard for them to make up.
Success looks like: New Orleans under 25 attempts and Lopez playing his normal first-quarter stint. Failure: the Pelicans in the bonus by the midpoint of quarters and Lopez sitting with two fouls.
3. Wall off Zion: pack the paint and dare them to shoot
The number: 27.9. New Orleans attempts 27.9 threes per game, fewest in the league, and makes 32.7 percent (24th). Williamson is shooting 59.8 percent and averaging 20.6 points, almost entirely inside the arc.
Why it decides tonight: The Pelicans live at the rim, so the Clippers can sag. Jones Jr. should get the primary assignment on Williamson with help loading early from the weak side, and LA can go under screens for Murray (25.0 percent from three) and Fears (23.5 percent). The shooters to respect are Trey Murphy III (36.4 percent on 5.5 attempts) and Saddiq Bey (38.6 percent). LA allows opponents 57.5 percent on twos, so the wall has to hold better than it has.
Success looks like: Williamson seeing a second defender on drives and New Orleans settling for Murray and Fears jumpers. Failure: Williamson getting downhill one-on-one and the help leaving Murphy or Bey open in the corner.
4. Win the three-point math
The number: 38.2 percent. The Clippers shoot 38.2 percent from three (2nd in the NBA) but rank 21st in attempts at 36.0 per game. New Orleans allows 39.1 three-point attempts per game, though opponents have made only 31.3 percent against them (2nd lowest).
Why it decides tonight: This is LA's clearest path. New Orleans gives up the volume because it protects the paint, so the Clippers should get attempts as long as they make the extra pass instead of driving into that crowd and turning it over (Key 1). If LA matches its season percentage on 40 attempts, that is about a 15-make night against a team that makes 9.1 per game.
Success looks like: 40 or more attempts and at least five more made threes than New Orleans. Failure: attempts stuck in the low 30s and Garland isolations ending in the paint.
5. The glass without Isaiah Jackson
The number: 2.6. Jackson's 2.6 offensive rebounds per game lead the Clippers, and he is out tonight. LA ranks 21st in defensive rebounding percentage (71.5) while New Orleans averages 44.4 rebounds (to LA's 41.4), with Queen grabbing 7.4 off the bench.
Why it decides tonight: With two bigs out, LA's rebounding has to come from the wings: Hachimura (6.5 rebounds) and Jones Jr. (5.3) must hit bodies before they leak out. If the Clippers give up second chances on top of turnovers, New Orleans simply gets more shots at a rim LA cannot fully protect.
Success looks like: New Orleans held to 10 or fewer offensive rebounds. Failure: Queen and Williamson combining for a pile of putbacks when Lopez sits.
CNI score prediction: Pelicans 117, Clippers 112
New Orleans is a 1.5-point favorite on DraftKings with a total of 226.5. We lean a little harder toward the Pelicans: their strengths (steals, free throws, rebounding) hit LA's weak spots directly, and the Clippers are down both backup centers. Contingency flip: if LA keeps turnovers at 15 or fewer and holds New Orleans under 25 free-throw attempts, flip it: Clippers 114, Pelicans 111.