Derik Queen on career high 30 points | Pelicans-Nuggets Postgame 11/19/2025

So, how you feel like you playing tonight? Uh, going up against his jump. What was that like for you? Uh, was good playing against him. Uh, made a lot of plays that I was like, “Wow, too wild while guarding him.” Uh, really good player, really smart player. He he got all the angles right. He It’s just It’s just hard to stop him and and it’s just a well built team that he have around him and and he and they know him very well. So, he often has he often has triple doubles, but the fact that he also almost had 10 uh I want to say turnovers and um fouled out, those are some good statistics for you, I would say. Uh I mean I mean yeah, just a little bit of pressure on both ends off uh defensive end trying to uh turn him over and offensive just going at him just trying to get him in foul trouble. Derek, I was just wondering, Derek, did you guys have any conversations while on the court at all? You guys were match up against each other a lot tonight? No, I tried to say something drunk, but I mean that didn’t say there were a few moments where you kind of had him isolated and you kind of went into his chest and how much you kind of relish those moments to kind of grow out and show what you got. I mean, yeah. Uh, [Music] We knew he he not a we all know that he’s not like a strong defender. So just just going at him and just trying to eliminate him cuz he can take over the game in many ways. So just getting him in foul trouble and uh and foul him out was was huge for the team. Is he a guy that you like stayed alive as you were growing up or? Uh no, not really. Uh, but like probably when I got to college, I probably cuz I knew I was going to get here. So when I got to college, I I watched him a little bit more. Derek, what was it like going up against him defensively, right? You fouled him out, but typically guys that guard him foul out real quick, too. Uh, yeah, it was just it was just me going at him, just uh catching him off guard a lot. uh putting him in different actions, making him recover and just and just just being smart. This this morning of the shoot, I think it was DJ Moon kind of pulled you aside and how to guard him. Just like how who are they going to tell you about what are you going to be able to apply out there? Just be physical with him early. I mean, that’s what anybody you can’t really stop him because if you play him this way or show too much help, he going to make the right pass every time. They going to knock it down. uh on cutters. So, it’s just just basically just trying to I don’t know, just it’s not much you can really do against him. You said when you were in college, you started watching him because you knew you were going to get in the NBA. What parts of his game do you watch and say that’s the most impressive thing or something that you want to try to take pieces of? Uh today, he made a behind the back pass where he uh was somebody like it was a double cut. Uh he made that pass. I was like, “Wow.” Uh No lobs, but Oh, but I I messed that lob up to Trey. What else? And just like just small stuff. I remember Eve was guarding him. I was on the bench. There was a play for him. He uh he uh he had a post up. He he didn’t like the spot. He threw it out and got to his spot and just it just seemed so effortless and easy. So just just just little stuff. We just try to learn other stuff from Well, how did you um did you notice Z’s influence in the game coming back the first time after eight? Yeah, I mean even though I was the I was the uh leading score of the game or whatever, Z presence and Murf presence is like is is huge because they one and two out there and I’m the and I’m I’m fourth fifth out there. So, so just so just uh them just having them out there, they keep an eye on him and just and they just trust me playing my game and just making all the try to make all the right decisions and stuff. What can a game like this do for you? You feel like just playing like that against somebody like that? Just I just got to keep on building. Uh definitely a confidence booster cuz three time MVP NBA champion um and stuff. So just just got to keep on going. Don’t get too high or don’t get too low. Just keep on getting better every day. And what was it like with him and um JV were both out there? Uh it was good. Like uh JV hit I helped too much I guess. Uh he had two big time mid-range mid-ranges. Uh that was huge and stuff. So it was really good. And they both really good players, really good rebounders also. and they both know the game. And there was a few different times where coaches were using you, Z, and Trey in the action together. Uh whether he was with the ball handle, Z was the ball handle, whatever. How much do you kind of like the potential of those actions where all three of y’all can get involved? Uh we actually haven’t had a lot of time doing that. Um due to due to a lot of stuff, uh me and Z work worked 10 minutes together. Just me just getting out his way. Uh just playing off of him, playing off of each other. So, um, yeah, like in the game, I think we show flashes of it, but what is we 15 games in, so we just going to keep on building off of that and just trying to get some wins and just trying to keep building that chemistry. Derek, how good did it feel to hit a mid-range jumper and then you follow that up shortly with a three. Uh, it’s just all it’s just all confidence. I know I haven’t shot the ball well this year, but uh I made made a few mid-ranges this year, but just just trying to keep on building on that. Definitely is it’s all about my um my confidence. Um it is my work. When the season was just started, would you have expected to have a 30point game in your 15th? No, cuz of course my injury had an off uh off season. I mean, I didn’t have a a preseason, so it was just like it was it was a mental thing just me uh I mean, I’m a confident guy, but during that injury, it was it was just like a a lot of not doubting myself, but like a lot of head down. Um, and then like once I got the first game when we played Memphis, play 15 minutes. Uh, it was pretty uh it was pretty good. kind of get got a feel of the game, but just the next game play 35 and just just keep on building after every game. Just keep getting more comfortable. So, you got to surprise yourself a little with your scoring output early. I mean, no. Uh kind of after after I got a few games under my belt, I was like, it’s kind of so easy cuz it’s so much space and I have good players on on my team. So, like I’m not the key. I’m not the main guy they focusing on. So I have the fourth fifth guy on me. It’s kind of make it kind of make it easier. Thank you.

New Orleans Pelicans forward/center Derik Queens postgame interview after the Pelicans’ game against the Denver Nuggets on Wednesday, Nov. 19 during the 2025-26 NBA season.
#pelicans #nba #neworleanspelicans
Latest NBA News & Pelicans News @ https://www.pelicans.com

Subscribe to the New Orleans Pelicans YT Channel: https://bit.ly/PelicansSubscribe
Add the Pelicans Schedule to your Calendar: https://calendar.pelicans.com/
Latest Pelicans News and Updates: https://www.nba.com/pelicans
Latest NBA News and Updates: https://www.nba.com/
Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PelicansNBA/
Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/PelicansNBA
Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pelicansnba/
Find us on Snapchat: https://www.snapchat.com/add/pelicansnba
Get the App: http://apps.yinzcam.com/nba/nop

11 comments
Leave a Reply