Rookie Derik Queen registered his first 20-point performance on Wednesday, leading the New Orleans Pelicans in a loss to the Portland Trail Blazers off the bench.
Queen produced a team-high 26 points, seven rebounds and four assists in the 125-117 defeat at the Smoothie King Center. He finished by shooting 12-of-18 from the field in 37 minutes as the Pelicans (2-9) dropped their third consecutive game.
The 13th pick in the draft recorded 16 points in the first half to help the Pelicans carry a two-point lead at the intermission. They lost control of the contest over the last two quarters, allowing the Trail Blazers to hold a 68-58 advantage on 62.2% shooting from the field.
“He did a really good job,” Pelicans coach Willie Green said of Queen. “He has been doing a really good job. He is impressive. He touches the floor, and the game changes immediately. He will make some mistakes, but he is aggressive. He is a good passer. He is normally in the right spots defensively, so he is giving us a lot.”
Queen is averaging 10.7 points, 5.6 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.1 steals on 49.5% shooting from the field in 11 appearances. He is eighth in rookie scoring and one of nine first-year players to score at least 20 points in a game this season.
The 20-year-old saw inconsistent minutes to begin the season, but he has forced Green to feature him more prominently. He has responded by scoring in double figures in five straight games, tied for the third-longest streak by a rookie this season.
The Pelicans have dealt with several injuries to key players, including Zion Williamson, Yves Missi, Dejounte Murray and Jordan Poole. They have relied more on Queen and have the utmost trust in him to contribute at a high level in the second unit.