PREVIEW: The New Orleans Pelicans host the Brooklyn Nets at the Smoothie King Center on Wednesday night , pitting two struggling franchises against each other in a matchup that features contrasting trajectories. Brooklyn has dropped seven of their last eight games , most recently falling to the Mavericks in a road loss where Michael Porter Jr. led the team with 28 points, nine rebounds and three assists . Meanwhile, New Orleans has lost 11 of their last 12 games overall , though Trey Murphy III led the team with 31 points on efficient shooting in their most recent outing. Both teams are dealing with notable injury concerns, as the Nets are missing Haywood Highsmith and Ziaire Williams, while the Pelicans have ruled out Dejounte Murray, Jose Alverado and Herbert Jones . The statistical profile reveals two teams struggling to generate consistent offense and defense. The Nets rank 30th in the league for points per game at 108.7 and 30th for rebounds per game at 40.1 , highlighting their difficulty in establishing a complete game on either end of the floor. New Orleans defensively ranks 28th in points allowed per game with 122.4 , suggesting they will need significant improvement to contain a creative Nets offense. This matchup presents an opportunity for both squads to find momentum, though recent form suggests neither team enters as a clear favorite in what shapes up as a competitive, albeit unpredictable, contest.