Is Jeremiah Fears playing tonight against LA Lakers? Latest on Pelicans rookie's status for Summer League clash (July 12)

The New Orleans Pelicans will face the LA Lakers in their second game of the Las Vegas Summer League on Saturday. Rookie Jeremiah Fears should be available for the game at the Thomas and Mack Center.

In their first game of the tournament, the Pelicans faced off against the Minnesota Timberwolves, losing 98-91 in a close affair. Fears made his debut for New Orleans during the game and had an average performance.

The guard recorded 14 points, 2 rebounds and 2 assists in 27 minutes while shooting 4-12 from the field. Although reaching double digits on his debut, Fears looked nervous at times, committing seven turnovers and six personal fouls.

Sophomore Yves Missi had a similar performance with 13 points, but his 13 rebounds earned him a double-double against Minnesota. However, the best performer for the Pelicans was their two-way player, Lester Quinones.

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Signed to the Birmingham Squadron in the G-League, the guard recorded 20 points on the bench while shooting 62.5% from the 3-point line. He also hit 7-12 from the field while collecting 2 rebounds and dishing out 2 assists.

Despite Quinones' performance, the seventh overall pick in the 2025 NBA draft should start against the Lakers, as he is viewed as an important piece of the Pelicans' rebuild. The rookie will hope to have a better outing this time around, with two more games remaining in the Summer League.

Pelicans rookie Jeremiah Fears gets chippy with Timberwolves sophomore during Summer League debut

The Summer League game between the New Orleans Pelicans and the Minnesota Timberwolves was entertaining as both teams put up a good fight. New Orleans took the lead in the first quarter, but a 31-point performance in the second quarter saw the Timberwolves take an eight-point lead at halftime.

However, in the last possession before the break, things got a little heated as Jeremiah Fears was seen getting chippy with Terrence Shannon Jr. The altercation started after the Pelicans' rookie shoved Joan Beringer, earning a retaliation from the Timberwolves' sophomore.

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Referees and teammates quickly diffused the altercation, and both teams headed into the dressing room. In the second half, the Pelicans put up a good fight, winning the third and tying the fourth. However, the 8-point deficit couldn't be erased as the Timberwolves took home a close 98-91 win.

The Pelicans will be looking to make amends against the LA Lakers on Saturday.

About the author

Arian Kashyap is a basketball journalist at Sportskeeda with over two years of experience at Essentially Sports and Spice Bite and a Bachelor's in Physical Education and Sports Sciences.

Arian's favorite team is the Miami Heat and it’s mainly down to Dwyane Wade being his favorite player of all time. Arian loved how explosive Wade was as a player and he had all the attributes, whether that be shooting, defending or passing. Arian really liked how he won titles both with and without a dynasty behind him.

Arian has also worked with Bhaichung Bhutia Football Schools and was the manager for a Delhi-based women’s team called Garwhal Untied. Garwhal won the Delhi league and were runners-up during his tenure.

Arian has judged essay writing competitions for the Commonwealth Students Welfare Group of India in 2023 and was a part of the U-14 team for the Bhaichung Bhutia Football Schools academy that qualified for the AIFF Round in 2023.

When not working or watching sports, Arian likes riding his motorcycle and reading.

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Edited by John Maxwell