Murphy, Fears lead Pelicans past Bulls 114-104 for second straight win

CHICAGO (AP) —

Trey Murphy III scored 20 points with 10 rebounds, rookie Jeremiah Fears added 20 points and the New Orleans Pelicans topped the Chicago Bulls 114-104 on Sunday night.

The last-place Pelicans won their second straight following a seven-game losing streak to improve to 5-22. They've beaten the Bulls twice this season.

Zion Williamson scored 18 points, including seven down the the stretch, in his return to the lineup to help the Pelicans pull away late. Jordan Poole had 16 for New Orleans, who outrebounded Chicago 53-43 and outscored the Bulls 60-46 in the paint.

Coby White led Chicago with 20 points, and Kevin Huerter connected for 16 off the bench in his return from left adductor strain as the Bulls lost for the eighth time in nine games.

New Orleans led 76-75 after three quarters. The Pelicans had opened a 13-point lead 5:14 into the third, but White started connecting and the Bulls used a 16-2 run to get back into the game.

Chicago took a three-point lead early in the fourth. Then the Pelicans muscled back ahead to take control, punctuated by Williamson's dunk with 37 seconds left.

Williamson, the NBA’s top draft pick in 2019, most recently missed five games with a right hip adductor strain. Four separate injuries have limited the two-time All-Star to just 11 games this season for the Pelicans.

He didn’t start this one, but entered the game off the bench 4:35 into the first quarter and played 26:37

Both teams struggled offensively in a choppy game; New Orleans shot 45.7% and Chicago 41.3%

New Orleans led 52-47 at halftime after opening a nine-point lead late in the second quarter. Williamson got rolling late in the second quarter, scoring eight of his 11 first-half points in the final four minutes.

Pelicans: Host Houston on Thursday.

Bulls: Host Cleveland on Wednesday.

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New Orleans Pelicans' Zion Williamson, right, battles Chicago Bulls' Zach Collins (12) for the ball during the first half of an NBA basketball game Sunday, Dec. 14, 2025, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Paul Beaty)

Chicago Bulls' Coby White (0) goes up to shoot against New Orleans Pelicans' Karlo Matkovic (17) during the second half of an NBA basketball game Sunday, Dec. 14, 2025, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Paul Beaty)

Chicago Bulls' Coby White yells at a referee during the second half of an NBA basketball game against the New Orleans Pelicans, Sunday, Dec. 14, 2025, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Paul Beaty)

New Orleans Pelicans' Herb Jones (2) goes up for a dunk against Chicago Bulls' Matas Buzelis (14) during the first half of an NBA basketball game Sunday, Dec. 14, 2025, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Paul Beaty)

New Orleans Pelicans' Zion Williamson, right, battles Chicago Bulls' Zach Collins (12) for the ball during the first half of an NBA basketball game Sunday, Dec. 14, 2025, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Paul Beaty)

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — A combined missile and drone attack on the Kyiv region killed at least four people and wounded at least 15 overnight into Saturday, according to the head of the regional administration for the Ukrainian capital.

Three of the wounded were in critical condition, of whom two were undergoing surgery, Mykola Kalashnyk reported on Saturday. The attack hit four districts, damaging residential buildings, educational institutions, enterprises and critical infrastructure, Kalashnyk added in a social media post.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the main target for the overnight strikes was "the energy infrastructure of the Kyiv region.” He said Russia launched around 430 drones of various types during the night, as well as 68 missiles.

The strikes came days after the U.S. postponed peace talks between Russia and Ukraine scheduled for this week, citing the war in the Middle East.

As U.S. and Israeli missiles and bombs rain on Iran, Russia has responded with words of indignation but no action to support its ally. Moscow’s failure to help another ally, after the 2024 ouster of former Syrian ruler Bashar Assad and January’s U.S. arrest of Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro, highlighted the limits of its influence — but the Kremlin expects to reap benefits from the Iran war.

Russia is already profiting from a surge in global energy prices, and could hope that the Mideast war will detract attention from Ukraine and deplete Western arsenals.

Zelenskyy on Saturday called on Kyiv's Western partners to pay “one hundred percent attention” to the need to boost the production of air defense missiles.

“Russia will try to exploit the war in the Middle East to cause even greater destruction here in Europe, in Ukraine," he said in a post on social media.

"We must be fully aware of the real level of the threat and prepare accordingly, namely: in Europe, we need to develop the production of air defense missiles — especially those capable of countering ballistic threats — as well as all other systems necessary to truly protect lives,” he said.

Kyiv is also awaiting White House approval for a major drone production agreement proposed by Ukraine last year, Zelenskyy said Thursday, as countries scramble to modernize their air defenses after the Iran war exposed shortcomings.

Also on Thursday, Zelenskyy criticized the 30-day U.S. waiver on Russian oil sanctions amid the war in the Middle East, saying it is “not the right decision” and won’t help bring a stop to Russia’s more than 4-year-old invasion of Ukraine.

“This easing alone by the United States could provide Russia with about $10 billion for the war,” Zelenskyy said. “This certainly does not help peace.”

Overnight into Saturday, Ukrainian drones hit an oil refinery and port in Russia’s southern Krasnodar region, local Russian officials reported.

Krasnodar authorities said three people were hurt in a strike on Port Kavkaz, a port opposite Crimea used to ship liquefied natural gas and grains. A service vessel and pier infrastructure were damaged, they added in a post on Telegram.

Falling drone debris also sparked a fire at the region’s Afipsky oil refinery, authorities said in a separate Telegram post. They said no one was hurt, but did not immediately comment on damage.

Earlier this week, Russian and Ukrainian officials both claimed front-line progress, with Ukraine saying it pushed Moscow’s forces back across places on the front line and the Kremlin insisting Russia’s invasion of its neighbor is making progress.

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy speaks during a joint presser with France's President Emmanuel Macron, not pictured, following a bilateral meeting at the Elysee Presidential Palace in Paris, Friday March 13, 2026. (Ludovic Marin/Pool Photo via AP)