It was first announced in May that the New Orleans Pelicans would be the featured team, taking on the San Antonio Spurs in the 2026-27 seasons addition of the NBA's Global Games. We knew that one game was set to be played in France on Thursday, January 14, 2027, and the other in Manchester, England on Sunday, January 17, 2027.
On Wednesday, the NBA confirmed the start times and where these games would be streamed exclusively. Both games will air on Amazon Prime, with the Jan 14 game set to tip off at 1 p.m. CT and the Jan 17 game set for bright and early Sunday at 9:30 a.m. CT.
Wemby and Zion star in this season's NBA Global Games, returning to @primevideo in January 2027 🍿
— NBA on Prime (@NBAonPrime) August 12, 2026
NBA Paris Game 2027 | January 14th, 2 PM ET 🌟
NBA Manchester Game 2027 | January 17th, 10:30 AM ET 🌟 pic.twitter.com/ltysstWciL
Given that New Orleans won 26 games last season and the Spurs made the NBA Finals, this matchup looks extremely lopsided to most. But in all honesty, these two games can be much closer than the average fan may suggest because the Pelicans matchup really well with San Antonio.
The Pelicans could ruin Victor Wembanyama's homecoming
While the Spurs took the season series 3-1 last year, this Pelicans team is coming into the 2026-27 season with a new vibe. Sure, the roster is nearly identical to the one they rolled out to start last season, and I could tell you why that’s wrong for hours. However, the hire of Jamahl Mosley is going to give this team a fresh look and have a big impact in his first season.
Whether you think Mosley is a championship-winning coach or not, one thing that can’t be taken from him is his ability to motivate and get the most out of his players, particularly on the defensive end. Over the last three years, the Orlando Magic under Mosley finished with the second-best defensive rating twice, and that type of impact is going to carry over to the Big Easy.
While no team really has a Victor Wembanyama stopper, the Pelicans have the tools we’ve neutralize him at times.
Throwing Herb Jones on Wemby from the perimeter and having Yves Missi roam around the rim to provide help is the type of approach teams like the Knicks found success with against the Alien. The other thing that can work in New Orleans's favor is that, while the Spurs weren’t a bad three-point shooting team like the Pelicans, they were far from elite. San Antonio finished the regular season making the 16th-most threes per game and only 2.5 more than the Pelicans, who finished 27th.
I understand they helped address that need by signing Tobias Harris this offseason, but he also could be set for some regression at 34 years old. So while some teams can shoot the Pelicans out of games, the Spurs don’t appear to have that ability.
Obviously, fans can question whether Zion is an elite enough finisher to score against Wemby, who, as of now, is on pace to be the greatest shot-blocker ever. That being said, there is evidence of Z having success against the 7-foot-5 Frenchman, as in both matchups between the Spurs and Pels that featured both players last season, Zion thrived.
In the first meeting, the 2019 No. 1 overall pick put up 27 points, 10 rebounds, and seven assists while getting to the free-throw line 16 times. In the second meeting, he posted 24 points, 10 rebounds, and four assists while getting to the line five times. If he can replicate that activity on the glass and his ability to draw contact overseas, New Orleans is going to have a real shot in both matchups.
To some, these two overseas dates are the NBA’s way of matching Wemby and the Spurs against inferior competition, only to help the Frenchman grow into an even bigger international superstar. But fans shouldn’t count out the Pelicans just yet. This squad has the tools to make Wemby’s return home less about him and more about the Spurs suffering shocking upset losses.
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