"It's a blessing": Pelicans feel the "love" in Melbourne

The New Orleans Pelicans’ biggest stars say they couldn’t be more appreciative of the “love” they’ve received from Australian fans this week.

Zion Williamson and Trey Murphy III reflected on what was an historic night for basketball in Australia, as close to 15,000 fans packed into Rod Laver Arena to watch the first ever NBA game in the country.

“When I say this, I genuinely mean it from my heart … that love is felt and it was really appreciated,” Williamson said.

“How many Pels fans there are out here. I had no idea.”

Williamson put on a show for the Melbourne crowd in just over 15 minutes of game time, scoring 15 points and showing exactly why he’s one of the biggest stars in the NBA.

Chants of ‘we want Zion’ echoed across the stadium late in the game, as 14,880 fans witnessed history.

While the Pelicans won by 10 points, in many ways the result took a backseat to what was a night to remember.

“I didn’t know we had this many fans in Australia. I didn’t know how much they loved basketball here,” Murphy III, who scored 18 points, said.

“It’s really a blessing.

“They welcomed me and my team with open arms and I’m just really thankful for that.”

Head coach Willie Green said the Pelicans were delighted with the reception from the Australian public.

“It was exciting. It was electric,” he said.

“The fans were in tune. They were engaged. It was really a great platform to come here and play against high level competition.

“We are extremely grateful to be able to be here in this country and see the excitement from the fans.”

New Orleans takes on the South East Melbourne Phoenix on Sunday at Rod Laver Arena, with tip-off from 2pm AEDT, live on Prime Video and 10.