NBA: Curry scores 39 to lead Warriors rally over Pelicans

LOS ANGELES -- Golden State erased a 20-point deficit to beat the New Orleans Pelicans 120-109 on Tuesday, with Stephen Curry scoring 39 points as the Warriors edged ahead of Minnesota into sixth place in the Western Conference.

Curry drained five of his eight three-pointers in the second half as the reigning NBA champion Warriors came alive, surging past the Pelicans to win a sometimes sloppy, often scrappy contest and boost their chances of avoiding the play-in tournament for teams placed seventh through 10th in each conference.

Golden State star Draymond Green and New Orleans' Brandon Ingram received double technical fouls with 3:45 left in the second quarter after they exchanged words in the wake of Green's foul on the Pelicans player -- which was upgraded to a flagrant.

Green's collision with Herbert Jones sparked some more shoving, and with 14 turnovers in the testy first half, the Warriors were down 17 at the break.

They opened the third quarter on an 8-0 scoring run and had cut the deficit to four points going into the fourth.

"We started playing with some heart and intensity," Green said of the difference in the second half.

Jordan Poole's reverse layup early in the fourth gave the Warriors their first lead since the first quarter, 95-94, and they didn't trail again.

Poole scored 13 of his 21 points in the fourth quarter, and Klay Thompson added 17 for the Warriors.

Ingram led the Pelicans with 26 points and Trey Murphy added 21, but New Orleans coach Willie Green said his team's lackluster start to the third quarter was fatal.

"We started, I believe it was eight-zip," he said. "Two turnovers. You can't give this team any life. Once they get going, once this building gets going, it's tough to stop them."

- Wizards shock Celtics -

Elsewhere, the Boston Celtics' chances of overtaking the Milwaukee Bucks for the top seed in the East took a hit with an ugly 130-111 loss to the lowly Washington Wizards.

Perhaps caught looking ahead to a Thursday clash with the Bucks, the Celtics were lackadaisical on defense, unable to stop a Wizards team missing two key players in Bradley Beal and Kyle Kuzma.

Kristaps Porzingis scored 32 points for the Wizards and Deni Avdija added 25.

Jayson Tatum returned from a one-game absence to lead the Celtics with 28 points. Marcus Smart had four three-pointers in the first half, but overall, Boston connected on just 11 of 44 from three-point range.

They trailed by 13 at halftime and by as many as 23 in the second half.

"It was just one of those nights," Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla said. "Very rarely has that happened to our team. Just one of those off nights."

The Toronto Raptors outscored the Miami Heat 62-36 in the paint in a 106-92 victory.

Pascal Siakam scored 26 points and Scottie Barnes added 22 along with a career-high 12 assists for the Raptors -- as the Heat failed to gain ground in their bid to avoid the play-in round.

With Jimmy Butler sidelined by a sore neck, the Heat dropped a second straight game.

Tyler Herro scored 33 points and Bam Adebayo added 21 points and 12 rebounds for Miami, who cut the deficit to 10 with less than four minutes to play only for their charge to stall.

Dejounte Murray starred late as the Atlanta Hawks edged the playoff-bound Cleveland Cavaliers 120-118.

Murray made three free throws to put the Hawks up 115-113 with 2:14 remaining, then came up with a steal and a basket that pushed the lead to four in the final minute.

He finished with 29 points to lead the Hawks, who remained tied with Toronto for the eighth-best record in the East.

Atlanta withstood a 44-point effort from Donovan Mitchell, who tied LeBron James's Cavaliers franchise record of 10 games of 40 or more points in a season.

Agence France-Presse

NBA: Booker scores 58 as Suns beat Pelicans, Thunder top Grizzlies

LOS ANGELES -- Devin Booker scored 58 points to propel the Phoenix Suns to a come-from-behind 118-114 victory over New Orleans on Saturday, his second 50-point performance of the NBA season.

Booker scored 36 points in the second half as the Suns, who trailed by as many as 24 in the third quarter, sliced the deficit to 89-84 heading into the final frame.

They took a 106-105 lead on Chris Paul's three pointer with 5:24 to play. The Pelicans would tie it up one more time before Bismack Biyombo's layup put Phoenix ahead for good with 4:11 remaining.

With his second 50-point game of the season Booker, 26, became the sixth-youngest player to score 12,000 points.

Paul scored 18 points and Mykal Bridges added 15 for the Suns.

Zion Williamson scored 30 to lead the Pelicans, who fell to 18-11 -- one game behind Western Conference leaders Memphis whose whose seven-game winning streak ended with a 115-109 loss to the Thunder in Oklahoma City.

The Grizzlies were down 61-40 when star Ja Morant was ejected in the waning seconds of the first half after he received a second technical foul apparently for criticizing the officiating while talking to a fan.

Morant, who had picked up his first technical seconds earlier complaining about a call, finished with six points and five rebounds.

Dillon Brooks drained six three-pointers on the way to 32 points for Memphis, but Oklahoma City, without offensive standouts Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Josh Giddey, dominated.

Lu Dort scored 24 points with seven rebounds and four assists to lead the Thunder and Isaiah Joe added 23 points as Oklahoma City snapped a five-game skid.

In Cleveland, Jarrett Allen’s dunk with 2:01 left in overtime gave the Cavaliers a 100-99 victory over the Dallas Mavericks.

The Mavs came up empty on three ensuing possessions and the Cavs notched their fifth win in five overtime games this season.

Donovan Mitchell led Cleveland with 25 points and came up with a steal in the final minute of overtime.

Dallas' Kemba Walker scored 32 points but missed a jump shot with 12.7 seconds left in OT and Christian Wood was off target as time expired.

- Miami win in Mexico -

The Miami Heat pounced late to beat the San Antonio Spurs 111-101 in Mexico City, where commissioner Adam Silver discussed the prospect of NBA expansion south of the border.

A sellout crowd of 20,160 turned out at Mexico City Arena, where the Spurs seized the initiative with a 19-0 first-quarter run.

The young Spurs team led by three at halftime and were up by four going into the final period, but Miami's experience and tough defense paid off in a 31-17 fourth quarter advantage that delivered the victory.

Jimmy Butler scored 26 points and grabbed five rebounds, Bam Adebayo added 22 points and 13 rebounds and Tyler Herro added 21 points for Miami, who won their fourth straight.

Before the game Silver reiterated his belief that the NBA could one day expand into Mexico.

"When you look at the success we've had in Canada to the north, beginning in the early '90s, it makes sense to me that we would expand to the south, as well," Silver said. "I don't have a specific timeline right now in terms of expansion, but there's no doubt we will be looking seriously at Mexico City over time."

In Los Angeles, Kawhi Leonard shook off a slow start to score a season-high 31 points and lead the Clippers to a 102-93 victory over the Washington Wizards.

Leonard missed all four of his shots in the first quarter, but found his groove to carry the Clippers who were without injured Paul George, Ivica Zubac, Reggie Jackson and Norman Powell.

Portland star Damian Lillard scored 25 points and handed out 10 assists in the Trail Blazers' 107-95 victory over the Rockets in Houston.

But it was teammate Anfernee Simons who jump-started the Blazers' offense, scoring 14 of his 32 points in the first quarter.

In Milwaukee, the Bucks had little trouble in a 123-97 victory over the Utah Jazz, despite the absence of two-time NBA Most Valuable Player Giannis Antetokounmpo who was nursing a sore left knee.

Agence France-Presse

NBA: Suns turn back Pelicans for 3-2 series lead

Western Conference top seeds Phoenix returned to winning ways with an emphatic 112-97 win over New Orleans in Arizona to take a 3-2 series lead.

Mikal Bridges led the way for Phoenix with 31 points and five rebounds while Chris Paul added 22 points with 11 assists.

"Hell of a win tonight," Bridges said. "We stayed together to get the win, now we've got to go and get another one."

The win marked a return to form for Phoenix, who had been erratic over the opening four games of the series against the eighth-seeded Pelicans.

"They've been playing harder than us so we knew we'd have to come out tonight and play harder than them," Bridges said.

Game six in the series takes place in New Orleans on Thursday.

Agence France-Presse

Miles Bridges paces double-figure scoring surge, as Hornets rout Pelicans

Miles Bridges scored 26 points to lead 7 Charlotte scorers in double figures as the hot-shooting Hornets defeated the host New Orleans Pelicans 142-120 on Friday night.

Terry Rozier added 25 points, LaMelo Ball 17, Montrezl Harrell 16, Cody Martin 15, Isaiah Thomas 14 and Kelly Oubre Jr. 10 for the Hornets, who shot 59.8 percent from the floor, including 46.8 percent on 3-pointers. They had 41 assists on 52 field goals.

Charlotte had won just three of its previous 10 games but took command by outscoring New Orleans 42-27 in the 3rd quarter.

For New Orleans, rookie Trey Murphy III had season-highs of 32 points (making seven 3-pointers) and 9 rebounds, Devonte' Graham scored 19 points, Willy Hernangomez added 15, Naji Marshall 14, Jaxson Hayes 13, Herbert Jones 12 and Jonas Valanciunas 10 to lead the short-handed Pelicans, who lost their 4th consecutive game.

New Orleans played its 3rd consecutive game without leading scorer Brandon Ingram, who is sidelined by a hamstring strain. Second-leading scorer CJ McCollum, who had scored 32 points in each of the first 2 games that Ingram missed, also was sidelined after entering the health and safety protocol Thursday.

The Hornets began the 3rd quarter with a 16-4 run to open a 77-59 lead with 8:57 left in the period.

The Pelicans got within 14 points on Murphy's 3-pointer midway through the quarter, but Rozier made a 3-pointer and Oubre two 3-pointers as Charlotte expanded its lead to 103-82 at the end of the period.

The score was tied four times and the lead changed hands four times during the first quarter. Ball's free throw broke the final tie and gave the Hornets a 25-24 lead at the end of the period.

The second quarter featured 10 lead changes and two ties before Harrell's 3-point play broke the final tie and started a 10-0 Charlotte run.

Hayes scored the Pelicans' final six points to trim the Hornets' lead to 61-55 at halftime.

-reuters-

NBA: CJ McCollum nets 22 as Pelicans cruise past Lakers

CJ McCollum scored 22 points to lead six New Orleans scorers in double figures as the visiting Pelicans routed the Los Angeles Lakers 123-95 on Sunday night.

Jonas Valanciunas added 19 points and 10 rebounds, Brandon Ingram scored 19 points, Devonte' Graham had 12 off the bench, and Herbert Jones and Jaxson Hayes scored 11 each as the Pelicans swept a two-game road trip that began with a 117-102 victory at Phoenix on Friday.

New Orleans, which took control against the Suns by outscoring them in 42-31 in the third quarter, did the same against the Lakers, outscoring them 44-25 in the third quarter.

LeBron James scored 32 points, Russell Westbrook had 16 and Carmelo Anthony added 13 for the Lakers, who lost their second straight game after the All-Star break and fell for the sixth time in eight games. Los Angeles committed 23 turnovers and made just 7 of 34 3-pointers.

Ingram had a basket and an assist as the Pelicans scored the first four points of the third quarter and took a 55-40 lead.

The Lakers crept within 10 points, but New Orleans increased the lead to 67-50 on a layup by McCollum.

Westbrook converted a three-point play, but McCollum and Valanciunas made back-to-back 3-pointers during a 13-0 run that gave the Pelicans an 80-53 lead.

Graham scored seven points down the stretch as New Orleans took a 95-65 lead at the end of the third quarter.

The score was tied at 15 before New Orleans made a push to take a 24-20 lead at the end of the first quarter.

Graham's 3-pointer started the second-quarter scoring and the Pelicans led by nine points twice before the Lakers came back.

Anthony scored five points as Los Angeles pulled within one point before New Orleans rebuilt the lead to seven.

The Lakers got within four before the Pelicans went on a 10-0 run. James banked in a 3-pointer for the final points of the second quarter, leaving New Orleans with a 51-40 halftime lead.

-reuters-

Thunder beat New Orleans 117-112, end Pelicans’ 4-game run

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 31 points and rookie Aaron Wiggins added a career-high 24 as the Oklahoma City Thunder beat New Orleans 117-112 Sunday night, snapping the Pelicans’ four-game win streak.

Wiggins, who had never scored in double figures this season, eclipsed his previous season best by halftime when he led the Thunder with 11 points.

Recently inserted into the starting lineup for his defense, the second-round draft pick from Florida said there was nothing magical about his unexpected offensive outburst.

“I just think I did a really good job of trying to find open spots,” Wiggins said. “When I’m on the bench, when I’m not in the game, I watch those guys who are really good at playing off ball. I try to make sure when I’m on the court, I’m doing those little things that can help the team get going. My guys found me in open spots and I was just trying to make plays.”

Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said Wiggins’ performance shows growth.

“We’ve been trying to give him confidence and become an offensive player, but to do it inside the role that he’s in and inside the team, which is a hard balance,” Daigneault said. “This was the cumulative effect of a lot of development and a lot of process and growth for Aaron.”

In his third season with the Thunder, Gilgeous-Alexander passed James Harden on the Thunder’s all-time scoring list. He scored eight points down the stretch when Oklahoma City was trying to close out the victory.

“What it really comes down to is me being aggressive whenever I get the opportunity,” said Gilgeous-Alexander. “I saw a few things on how they were playing defense when I was on the bench. I just wanted to come back in and attack those things. But for sure, I want to assert myself.”

Josh Hart had 29 points and 10 rebounds to lead the Pelicans. Garret Temple came off the bench to score 22 points, including 15 in the first half.

Oklahoma City grabbed a 17-3 lead just four minutes into the first quarter, scoring 15 straight points after Josh Hart gave the Pelicans their only advantage of the first three periods with an opening-minute 3-pointer. Oklahoma City held a 14-point edge, 32-18, at the end of the first quarter.

The Thunder expanded the lead to 17 early in the second period before cooling off. The Pelicans cut their deficit to 57-49 at intermission. New Orleans scored eight straight early in the third to make it 60-58 before the Thunder countered with a 10-2 run over the next two minutes and went on to lead 89-81 heading into the fourth.

New Orleans outscored the Thunder 11-2 to start the fourth quarter and took a 92-91 lead with 8:10 left on a dunk by Willy Hernangomez. Kenrich Williams hit a 3-pointer at the other end as the Thunder regained the lead and held on the rest of the way.

-Associated Press-

NBA: Jazz enjoy crisp victory over Pelicans, 127-105

Donovan Mitchell scored 21 points, Mike Conley and Jordan Clarkson each added 20 and the revived Utah Jazz rebounded from recent disappointing performances at home to rout the New Orleans Pelicans 127-105 Saturday in Salt Lake City.

Mitchell, Conley, Clarkson, Rudy Gay and Joe Ingles each drained at least three 3-pointers as the Jazz shot 57.1 percent (20-for-35) from long range and 56.2 percent overall to avenge Friday's heartbreaking last-second 98-97 loss to New Orleans.

Mitchell, who has been struggling to find his groove lately, played like his usual self in the first half when Utah built a commanding lead, scoring 17 points on 7-of-14 shooting with seven assists and five rebounds.

Utah took a double-digit lead in the first quarter and built that into a 122-83 cushion with four minutes remaining.

Jaxson Hayes led five Pelicans in double figures with 15 points. The Pelicans missed 27 of 35 3-pointers and shot 43 percent overall.

Devonte' Graham, the hero of Friday's game, started Saturday's contest with a jumper to put the Pelicans on the board first a night after sinking a game-winning 3-pointer.

New Orleans was still within one point several minutes later after Josh Hart's layup trimmed the Utah lead to 11-10.

Bojan Bogdanovic then hit a pair of free throws followed by a Gay triple, and the Jazz were off and running.

Utah used a 10-2 run and a 12-2 surge to build a 17-point lead before taking a 37-23 advantage into the second quarter.

Mitchell sparked a 12-0 spurt by scoring seven straight as Utah built a 62-33 lead with 5:13 left in the half.

The Jazz only scored two points the rest of the quarter - on a 10-footer by Mitchell - and the Pelicans cut the home team's lead to 64-56 with a 12-2 run heading into the locker room.

-reuters-

NBA: Kevin Durant returns as Nets destroy Pelicans

Kevin Durant played for the first time in nearly two months and was one of seven Brooklyn players to score in double figures as the host Nets routed the New Orleans Pelicans 139-111 on Wednesday night.

Durant, who last played on Feb. 13 and missed 23 consecutive games because of a hamstring injury, didn't enter the game until the second quarter was nearly halfway over. He scored 17 points, making 5-of-5 field goals, 2-of-2 3-pointers and 5-of-5 free throws in 19 minutes.

Kyrie Irving led Brooklyn with 24 points, LaMarcus Aldridge had 22, Joe Harris scored 14, Chris Chiozza scored 12, Jeff Green had 11 and Blake Griffin 10.

Brooklyn had a season-high 37 assists on 51 field goals.

The Nets outscored the Pelicans 43-26 in the second quarter to take command and coast to their ninth consecutive victory at home. Brooklyn led by as many as 38 points.

Eric Bledsoe led New Orleans with 26 points despite being ejected after receiving two technical fouls late in the third quarter.

Zion Williamson scored 16 points on 4-of-12 shooting to end his streak of 25 consecutive games with 20-plus points on 50 percent shooting or better, which tied Hall of Famer Shaquille O'Neal's record. Lonzo Ball added 15 points and Jaxson Hayes and Isaiah Thomas had 11 each.

The score was tied five times in the first quarter, the last at 33 after Williamson scored five straight points. Griffin beat the buzzer with a 3-pointer that gave the Nets a 36-33 lead at the end of the first quarter.

Durant didn't enter the game until 7:37 was left in the second quarter and less than a minute later he made his first shot on a mid-range jumper that gave Brooklyn a 58-46 lead.

The Nets continued to increase the lead on their way to a 79-59 halftime lead. It was their highest-scoring half of the season as they scored the most first-half points by a Pelicans opponent this season.

Brooklyn made 11 of 18 3-pointers and 16 of 20 free throws in the first half.

-reuters-

NBA: Lonzo Ball's long-range shooting lifts Pelicans over Rockets

Lonzo Ball made a career-high eight 3-pointers to pace a balanced scoring attack as the New Orleans Pelicans fended off the host Houston Rockets 122-115 on Sunday.

Ball, who missed the previous seven games with a hip injury, paired 27 points with nine assists to lead the Pelicans -- who were without forwards Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram. Five of his teammates also scored in double figures.

After Houston matched its largest lead of the game at 102-97 following a series of dazzling dunks from rookie Kenyon Martin Jr., the Pelicans responded with a 10-2 run to reclaim the lead.

Down the stretch, multiple hands played a role in keeping the Rockets at bay, with Wes Iwundu and Naji Marshall drilling timely 3-pointers while Willy Hernangomez converted in the paint.

Hernangomez had 15 points and 12 rebounds off the bench. Eric Bledsoe scored 19 points, James Johnson 18, and Stephen Adams and Marshall scored 12 apiece for the Pelicans.

Kelly Olynyk led the Rockets with 26 points. Jae'Sean Tate added 19 points and Christian Wood finished with 15 points and 12 rebounds.

Sterling Brown and Kevin Porter Jr. scored 12 apiece for Houston, but Porter, whose buzzer-beating 3-pointer to close the half ignited a third-quarter surge, recorded eight turnovers and missed 10 of 15 shot attempts.

Houston trailed 70-56 before the Porter half-court heave, but turned a late 9-0 run in the third into its first advantage since early in the game. D.J. Wilson and D.J. Augustin hit 3-pointers for a 92-89 lead.

New Orleans used a 22-5 run to build an early lead, with Ball drilling all four of his 3-point attempts in the first quarter during that stretch. The Pelicans turned seven Houston turnovers into 15 points in the quarter, and the Rockets trailed 38-27 entering the second period.

The Pelicans continued to capitalize on Houston miscues and closed the half with 18 points off 11 Rockets turnovers. Olynyk kept the Rockets in contention with 19 points in 18 minutes off the bench in the half.

-reuters-

NBA: Zion Williamson scores 31 as Pelicans trounce Grizzlies

Zion Williamson scored 31 points as the New Orleans Pelicans salvaged the final game of a four-game road trip by defeating the Memphis Grizzlies 144-113 on Tuesday night.

The Pelicans, who allowed an average of 132 points in losses against Chicago, Dallas and Detroit, took control by allowing 49 points total in the second and third quarters.

Josh Hart came off the bench to score a season-high 27 and Willy Hernangomez had 14 off the bench as the Pelicans' reserves outscored the Grizzlies' reserves 57-30, and all 13 Pelicans who played scored. Brandon Ingram scored 22 and Lonzo Ball had 13 as the Pelicans scored a season-high.

New Orleans, which defeated visiting Memphis 118-109 on Feb. 6, beat the Grizzlies for a fifth consecutive time over the last two seasons.

Ja Morant scored 28, Kyle Anderson had 19, Dillon Brooks added 18 and Jonas Valanciunas had 10 for the Grizzlies.

New Orleans had a five-point halftime lead and Memphis twice pulled within one point early in the third quarter, but couldn't get even.

Williamson hit a 3-pointer and beat the shot clock to make a basket from the lane as the Pelicans took a 79-73 lead midway through the quarter.

Hart made a 3-pointer and Williamson added a layup to push the lead to 90-76.

JJ Redick scored the final seven points of the quarter as New Orleans extended the lead to 101-81.

The Pelicans increased the lead to 23 before the Grizzlies closed within 117-99 on Brooks' 3-pointer with 7:36 remaining.

Hart converted a three-point play and Ingram made a 3-pointer to put New Orleans in command with a 127-104 lead.

Morant scored 10 points and Williamson was scoreless as Memphis took a 30-19 lead.

Williamson scored six of his points and had one of his three assists in the final minute as New Orleans closed within 32-29 at the end of the first quarter.

The Pelicans scored 12 consecutive points to take a 51-48 lead. They built the lead to as many as eight points twice before taking a 63-58 halftime lead.

-reuters-

NBA: Porzingis, Doncic carry Mavs to OT win over Pelicans

Kristaps Porzingis scored 34 points, and Luka Doncic added a 30-point triple-double as the host Dallas Mavericks defeated the New Orleans Pelicans, 127-123, in overtime on Wednesday.

Seth Curry added 21 points, Tim Hardaway Jr. scored 18 and Delon Wright had 10 for the Mavericks. Doncic added 17 rebounds and 10 assists, and Porzingis had 12 boards and five blocked shots. Dallas improved to 6-3 in the past nine games.

Brandon Ingram scored 27 before fouling out, Lonzo Bell had 25 points and 11 rebounds, and Zion Williamson scored 21 for the Pelicans, who lost their third straight. Jrue Holiday had 19 points, Frank Jackson scored 12, and Derrick Favors added 10 points and 14 rebounds.

The score was tied three times in overtime before Doncic made a 3-pointer for a 121-118 lead with 1:10 left.

The Mavericks led by two at halftime, and the Pelicans tied the score four times during the first seven minutes of the third quarter.

Williamson's dunk gave New Orleans its first lead since the first quarter, and Josh Hart followed with a layup that gave the Pelicans a 77-73 edge.

The score was tied three more times before Courtney Lee's dunk gave Dallas an 87-85 lead at the end of the third quarter.

New Orleans scored the first five points of the fourth quarter, and the game was tied three times before Wright's 3-pointer gave the Mavericks a 98-95 lead.

Ball's 3-pointer pulled the Pelicans even at 100 midway through the final quarter.

The score was tied twice more before Doncic's layup gave Dallas a 106-104 edge with 3:43 left.

Ingram's 3-pointer and baseline jumper gave New Orleans a 109-106 advantage with 1:51 left.

Maxi Kleber dunked, Curry made a 3-pointer and Curry sank one of two free throws to give the Mavericks a 112-109 lead with 10 seconds left.

Nicolo Melli hit a 3-pointer over Porzingis to tie the score with 7.9 seconds left and force overtime.

The Pelicans led for most of the first quarter before Curry's 3-pointer gave the Mavericks a 24-22 lead at the end of the period.

Dallas took its biggest lead of the game at 45-34 when Hardaway made a 3-pointer midway through the second quarter.

Favors scored the final four points of the half as New Orleans got within 57-55 at halftime.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

NBA: LeBron scores 34 as Lakers defeat Pelicans

LeBron James had a triple-double as the visiting Los Angeles Lakers overcame the absence of All-Star forward Anthony Davis and defeated the New Orleans Pelicans 122-114 on Sunday night.

Davis, who averaged 36 points as the Lakers won the first three meetings with his former team, sat out because of knee soreness one night after a 105-88 loss at Memphis in which L.A. had a season-low point total.

James, who had 40 points in a 118-109 home victory against the Pelicans on Tuesday, finished with 34 points, 13 assists and 12 rebounds.

Kyle Kuzma added 20 points, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope scored 13, and Danny Green, Avery Bradley and Markieff Morris had 10 each.

Rookie Zion Williamson led the Pelicans with a career-high 35 points, marking his 11th consecutive games with 20-plus points. Lonzo Ball scored 19, Brandon Ingram had 15 on 5-of-23 shooting, Derrick Favors had 12 points and 14 rebounds, Jrue Holiday scored 11 and Nicolo Melli added 10.

The Lakers led by two at halftime, but Green scored the team's first five points of the third quarter and the lead quickly grew to 77-68.

Williamson scored the first four points of a 9-0 run that pulled the Pelicans even.

The score was tied four more times before New Orleans took a 95-93 lead at the end of the third quarter.

James started the fourth-quarter with a jumper to tie the game before the Pelicans scored six straight points.

The Lakers answered with an 11-0 run as James had two baskets and assists on Kuzma's 3-pointer and Quinn Cook's jumper to make the score 106-101.

Williamson scored five points to help New Orleans pull even at 108.

Kuzma and James each made a 3-pointer to give L.A. a 116-111 lead with 2:27 remaining and the Pelicans scored just three points after that.

Ingram scored nine points and Josh Hart beat the quarter buzzer with a tip-in as New Orleans took a 33-29 lead at the end of the first period.

James had 11 of his 19 first-half points in the second quarter, making all five of his shots, including one 3-pointer, as L.A. edged in front 63-61 at halftime.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

NBA: Williamson, Pelicans roll over Cavaliers

Rookie Zion Williamson scored 24 points for his 10th consecutive game with at least 20, as the host New Orleans Pelicans routed the visiting Cleveland Cavaliers 116-104 on Friday night.

Brandon Ingram scored 29, Jrue Holiday added 22 and E'Twaun Moore and Nicolo Melli had 10 each, as the Pelicans improved to 3-1 since the All-Star break. 

It was their first home game in 15 days and started a three-game home-stand over five days.

Derrick Favors had 15 rebounds, and Lonzo Ball had 12 assists for New Orleans, which has won six of eight games as it pursues Memphis for the final playoff spot in the Western Conference. 

Pelicans guard JJ Redick left the game in the first quarter because of a left hamstring strain and did not return.

Collin Sexton tied his career-high with 31 points to lead the Cavaliers, who are just 17-42 but entered the game with a 3-1 record under coach J.B. Bickerstaff, who took over when John Beilein resigned during the All-Star break.

Kevin Porter Jr. scored 16, Darius Garland had 15, Tristan Thompson had 13 and Kevin Love 10.

New Orleans, which beat the Cavaliers 125-111 on Jan. 28 in Cleveland, swept the season series by winning its ninth straight home game against the Cavs.

The Pelicans led by 15 at halftime, and Ingram scored 11 points as they increased the lead to 93-70 midway through the third quarter.

Sexton made three 3-pointers during a 13-2 run that pulled Cleveland within 95-83 at the end of the third quarter.

But Moore made a 3-pointer, and Williamson followed with a basket to start the fourth-quarter scoring, as the Pelicans regained command with a 17-point lead. The Cavs didn't get closer than 15 until the final two minutes.

The Pelicans set a franchise record for assists in a quarter with 15 in the first. They made 18 of 24 field-goal attempts and scored a season-high in first-quarter points by taking a 43-25 lead.

Sexton scored nine of his 19 first-half points as the Cavaliers outscored New Orleans in the second quarter, but the Pelicans still held a 70-55 halftime edge.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

NBA: Zion scores 28, Pelicans rally to defeat Warriors

Zion Williamson scored 28 points, his most in a road game this season, and Nicolo Melli saved three of his six 3-pointers for the fourth quarter Sunday night as the New Orleans Pelicans rallied for a 115-101 victory over the Golden State Warriors.

Williamson shot 13-for-20 and added seven rebounds, six on the offensive end, helping the playoff-hopeful Pelicans win for the fifth time in their last six games.

Damion Lee had 22 points and Jordan Poole 19 for the Warriors, who lost their sixth straight.

Seeking a third win over New Orleans this season, Golden State led by as many as 11 points in the first half en route to a 56-46 advantage at the break.

But the Pelicans dominated the second half, beginning with a 22-6 burst early in the third period that turned a 12-point deficit into a 68-64 lead. Jrue Holiday had eight points, including a pair of 3-pointers, and Williamson three hoops in the run.

The Warriors managed to draw even at 77-all by period's end, but New Orleans used another flurry early in the fourth quarter to take command for good.

Melli (two) and Holiday (one) combined for three 3-pointers in an 11-2 spurt that quickly gave the visitors a nine-point lead.

The Warriors got within six on one subsequent occasion, but Melli added another 3-pointer to help the Pelicans pull away.

Williamson's 28 points, which came in just 33 minutes, established a new rookie opponent's scoring record at the new Chase Center in San Francisco. Memphis' Ja Morant set the old mark of 26 in December.

Melli finished with 20 points off the bench, shooting 6-for-7 on 3-pointers. The Pelicans outscored the Warriors 51-33 on threes.

Holiday finished with 23 points and a game-high 15 assists, while Brandon Ingram chipped in with 17 points for the Pelicans, who have opened a three-game trip with a pair of wins.

Juan Toscano-Anderson went for a season-best 16 points, Ky Bowman 15 and Eric Paschall 13 for the Warriors, who fell to 0-2 on their four-game homestand.

Andrew Wiggins was held to eight points on 3-for-16 shooting in the loss, but did find time for a team-high 10 rebounds to complement four assists and two blocks.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

NBA: Williamson scores 32 but Pelicans fall to Thunder

Danilo Gallinari scored 11 of his 29 points in the fourth quarter as the visiting Oklahoma City Thunder held off the New Orleans Pelicans, 123-118, on Thursday night.

The Thunder completed a four-game sweep of the season series in the last game for both teams before the All-Star break.

Dennis Schroder had seven of his 22 points in the fourth quarter, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander finished with 17 points, Chris Paul had 14 points and 12 assists, Steven Adams had 11 points and 11 rebounds and Mike Muscala scored 10.

Rookie Zion Williamson led the Pelicans with a season-high 32 points, surpassing the 31 he had two nights earlier against the Portland Trail Blazers. JJ Redick scored 24, Lonzo Ball had 16 points and Jrue Holiday totaled 14 points and 11 assists. New Orleans played its third straight game without All-Star forward Brandon Ingram, who has a sprained ankle.

The Thunder led by eight points at halftime, but Williamson scored eight points as the Pelicans took a 76-75 lead.

Paul made a 3-pointer to put Oklahoma City back on top, and Muscala had eight points during a 14-0 run that gave the Thunder a 94-81 lead.

Holiday's layup stopped the run, Redick scored eight straight points and Holiday made another layup to cut Oklahoma City's lead to 98-93 at the end of the quarter.

Redick and Williamson scored four points each as New Orleans pulled even at 101.

Schroder's 3-pointer put the Thunder back on top, but Williamson answered with back-to-back baskets.

Gallinari's basket put Oklahoma City ahead before Ball's 3-pointer gave New Orleans a 111-110 lead.

But Gallinari scored the next five points to give the Thunder the lead for good.

Both teams shot better than 50 percent from the field in the first quarter and Nicolo Melli's 3-pointer gave New Orleans a 30-29 lead at the end of the period.

The score was tied five times in the second quarter before Oklahoma City finished with a strong push. Adams beat the buzzer with a one-handed toss from beyond half court to give the Thunder a 66-58 halftime lead.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Hype real? Zion Williamson earns lavish praise in NBA debut

New Orleans rookie Zion Williamson flashed some brilliance in his long-awaited NBA debut Wednesday, but the San Antonio Spurs spoiled the party at Smoothie King Center with a 121-117 victory over the Pelicans.

Williamson, who was the No. 1 overall draft pick in June, offered a tantalizing glimpse of what's to come in his career when he exploded for 17 points in little more than three minutes in the fourth quarter.

The 19-year-old sensation had been sidelined since arthroscopic surgery on his right knee on the eve of the Pelicans' season-opener in October.

He made a tentative start, scoring just five points with four rebounds, one assist four turnovers in less than 12 minutes on the floor over the first three quarters.

With 8:52 remaining and the Spurs up 99-91, Williamson connected with a three-pointer from the top of the key that ignited the crowd of 18,365.

He followed up with an alley-oop layup, fed by Lonzo Ball, drained a trey and put back his own miss with a spinning layup before adding two more three-pointers.

The crowd was chanting "M-V-P!" as he capped the burst with a free-throw, but he was soon subbed out of the game as Pelicans coach Alvin Gentry stuck to the plan of playing Williamson only in short bursts.

"I think what you saw there is a taste," Gentry said. "There's a lot of potential there."

He said he'd counseled Williamson at halftime to be more aggressive, and he was pleased to see him deliver.

"I think there's a really, really high ceiling that he can reach, and he can reach it soon," added Gentry, who nevertheless was impervious to the cries of "We want Zion" from fans late in the fourth quarter.

"It was very hard," Williamson acknowledged of coming out of the game just as he had found his rhythm. "I'm 19. Honestly, in that moment I'm not thinking about longevity I'm thinking about winning that game.

"So it was very tough," added Williamson, who finished with 22 points, seven rebounds and three assists.

The Spurs, who led by as many as 15 and by 12 to start the fourth quarter, were up 109-108 when Williamson departed and quickly pulled away again.

LaMarcus Aldridge led the Spurs with 32 points and DeMar DeRozan added 20 for a San Antonio team holding down the eighth and final playoff spot in the West.

Williamson, who admitted on Tuesday he wasn't sure just how much sleep he'd get on the eve of his debut, said that as the pre-game introductions were made he just told himself to "be calm."

- 'Great stuff' -

He said it wasn't just Gentry who urged him at halftime to defer less but also teammates including Jrue Holiday.

"I think he did well," Holiday said, commending the teenager's poise.

"We're almost in February and he hadn't played a game yet, so for him to come out and do that his first game is pretty elite."

Spurs coach Gregg Popovich was pleased to have a courtside seat for Williamson's debut.

"Oh, yeah, it's great stuff, I'm glad he’s back, a talent like that," Popovich said. "He's a great guy on top of it all. So it's good for the Pelicans. It's good for basketball. He's quite a package as a player and as a person."

source: news.abs-cbn.com

NBA: Ingram’s 49 points lead Pelicans to wild OT win over Jazz

Brandon Ingram scored a career-high 49 points and won a shootout with Donovan Mitchell as the host New Orleans Pelicans ended the Utah Jazz's 10-game winning streak with a 138-132 overtime victory Thursday night.

Ingram made five free throws as the Pelicans outscored the Jazz, who lost for the second time in 17 games, 16-10 in overtime despite falling behind by five points midway through the period.

Former Jazz center Derrick Favors added 21 points and 11 rebounds as New Orleans won for the 10th time in 14 games. E'Twaun Moore scored 16 points, including a go-ahead layup in overtime, Nickeil Alexander-Walker scored 12 and Frank Jackson had 10.

Mitchell tied his career-high with 46 points, Bojan Bogdanovic scored 26, Rudy Gobert had 17 points and 14 rebounds before fouling out in overtime, Jordan Clarkson scored 15 and Joe Ingles had 12.

Favors started the overtime scoring by making one of two free throws before Gobert made two. Mitchell added a 3-pointer that gave the Jazz a 127-123 lead.

After Favors made a layup, Mitchell answered with a floater but he wouldn't score again. Favors made another layup before Bogdanovic made a 3-pointer for a 132-127 lead.

Ingram made one of three free throws, fed Favors for a dunk and made one of two free throws to cut the lead to one with 1:19 left as Favors went to the bench after committing his sixth foul.

Moore stole the ball from Mitchell and made a layup to give a New Orleans a 133-132 lead and the Jazz didn't score in the final 2:27.

Ingram hit a jumper with 0.2 seconds left in the fourth quarter to give the Pelicans a 122-121 lead.

The Jazz tried a lob near the basket and Pelicans rookie Jaxson Hayes was called for a foul on Gobert, who missed the first free throw but made the second to send the game into overtime.

Favors was returning from a two-game absence and Ingram returned from a one-game absence due to injuries.

--Field Level Media

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NBA: Anthony Davis lights up ex-team again, as Lakers top Pelicans

Anthony Davis scored 46 points and grabbed 13 rebounds, leading the Los Angeles Lakers to a 123-113 victory over the visiting New Orleans Pelicans on Friday night.

Davis, who scored 41 points in the Lakers' win over the Pelicans in their initial meeting on Nov. 27, hit 15 of 21 shots and made all 13 of his free throws as the Lakers won their fourth consecutive game.

Danny Green, who made 6 of 10 3-pointers for the game, had 20 of his 25 points in the first half, and LeBron James finished with 17 points, 15 assists and eight rebounds for Los Angeles.

Lonzo Ball had 23 points and Brandon Ingram had 22 for the Pelicans, who had their four-game winning streak snapped.

E'Twaun Moore added 16 points, Derrick Favors had 15 points, 14 rebounds and four blocks, and JJ Redick contributed 14 points for New Orleans.

It was the first visit to Staples Center in a Pelicans' uniform for Ingram, Ball and Josh Hart since they were traded to New Orleans for Davis.

New Orleans battled back from double-digit leads in the first half before Los Angeles took control in the third quarter.

Davis sparked the burst by scoring 19 points in the third as the Lakers outscored the Pelicans 31-21 for a 105-83 lead heading into the fourth quarter.

New Orleans pulled within seven after a dunk by Ingram with 2:25 left but got no closer.

The Lakers led by as many as 18 in the first half before the Pelicans rallied.

They sliced the gap to 64-60 on a bucket by Moore with 1:50 remaining in the second quarter, but the Lakers finished the half on a 10-2 surge for a 74-62 advantage at the break.

Los Angeles shot 50 percent from the floor for the game to 47.1 percent for New Orleans.

The Lakers made 14 of 29 3-pointers (48.3 percent) compared to 11 of 37 (29.7 percent) for the Pelicans.

Lakers reserve guard Alex Caruso missed the game with right calf soreness.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

NBA: Bucks whip Pelicans without star, win 16th straight

Eric Bledsoe scored 29 points as the host Milwaukee Bucks won their 16th consecutive game despite the absence of Giannis Antetokounmpo, routing the New Orleans Pelicans, 127-112, on Wednesday night.

Antetokounmpo, the reigning NBA MVP, sat out the game because of a sore quad tendon and three teammates joined Bledsoe in double figures. Khris Middleton scored 24, Ersan Ilyasova added 18 and George Hill had 13.

The Bucks, who are tied with the Los Angeles Lakers for the best record in the league (22-3), matched their longest winning streak since winning 16 in a row over two seasons in 1973.

JJ Redick scored 31, Brandon Ingram had 25 points and 10 rebounds, Jrue Holiday scored 21 and rookie Jaxson Hayes had 12 points to lead the Pelicans, who lost their 10th game in a row.

The Pelicans, who had made just 11 of 70 3-pointers in their last two games, hit 16 of 45 on Wednesday. But they shot just 44.3 percent (39 of 88) overall, while Milwaukee shot 53.8 percent (50 of 93) from the floor.

The Bucks led, 69-46, at halftime, but the Pelicans started chipping away in the third quarter.

They crept within 95-82 on rookie Nickeil Alexander-Walker's 3-pointer with 2:43 left in the period.

Sterling Brown scored five points as Milwaukee rebuilt the lead to 105-86 at the end of the quarter.

Hill's basket gave Milwaukee a 111-88 lead early in the fourth quarter and they kept New Orleans at a safe distance the rest of the way.

Ingram, the Pelicans' leading scorer with an average of 24.9 points per game, went to the bench after committing his third foul with 5:45 left in the first quarter. The Bucks had a 25-12 lead.

The lead grew to 35-12 before Redick made a basket for New Orleans. Holiday scored the final six points, leaving Milwaukee with a 35-20 lead at the end of the period.

The Pelicans cut the lead to 11 early in the second quarter, but the Bucks built it to as many as 28 points before taking a 69-46 halftime lead.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

NBA: Davis' 41 carries Lakers in return to New Orleans

Anthony Davis scored 41 points in his return to New Orleans and the Los Angeles Lakers won their ninth straight game, beating the Pelicans 114-110 on Wednesday night.

Davis was roundly booed whenever he touched the basketball in the city where he played his first seven seasons before demanding a trade from New Orleans, which sent him to the Lakers in July.

LeBron James added 29 points and 11 assists as the Lakers improved their league-leading record to 16-2. Kyle Kuzma added 16 points.

Jrue Holiday had 12 assists and 29 points, but just four in the second half, as the Pelicans squandered a 16-point third-quarter lead. Brandon Ingram, one of three players L.A. traded along with a group of draft choices for Davis, had 23 points and 10 rebounds, JJ Redick scored 18 and Kenrich Williams had 11.

Kuzma's 3-pointer gave Los Angeles a 111-109 lead with 1:06 remaining. Josh Hart made one of two free throws for the Pelicans before stealing the ball from James.

Redick missed a jumper and Davis rebounded with six seconds left. He made one of two free throws, then stole Holiday's inbound pass with five seconds left and made two more free throws to complete the scoring.

Davis scored 27 points in the first half, but the Pelicans held a 64-54 halftime lead as Holiday scored 25.

New Orleans scored the first six points of the third quarter, but a dunk, steal and layup by Davis helped the Lakers get within eight. E'Twaun Moore's jumper gave New Orleans an 89-79 lead at the end of the period.

Los Angeles scored the first nine points of the fourth, pulling within a point on Kuzma's 3-pointer.

After Hart's two free throws ended the Pelicans scoring drought, Kuzma tied the score with another 3-pointer.

New Orleans took a four-point lead, but Davis made a dunk on a James pass and James added seven straight points for a 100-95 lead with 5:25 remaining.

Redick scored eight points in the fourth quarter as New Orleans took a one-point lead with two minutes left.

source: news.abs-cbn.com