Zion Williamson (32), Pelicans stay hot, cool off Clippers
In Friday's NBA in-season tournament matchup, the New Orleans Pelicans secured a 116-109 win against the Los Angeles Clippers. This victory was thanks to a dominant performance from Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram, who scored 32 and 30 points respectively. Herbert Jones also contributed with 14 points and Jonas Valanciunas added 12, as the Pelicans improved their record to 3-1 in group play and continued their successful streak of three consecutive wins and five out of six overall.
- Sports
- Reuters
- Published Date: 11:13 | 25 November 2023
- Modified Date: 11:13 | 25 November 2023
Zion Williamson scored 32 points and Brandon Ingram added 30 as the visiting New Orleans Pelicans earned a 116-109 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers on Friday to finish group play of the NBA in-season tournament with a 3-1 record.
Herbert Jones scored 14 points and Jonas Valanciunas added 12 for the Pelicans, who have won three straight and five of their last six games.
New Orleans must wait for a final group-stage game between the Dallas Mavericks and Houston Rockets on Tuesday to see if they win West: Group B and advance to the knockout round of the inaugural tournament.
Paul George scored 34 points and Kawhi Leonard added 20 for the Clippers, who saw their three-game winning streak come to an end. Norman Powell also had 20 points off the bench for Los Angeles, which was eliminated from the in-season tournament with a 1-3 record in group play.
Acting as more of a facilitator, James Harden had 10 assists for the Clippers but just eight points on 2-of-8 shooting. Los Angeles is 3-6 since Harden was acquired from the Philadelphia 76ers on Nov. 1.
Jones scored eight points of a 10-0 Pelicans run approaching the midway point of the fourth quarter to give New Orleans a 103-91 advantage.
The Pelicans were up 107-94 before the Clippers made one final run, pulling within 110-106 with 54 seconds remaining after a Powell layup. But New Orleans sealed the victory when Williamson missed inside before pulling the offensive rebound away from Harden and scoring for a 112-106 lead with 34.1 seconds on the clock.
The Pelicans got off to an impressive start, taking their first double-digit lead with 6:07 remaining in the first quarter and taking a 33-12 lead with 2:14 left in the opening period.
The Clippers went to work from there, after an 0-for-7 start from 3-point range, trailing 36-23 after one quarter before inching within 56-55 at halftime. The Clippers opened their first lead at 57-56 early in the third quarter before the Pelicans were up 85-83 heading into the fourth.