The New Orleans Pelicans improve to 2-3 in the NBA restart after a 118-107 win over the Washington Wizards.
How it Happened:
It was another slow start for New Orleans, as they were without their No. 1 overall pick Zion Williamson on Friday night.
Washington jumped out to a 32-28 lead after the first quarter and a two-point lead into halftime. The Wizards led 56-54 going into the third quarter.
It all turned around for the Pelicans after halftime. They outscored Washington 37-25 and secured a 10-point lead to start the fourth.
New Orleans cruised to the 118-107 win behind Jrue Holiday’s 28-point performance. Brandon Ingram was second in scoring with 17 points. Pelicans center Derrick Favors posted a double-double in the win. He recorded 12 points and 10 rebounds.
The Wizards had three players with 20 points or more. Washington rookie Rui Hachimura scored a team-high 23 points. Center Thomas Bryant recorded 22 points and eight rebounds while Troy Brown Jr. had 20 points in the loss.
The Pelicans are now 30-39 for the season and 11th in the Western Conference. They trail Memphis by 2.5 games for the 8th seed and 1.5 games behind Portland for the 9th seed.
Big Number: 44
The Pelicans’ second unit combined for 44 points and Frank Jackson led the bench scoring with 13 points in 20 minutes. Washington’s second unit only scored 17 points.
Up Next: New Orleans vs. San Antonio on Sunday, Aug. 9 at 2 p.m.