Herbert Jones Jr. scored 17 points to lead five New Orleans scorers in double figures and the visiting Pelicans held off the sinking Memphis Grizzlies 96-87 on Monday night.
Brandon Ingram added 16 points, Zion Williamson scored 14, CJ McCollum had 11 and
Jose Alvarado chipped in with 10 as the Pelicans finished 3-1 on their road trip.
Jaren Jackson Jr. scored 22 points to lead the injury-plagued Grizzlies, whose NBA-worst losing streak reached nine games. Luke Kennard and Vince Williams Jr. added 12 points each, Yuta Watanabe had 11 and Lamar Stevens scored 10.
Ingram had a basket and two assists as New Orleans began the third quarter with a 12-3 run that produced a 73-50 lead.
The lead grew to as many as 25 points before Stevens led a Memphis comeback. He made three consecutive baskets that started a 15-4 run that helped the Grizzlies trim the lead to 86-73 at the end of the third quarter.
Watanabe made three field goals to start an 8-2 run that pulled Memphis within 88-81 early in the fourth quarter.
Jones made two free throws before Jackson made two consecutive field goals to trim the Grizzlies’ deficit to 90-85.
They got within five points again before Ingram made a basket and assisted on a basket by Larry Nance Jr. to give the Pelicans a 96-87 lead with 33 seconds left.
The score was tied three times before Jackson made a 3-pointer and converted a three-point play to help the Grizzlies take a 16-8 lead.
McCollum’s jumper ended a nearly 3 1/2-minute scoring drought for the Pelicans. Alvarado made two 3-pointers and Trey Murphy III and Nance made one each to help New Orleans take a 31-26 lead at the end of the first quarter.
Williamson converted a three-point play and made another basket as the Pelicans increased the lead to 10 points with 10:07 left in the second quarter.
The Grizzlies closed within one point when Williams converted a three-point play, but Ingram made two 3-pointers and McCollum made one during a 15-0 run that gave New Orleans a 16-point lead on its way to a 61-47 halftime edge.
–Field Level Media