CJ McCollum scored 33 points, Jonas Valanciunas had a double-double and Matt Ryan scored a career-high 20 as the host New Orleans Pelicans defeated the Detroit Pistons 125-116 on Thursday night.
Valanciunas had 23 points and 13 rebounds and Ryan made 6 of 8 3-pointers after starting in place of Zion Williamson, who was given the night off. Herbert Jones added 21 points and Dyson Daniels scored 10 off the bench for New Orleans, which played its third consecutive game without leading scorer Brandon Ingram (knee soreness).
Even without their two star forwards, the Pelicans set a season high in points, which included 72 in the first half.
Cade Cunningham had 22 points and 11 assists for the Pistons. Marcus Sasser scored 19, Ausar Thompson 16, Jaden Ivey and Jalen Duren 12 apiece, Isaiah Stewart 11 and Killian Hayes 10.
The Pelicans won their sixth consecutive game against Detroit as both teams completed a back-to-back.
The Pistons shaved just one point off a 23-point halftime deficit during the first nine minutes of the third quarter. But Sasser made two 3-pointers during a 13-2 run that pulled Detroit within 94-83 at the end of the period.
Sasser made another 3-pointer to get Detroit within eight points with four minutes remaining, but it couldn’t get any closer until the final minute.
The Pistons took a 17-15 lead on a 3-pointer by Cunningham before the Pelicans went on a spurt.
Jones scored six points and Ryan put up five during a 13-0 New Orleans run. Detroit got within five points twice before the Pelicans held a 35-29 lead at the end of the period. Ryan finished the quarter with 11 points, making all three of his 3-pointers.
McCollum scored New Orleans’ first six points of the second quarter to produce a 10-point lead.
The Pistons got within five before Valanciunas scored eight points during a 16-0 run that gave the Pelicans a 59-38 lead.
The advantage grew to 25 points twice before New Orleans finished with a 72-49 halftime lead.
–Field Level Media