Jerami Grant scored 27 points as the short-handed Portland Trail Blazers defeated the host New Orleans Pelicans 106-95 on Thursday night.
Anfernee Simons added 23 points as Portland improved to 4-1 on its six-game road trip. Nassir Little, one of just three Blazers reserves to play, scored 15, former Pelican Josh Hart had 17 and Justise Winslow contributed 12.
Grant returned from a one-game absence caused by a sore ankle, but the Blazers played without two starters, guard Damian Lillard (calf) and center Jusuf Nurkic (adductor).
Zion Williamson scored 29, Trey Murphy III added 16, Brandon Ingram put up 14 before fouling out, former Blazer CJ McCollum had 13 and Herbert Jones 10 to lead New Orleans, which was beginning a six-game homestand. The Pelicans have lost three of their past four games.
New Orleans posted its lowest point total of the season by far, as the previous low was 111.
The Pelicans led by six early in the third quarter before Simons scored eight points during a 15-4 run that gave the Blazers a 68-63 lead.
New Orleans pulled even on a 3-pointer by Murphy, but Little made a layup and Simons hit two free throws to give Portland a 78-74 lead at the end of the third quarter.
Williamson started the fourth-quarter scoring with a three-point play, but the Blazers scored the next eight points to take an 86-77 lead.
The Pelicans got within six points on four occasions, but Portland had an answer each time and Grant’s dunk and 3-pointer produced a 100-89 lead with 4:19 left.
Both teams led by as many as six points during the first quarter, which ended with the score tied at 27. Grant led Portland with 11 points and Ingram topped New Orleans with 10.
The Blazers took a two-point lead early in the second quarter before Jose Alvarado and Naji Marshall each made a 3-pointer during a 12-0 run that gave the Pelicans a 41-31 edge.
Portland climbed within one point on a floater by Hart, but Murphy scored New Orleans’ final eight points as the Pelicans took a 57-51 halftime lead.
–Field Level Media