Trey Murphy III scored a game-high 28 points and the visiting New Orleans Pelicans routed the Cleveland Cavaliers 123-104 on Thursday night.
Murphy made 10 of 16 field-goal attempts, 6 of 10 3-point tries and both of his free throws as New Orleans won for the fifth time in six games.
CJ McCollum added 18 points, Brandon Ingram scored 17, Naji Marshall had 14, Jonas Valanciunas 13 and Jeremiah Robinson-Earl 11 for the Pelicans, who played without Zion Williamson (illness).
Dean Wade scored 20 to pace the Cavaliers, who played without Donovan Mitchell (illness) and saw their three-game winning streak end. Isaac Okoro had 16, Jarrett Allen scored 14, Max Strus finished with 13 and Georges Niang contributed 11.
The Pelicans led by 14 points at halftime but the Cavaliers scored the first seven points of the third quarter. A 3-pointer by Cleveland’s Craig Porter Jr., who finished with 11 assists, trimmed the lead to 68-62.
New Orleans rebuilt the lead to 11 before Wade’s 3-pointer pulled Cleveland within 80-76.
However, the Cavaliers went scoreless for the final 4:35 of the period and Marshall scored six points as the Pelicans finished on a 14-0 run that produced a 94-76 lead.
Niang’s basket started the fourth-quarter scoring, but New Orleans scored the next seven points to take command with a 101-78 advantage with 9:44 remaining.
The Pelicans didn’t show any lingering effects from squandering a 24-point lead in a last-second loss to the Memphis Grizzlies on Tuesday. On Thursday, McCollum and Ingram each made a 3-pointer during a 10-0 run that gave New Orleans a 19-9 lead.
Dean and Niang each made two 3-pointers to help the Cavaliers pull within three points.
New Orleans rebuilt the lead to 11 before holding a 36-28 lead at the end of the first quarter.
The Pelicans scored the first five points of the second quarter to increase the margin to 13.
Strus scored five points as Cleveland closed within 51-49.
Murphy had three 3-pointers, another field goal and an assist during a 13-0 run that helped New Orleans expand the lead to 66-52 entering halftime.
–Field Level Media