Zion Williamson scored a season-high 36 points, Jonas Valanciunas had a double-double and the host New Orleans Pelicans ended the Minnesota Timberwolves’ six-game winning streak with a 121-107 victory Monday night.
Williamson made 13 of 17 field-goal attempts and 10 of 12 free throws after totaling just 23 points in his last two games while Valanciunas finished with 14 points and 13 rebounds. CJ McCollum added 23 points, Brandon Ingram scored 20 and Trey Murphy III had 10.
Karl-Anthony Towns had 17 points and 12 rebounds before fouling out, Mike Conley and Naz Reid scored 17 each and Jaden McDaniels and Shake Milton added 12 each for the Timberwolves, who had won nine of 10 to claim the NBA’s best record but played without leading scorer Anthony Edwards (hip).
Williamson scored 12 points during the first seven minutes of the third quarter to help New Orleans extend its seven-point halftime lead to 78-63.
Reid answered with back-to-back 3-pointers before the Pelicans took a 10-point lead twice.
McDaniels made a pair of 3-pointers to help Minnesota get within 87-83. New Orleans’ Naji Marshall made a 3-pointer with two seconds left, but Jordan McLaughlin beat the buzzer from midcourt, leaving the Pelicans with a 90-86 lead at the end of the third quarter.
McCollum made a 3-pointer, Herbert Jones Jr. converted a three-point play and McCollum made another 3-pointer as New Orleans expanded the lead to 13 at the start of the fourth quarter.
Conley’s 3-pointer produced the Wolves’ first points of the period and Towns added two free throws to get Minnesota within eight, but Williamson made a basket and Ingram added a three-point play for a 102-91 lead.
The first quarter featured 10 lead changes and eight ties, the last of which was at 29 at the end of the period.
The score was tied five more times in the second quarter before McDaniels’ field goal gave the Wolves a 49-47 lead.
Ingram answered with a 3-pointer and added another field goal and a 3-pointer at the buzzer to complete a 12-3 run and give the Pelicans a 59-52 halftime lead.
–Field Level Media