Zion Williamson scored 33 points and the host New Orleans Pelicans never trailed in a 124-114 victory against the Joel Embiid-less Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday night.
CJ McCollum returned from a 12-game absence due to a collapsed lung to score 20 for the Pelicans, Jonas Valanciunas added 19 points, Jordan Hawkins scored 16 and Brandon Ingram had 15.
Embiid sat out because of an illness two nights after he reached a triple-double in the third quarter of a 138-94 rout of the visiting Los Angeles Lakers. In his absence, Tyrese Maxey scored 33, De’Anthony Melton had 17, Robert Covington and Tobias Harris had 12 each and Patrick Beverley scored 11.
Valanciunas converted a three-point play to start the third-quarter scoring and push the Pelicans lead to 23 points.
The Sixers twice got within 18 points, but Williamson scored the final six points of 9-0 run that gave New Orleans a 27-point lead.
The margin grew to as many as 29 points before the Pelicans held a 102-81 lead at the end of the third quarter.
Philadelphia got within eight points with 1:47 remaining in the game, but didn’t get any closer.
New Orleans scored the first four points of the game and Valanciunas scored six and Ingram had five to help build a 14-3 lead.
The Pelicans expanded the lead to 18 points before Marcus Morris Sr. made a 3-pointer that left the Pelicans with a 39-24 lead after the first quarter.
Valanciunas took advantage of Embiid’s absence inside to score a game-high 10 points during the period, which was the Pelicans’ highest-scoring opening quarter of the season.
Williamson made consecutive field goals and Ingram hit two free throws to help New Orleans extend the lead to 49-29.
Paul Reed answered with a three-point play, but Ingram’s 3-pointer gave the Pelicans their biggest lead of the half, 60-36.
Maxey scored Philadelphia’s final five points of the half to trim the lead to 68-48 at halftime.
–Field Level Media