CJ McCollum scored a team-high 25 points to help lead the visiting New Orleans Pelicans to a 110-98 win over the Washington Wizards on Sunday.
Trey Murphy III added 22 points for the Pelicans, who won their second game over Washington in three days. Yves Missi had 16 points while Dejounte Murray collected 14 points, 12 assists and 10 rebounds. Herbert Jones chipped in 11 points in the win.
Kyle Kuzma led Washington with 28 points, followed by Alexandre Sarr’s 18 points and 11 rebounds. Jared Butler scored 17 off the bench, while Carlton Carrington had 16 for Washington, which dropped its fourth game in five tries.
Leading by 15 at halftime, the Pelicans pushed their advantage to 68-48 after Murphy’s dunk stamped an 8-3 run to the third quarter.
Murray’s 3-pointer extended the Pelicans’ lead to 71-50 with 9:11 left in the third, before Kuzma’s back-to-back baskets trimmed Washington’s deficit to 16.
At the 4:39 mark, Carrington’s pull-up triple pulled the Wizards within 13, but Jones’ mid-range jumper was followed by Murphy’s consecutive baskets, extending the Pelicans’ lead to 84-65 with 1:46 left in the third.
Washington scored the final five points of the third before Jonas Valanciunas’ layup to open the fourth quarter cut the Pelicans’ lead to 84-72.
Another Valanciunas bucket followed by Butler’s four straight points for an 87-78 deficit at the 10:15 mark pulled the Wizards within single digits for the first time since the first quarter.
New Orleans pushed its lead back to 16 after Missi and Jones’ dunks forced a Washington timeout with 6:02 left.
After Carrington’s 3-pointer gave the Wizards an early 22-19 lead, Missi’s layup followed by Jeremiah Robinson-Earl’s triple began a 14-0 New Orleans run to finish the first quarter.
Leading 33-22, New Orleans’ advantage ballooned to 14 on Jose Alvarado’s 3-pointer to begin the second quarter. Butler answered with a three-point play, before Jordan Hawkins’ triple began a 7-0 Pelicans’ spurt, extending New Orleans’ lead to 43-25 with 10:08 left in the second quarter.
Murray and McCollum’s layups pushed the Pelicans’ advantage to 15 at the 1:28 mark.
Kuzma’s triple trimmed Washington’s deficit to 12, but Murphy answered with a 3-pointer of his own with 3 seconds left, giving New Orleans a 60-45 halftime lead. Murphy led the Pelicans with 16 first-half points, while Kuzma paced Washington with 15.
–Field Level Media
