Zion Williamson Powers Pelicans Past Nuggets
New Orleans, LA - The New Orleans Pelicans have started a winning streak after defeating the Denver Nuggets 115-110 in the Smoothie King Center. After losing five straight games, the Pelicans have won their last two contest and are 2-1 in the NBA In-Season Tournament. New Orleans victory also gets them back to .500 on the season at 6-6.
New Orleans opened the game setting the tempo from the opening tip. The Pelicans started on an 8-2 run and heavily featured Zion Williamson in the offense. Williamson scored 13 points on 5/5 shooting in the opening period. A point of emphasis in this game was controlling the paint early. Denver outscored the Pelicans 64-46 in paint points on Nov. 6.
In Friday night's matchup, New Orleans scored more than half of that in the first quarter alone, outscoring the Nuggets 24-20 in the restricted area. The ball movement for the Pelicans allowed them to have their highest-scoring first quarter of the season. New Orleans led 36-28 as they dished out 13 assists on 16 made shots from the field.
New Orleans built that lead up to 17 points midway through the second quarter after a Herb Jones block on one end and a Matt Ryan three-point make on the offensive end. The Pelicans allowed the Nuggets to shoot just 18% from the three-point line and forced nine turnovers in the half. Zion Williamson continued his offensive assault with 8 points in the quarter for a game-high 21 points at halftime. New Orleans led 69-53 at halftime.
Nov 17, 2023; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson (1) is fouled against Denver Nuggets forward Peyton Watson (8) during the first half at the Smoothie King Center. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports
Much like the Nov. 6 matchup in Denver, the Nuggets mounted a second-half comeback. After hitting just three three-point shots in the first half, Denver made five threes in the third quarter alone. The Nuggets defense stifled Williamson, who went scoreless in the quarter, and the Pelicans lead whittled down to nine points heading into the fourth quarter. Nikola Jokic came alive, and after three quarters, had 23 points, 16 assists, and 13 rebounds.
Denver got the New Orleans lead down to three points on a couple of occasions, but never took the lead throughout the entirety of the game. Both teams struggled to score down the stretch, but a couple of hustle plays by Dyson Daniels and Herb Jones kept possessions alive for New Orleans to maintain their advantage. Williamson and Brandon Ingram scored 9 of the Pels 20 fourth-quarter points to tie up the season series with Denver at a game apiece.
Williamson finished with a team-high 26 points, and the team shot a season-high 52% from beyond the arc. On defense, they did a masterful job slowing down Nikola Jokic in the fourth quarter. 'The Joker' scored just 3 points in the last period.
New Orleans has a quick turnaround as they host the Minnesota Timberwolves on Saturday night back in the Smoothie King Center.
