Pelicans set a franchise record for points in victory over the Jazz

January 24, 2024 in Sports

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — CJ McCollum hit nine 3-pointers and matched a career-high with 33 points, Zion Williamson added 17 points and a career-best 11 assists and the New Orleans Pelicans set a franchise record for points in a 153-124 victory over the Utah Jazz in the NBA on Tuesday night.

The Pelicans’ previous scoring high was 149 points in a victory over the Sacramento Kings in October 2018.

Herb Jones scored 22 points, Brandon Ingram had 18 and Jonas Valanciunas 17 for the Pelicans, who finished with 41 assists on 60 made field goals.

McCollum shot 11 of 17 from the floor, including 9 for 13 from long distance, and the Pelicans shot 57.1% from the field (60 of 105).

Collin Sexton had 22 points and seven assists, and Simone Fontecchio added 18 points for the Jazz, who lost their third straight game.

KNICKS 108, NETS 103

NEW YORK (AP) — Jalen Brunson scored 30 points, Julius Randle added 30 points, nine rebounds and seven assists and New York Knicks extended their winning streak to four games with a win over Brooklyn Nets.

New York trailed by nine points at the start the fourth quarter and outscored the Nets 10-3 over the final two minutes to seal the win.

Donte DiVincenzo scored 11 points and OG Anunoby added 10 for the Knicks.

Mikal Bridges hit a career-high seven 3-pointers and scored 36 points for Brooklyn, which blew a 10-point lead in the third quarter. Cameron Johnson scored 19 points and Cam Thomas added 14 off the bench for the Nets, who had lost the last three meetings against the Knicks.

CLIPPERS 127, LAKERS 116

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Kawhi Leonard had a triple-double, James Harden had 23 points and 10 assists and Los Angeles Clippers beat Los Angeles Lakers for their third straight victory and 11th win in 13 games.

Leonard had 25 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists, including three key ones in the fourth when the Clippers were clinging to a narrow lead.

D’Angelo Russell led the Lakers with 27 points and 10 assists and Anthony Davis had 26 points and 12 rebounds with LeBron James watching from the bench.

James is day-to-day with left ankle pain. The Clippers didn’t have big man Ivica Zubac, who is out for at least a month with a right calf strain.

The fourth straight road loss dropped the Lakers under .500 at 22-23.

THUNDER 111, TRAIL BLAZERS 109

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 33 points and Jalen Williams added 19 points, including the game-winner with two seconds left, to help Oklahoma City Thunder beat Portland Trail Blazers.

Gilgeous-Alexander intercepted a lob intended for Deandre Ayton right before the buzzer sounded, sealing Oklahoma City’s seventh straight win over Portland. The Trail Blazers had lost to the Thunder by 62 points in the teams’ last game.

Scoot Henderson scored 19 points and Anfernee Simons added 17 for Portland, including a 3-pointer with 29 seconds left in the game, to give the Trail Blazers a 109-106 lead.

A Williams make pulled Oklahoma City within 109-108 with 15.6 seconds remaining, but Portland turned it over on a double-dribble by guard Malcolm Brogdon. The call infuriated Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups, who picked up two technical fouls and was ejected.

Gilgeous-Alexander made one of two free throws to tie the score before Williams connected on a mid-range jumper in traffic to win it for the Thunder.

Oklahoma City got 13 points off the bench from Aaron Wiggins and eight points and 10 rebounds from Chet Holmgren.

NUGGETS 114, PACERS 109

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Nikola Jokic scored 31 points as part of his 13th triple-double of the season to help Denver Nuggets sent Indiana Pacers to their third straight loss.

Jokic’s final basket — a 3-pointer with 4.7 seconds left — sealed the win. The All-Star forward also had 13 rebounds and 10 assists as the Nuggets won their third straight overall and beat the Pacers for the eighth consecutive time.

Jamal Murray also scored 31 points.

Myles Turner had 22 points to lead the Pacers and Pascal Siakam added 16 points and 10 rebounds in his first home game since being traded to Indiana last week. All-Star guard Tyrese Haliburton again sat out with a strained left hamstring and already has been ruled out of Indiana’s next two games.