NBA: Pelicans lead by Zion Williamson defeat Timberwolves

Zion Williamson led the way with 27 points as the New Orleans Pelicans secured a 117-106 win against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday night. CJ McCollum contributed 24 points, and Brandon Ingram added 19 as the Pelicans extended their winning streak to four games, marking their ninth victory in the last 12 matches.

Playing on the second night of a back-to-back, following a convincing 112-85 win over Brooklyn, the Pelicans continued their impressive performance on the road, shooting 55.6% from the field. Williamson and Ingram showcased their efficiency, combining for 18-of-26 shooting.

This victory further solidifies the Pelicans’ recent success, demonstrating their ability to maintain momentum and deliver strong performances, even in challenging circumstances.

We’ve all been focused and united on the defensive side, resulting in positive outcomes on offense, such as transition points and ball movement,” expressed Williamson. “So, when CJ, B.I., and I go into isolation, we find more space.”

Anthony Edwards posted an impressive 35 points for Minnesota, and Karl-Anthony Towns contributed 22. Despite holding a 14-2 home record, the Timberwolves faced their first consecutive losses of the season. Notably, they were the last team in the NBA to experience back-to-back defeats.

Minnesota struggled with a 38.7% shooting percentage through three quarters, concluding the game with 13 turnovers, which the Pelicans capitalized on for 16 points. Edwards had six turnovers, and Towns shot 8 of 19 from the field, including 0 of 4 from beyond the arc.

“They keep asking us to play hard, and they shouldn’t have to say it. We got to figure it out,” Edwards stated. “It’s on us because the coaches do a great job bringing the game plan and making sure we’re prepared.”

Zion Williamson Drives Pelicans to Win Against Timberwolves

New Orleans seized control with a late 25-9 run in the first half, extending their lead to 24 points by the middle of the third quarter.

“I give credit to B.I., especially towards the end of the second quarter,” remarked Williamson. “He created that separation, just getting it done. The energy carried into the third quarter with the entire team.”

Particularly, the night after complaining to Williamson’s coach about not getting enough foul calls, Pelicans coach Willie Green was called for a technical foul. After Williamson drove, he ran almost the entire length of the court. Remarkably, no more penalty was called, and Minnesota took possession after referees determined that the ball had left Williamson’s leg.

When speaking about the play on Wednesday, Green stated, “I saw him get fouled, that’s the difference.” “It was invisible to me last night, but it was visible to me tonight.”

The Indiana Pacers, who trailed by two at halftime before seizing control of the game with a 47-point third quarter, had seven players for Indiana-record double-digit scoring efforts. Point guard Tyrese Haliburton led the Pacers in scoring with 31 points on the night.

“We’re having fun right now, and winning is fun.” We must keep up our fierce competition,” Haliburton stated. “Good things will happen if we continue to get good shots.”

According to Haliburton, the Pacers’ game-changing third-quarter performance—which saw Indiana lead by 16 points going into the fourth quarter—was mostly due to defensive adjustments.

All we needed to do was lock in defensively. We had to find a way to get some saves because we had been scoring quite a bit against those guys all year, and we succeeded in doing so in the second half,” he remarked.

There had been heated exchanges between the two teams in recent games, and in the fourth quarter, a fight broke out between multiple players on both teams when Benedict Mathurin received a foul call from Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo.

Milwaukee’s top scorer, Antetokounmpo, finished with 26 points, followed by Damian Lillard with 23 and Khris Middleton with 19.

Meanwhile, Adrian Griffin, the coach of the Bucks, said that his team’s 13 turnovers cost them the game.

Griffin remarked, “We gave ourselves a chance, but turning the ball over is difficult.”

In Atlanta, the Hawks defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder, who were playing well, 141-138, behind 28 points from Jalen Johnson and 24 from Trae Young.

Oklahoma City came to Georgia riding a five-game winning streak that included last week’s victory over the NBA champion Denver Nuggets and Tuesday’s thrilling victory at home against the Boston Celtics.

But even with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s second masterful display—he finished with 33 points, 13 rebounds, and 8 assists—the Thunder were unable to overcome Atlanta, who won the game from start to finish. AFP