The New Orleans Pelicans ended a four-game losing streak with a 127-120 win over the Los Angeles Clippers on Tuesday night.
Zion Williamson recorded his second career triple-double with 22 points, 12 assists, and 10 rebounds, fueling the Pelicans’ late-game surge.
New Orleans built a 21-point lead in the first half but briefly fell behind in the third quarter before reclaiming control.
CJ McCollum led the Pelicans with 23 points, while Trey Murphy III added 21, highlighted by a reverse alley-oop dunk off a McCollum lob.
Karlo Matkovic contributed 15 points, and Jose Alvarado scored 14 off the bench as New Orleans shot 54.8% from three-point range.
Kawhi Leonard led all scorers with 29 points, and James Harden finished with 25 points and 17 assists for the Clippers, who had won six of their previous seven games.
Los Angeles struggled early from beyond the arc, missing 13 of its first 14 attempts before finding rhythm in the third quarter.
Ivica Zubac added 19 points and 11 rebounds, while Kris Dunn and Derrick Jones Jr. each scored 11.
Tyronn Lue missed his second straight game due to back pain, leaving assistant coach Brian Shaw in charge of the Clippers.
Mo Bamba made his Pelicans debut, grabbing seven rebounds and blocking one shot in 15 minutes after signing a 10-day contract earlier in the week.
Kelly Olynyk was rested by New Orleans, which leaned on Williamson down the stretch to seal the win.
Williamson punctuated the third quarter with a coast-to-coast drive and dunk, capping the sequence with celebratory punches to the padding under the basket.
The Pelicans outscored the Clippers 37-39 in the third quarter before Williamson took over in the fourth, scoring 10 points while adding five rebounds and five assists.
The Clippers made a late push, but New Orleans held firm behind clutch shooting and rebounding down the stretch.
The victory improved the Pelicans’ record to 18-48, keeping them in 14th place in the Western Conference.
Los Angeles fell to 35-30 and remains eighth in the standings as the playoff race tightens.
