Zion Williamson delivered a commanding performance on Tuesday night, recording a triple-double to help the New Orleans Pelicans snap a four-game losing streak with a 127-120 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers.
Williamson finished with 22 points, 12 assists, and 10 rebounds, taking over in the fourth quarter to secure the win. After the game, the 24-year-old forward credited his teammates and coaches for encouraging him to play freely.
“Shout out to my teammates and coaches,” Williamson said postgame. “They tell me to be myself and just keep hoopin. When I’m myself, I don’t feel like nobody can stop me.”
New Orleans built a 21-point lead in the first half but saw the Clippers rally to briefly take the lead in the third quarter. The Pelicans responded with a strong finish, outscoring Los Angeles 37-29 in the third and leaning on Williamson’s late-game dominance.
CJ McCollum led New Orleans with 23 points, while Trey Murphy III contributed 21, including a highlight-reel reverse alley-oop dunk off a lob from McCollum. Karlo Matkovic added 15 points, and Jose Alvarado provided 14 off the bench as the Pelicans shot 54.8% from beyond the arc.
Williamson punctuated the third quarter with a coast-to-coast drive and dunk, celebrating with emphatic punches to the padding under the basket. He continued his aggressive play in the fourth, scoring 10 points while grabbing five rebounds and dishing out five assists.
The Clippers, who had won six of their previous seven games, struggled early from three-point range, missing 13 of their first 14 attempts. Kawhi Leonard led all scorers with 29 points, while James Harden finished with 25 points and 17 assists.
Ivica Zubac posted a double-double with 19 points and 11 rebounds, while Kris Dunn and Derrick Jones Jr. chipped in 11 points each. Los Angeles made a late push but couldn’t overcome Williamson’s impact in crunch time.
The Pelicans debuted Mo Bamba, who signed a 10-day contract earlier in the week. He grabbed seven rebounds and blocked one shot in 15 minutes. Kelly Olynyk was rested, forcing New Orleans to rely on Williamson’s inside presence down the stretch.
Tyronn Lue missed his second consecutive game due to back pain, leaving assistant coach Brian Shaw to lead the Clippers from the sidelines. Despite their comeback efforts, Los Angeles fell to 35-30, maintaining eighth place in the Western Conference playoff race.
With the win, New Orleans improved to 18-48 but remains in 14th place in the West.
