Zion Williamson powered the New Orleans Pelicans past the Minnesota Timberwolves with 29 points in a 119-115 victory on Wednesday night. The win snapped a two-game losing streak for the Pelicans while handing Minnesota its second straight defeat.
New Orleans (19-51) entered the night near the bottom of the Western Conference but stunned the Timberwolves (40-31), who are battling for playoff positioning. The loss pushed Minnesota a full game behind the Golden State Warriors in the race for the No. 6 seed.
The Pelicans erased an early 11-point deficit with a 14-0 run in the second quarter, taking a brief 46-43 lead. The game remained close the rest of the way, but Minnesota failed to pull away despite playing at home.
Williamson was the driving force for New Orleans, shooting 12-for-16 from the field while adding eight assists and five rebounds. CJ McCollum contributed 18 points, while Bruce Brown and Jordan Hawkins combined for 28 off the bench.
Minnesota’s Anthony Edwards finished with 29 points but struggled from the field, shooting just 5-of-19 overall and 1-of-9 on two-point attempts. Julius Randle scored 17, and Mike Conley added 16 in the loss.
The Timberwolves had a chance to tie the game in the final minute but failed to secure a defensive rebound. Williamson capitalized with a putback layup with 13.1 seconds left, sealing the win for New Orleans.
New Orleans had six players score in double figures despite missing Trey Murphy III, who was ruled out for the season with a shoulder injury. The Pelicans also outrebounded Minnesota 46-40 and shot 52.8% from the field.
