Zion Williamson scored 23 points, including a go-ahead basket in the final minute, as the short-handed New Orleans Pelicans held off the visiting Oklahoma City Thunder 105-101 on Monday night.
Williamson also tied a career high with eight assists. Trey Murphy III scored 20 points, Jose Alvarado had 15, Herbert Jones 12 and Willy Hernangomez 10 for the Pelicans, who played without two injured starters — Brandon Ingram (toe) and CJ McCollum (health and safety protocols) — and two key reserves — Larry Nance Jr. (shoulder) and Naji Marshall (non-COVID illness).
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 31 points, Luguentz Dort added 14, Aleksej Pokusevski 11 and Jeremiah Robinson-Earl finished with 10 points and 13 rebounds for the Thunder.
Robinson-Earl made a 3-pointer to give Oklahoma City a one-point lead before Williamson converted a three-point play that gave New Orleans a 103-101 lead with 44.4 seconds left.
After a turnover, Williamson missed a 3-pointer as the shot clock was expiring. Gilgeous-Alexander pushed the ball into the frontcourt and drove to the basket, but Jones stepped in front and drew an offensive foul. Jones’ two free throws completed the scoring with 1.5 seconds left.
Gilgeous-Alexander scored the Thunder’s first eight points of the third quarter as they crept within 64-58.
Murphy and Williamson answered with consecutive baskets that gave the Pelicans their first double-digit lead.
Williamson’s basket pushed the lead to 75-62, but Dort scored seven of Oklahoma City’s final 12 points as they climbed within 81-74 at the end of the third quarter.
Jalen Williams scored four points as the Thunder got within two points early in the fourth quarter, but New Orleans answered with a basket by Jones and a three-point play by Murphy.
The Thunder were the more aggressive team in the early going, opening a 16-8 lead as Williamson was called for the first technical foul of his career.
The Pelicans scored the next 10 points and took a 34-26 lead at the end of the first quarter.
New Orleans led by nine twice in the second quarter before Gilgeous-Alexander converted a three-point play to trim the lead to 56-50 at halftime.
–Field Level Media
