Zion Williamson tied a season high with 29 points, leading the New Orleans Pelicans (3-15) to a 143-130 victory over the Chicago Bulls (9-8) on Monday night at Smoothie King Center. Saddiq Bey added 20 points and 14 rebounds, including a pair of late 3-pointers that helped preserve the lead in the final minutes.
The Pelicans ended a nine-game skid and earned their first win under interim coach James Borrego, who took over after the firing of Willie Green. New Orleans had eight players scoring in double figures, with Trey Murphy contributing 20 points and Jose Alvarado adding 16. Yves Missi posted a double-double with 14 points and 14 rebounds.
New Orleans jumped out to an early lead, holding a 22-point advantage in the second quarter after Murphy completed a 3-point play on a reverse layup. Williamson’s driving layup and finger-roll in the closing seconds of the first half gave the Pelicans a 74-58 cushion at halftime.
Chicago mounted a late rally, with Ayo Dosunmu scoring 28 points and Coby White adding 24. Josh Giddey contributed 21 points while Jalen Smith had 13, and Tre Jones chipped in 10 points with 11 assists off the bench. The Bulls made 20 of 50 attempts from three-point range but could not overcome New Orleans’ balanced attack.
The Pelicans maintained control through a high-scoring third quarter, outscoring Chicago 34-35, and held on in the fourth despite the Bulls closing to single digits in the final two minutes. Bryce McGowens and Micah Peavy each added double-digit scoring to round out New Orleans’ team effort.
New Orleans will host the Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday, while Chicago visits the Charlotte Hornets on Friday night.
