Zion Williamson scored 36 points, CJ McCollum added 26, and the New Orleans Pelicans defeated Washington 133-126 on Wednesday night, despite Deni Avdija’s career-high 43 points for the Wizards.
Avdija, a fourth-year Israeli player, surpassed his previous high of 25 points at the halfway of the third quarter, finishing with 20 points. He also tied his season best of 14 rebounds, and he helped keep the game close until the last minute.
“Start to finish, he played a great game, and he did it on both ends of the floor,” Williamson was quoted as saying. “Even when his team was down, his energy remained high. You have to respect a player like him.
New Orleans (33-22) had its best record entering the All-Star break since going 36-16 in 2007-08, when the team was still called the Hornets.
Corey Kispert scored 20 points for Washington, which lost its eighth consecutive game, the league’s longest active skid. The Wizards have only one win over a team that is currently over.500.
With 5:15 left in the game, Williamson broke the tie with a driving layup. He scored again on a post move, making the score 119-115.
Jordan Poole’s 3-pointer with 21.2 seconds left brought the Wizards within 129-126, but Trey Murphy III of the Pelicans converted two free throws to seal the victory.
“It’s a gutsy win coming off a long road trip,” Pelicans coach Willie Green said. “We gave them some life. Giving a team life boosts their confidence. We had to work hard to achieve this win, but we will accept it.”
The Pelicans’ start was reminiscent of their previous two games, when they failed to score 100 points in consecutive games for the first time this season, despite winning both. Williamson missed a layup the first time they had the ball, and the score remained locked at 9-9 midway through the first quarter.
The offense ramped up from there. McCollum scored seven straight points, and the Pelicans opened the second quarter with a 14-0 run, fueled by Williamson’s two layups and four free throws.
After trailing by 20, the Wizards completed the first half with a 14-2 surge, including a 3-pointer by Poole at the buzzer. They made 19 of their last 31 shots after being 4 for 17.
“We need to stop doing that,” Williamson added. “We get a lead, especially if we want to make a deep run in the playoffs, we’ve got to be able to maintain leads.”
In the third quarter, Kispert’s unimpeded drive to the hoop gave the Wizards an 87-81 lead.
Late in the period, Washington’s Landry Shamet corralled a loose ball on the floor, and Larry Nance Jr. reached between Shamet’s legs to grab it, resulting in an altercation. Both were called for technical fouls, and New Orleans won the resulting jump ball. Williamson dribbled over 70 feet for a layup that restored the Pelicans’ lead to 99-98 with 0.4 seconds remaining in the third quarter.
New Orleans never trailed in the fourth quarter, but there were plenty of stressful moments. The Wizards set a franchise record with 21 three-pointers on 45 tries, led by Avdija’s career-high six.
“He read the game well, and we put him in positions to take advantage of his quickness and athleticism to the rim,” interim coach Brian Keefe explained. “And then when the ball was kicked to him, he shot when he was open.”
