NBA: Pelicans withstand late Warriors push behind Zion Williamson's 26

Zion Williamson scored 26 points to lead the New Orleans Pelicans to a 113-109 victory over the visiting Golden State Warriors on Tuesday night.

Saddiq Bey added 18 points as New Orleans built an early lead and held on despite a late push from Golden State.

The Warriors, playing without several key players, were led by De'Anthony Melton, who scored a game-high 28 points. Moses Moody contributed 24 points, while Brandin Podziemski recorded 16 points and 15 rebounds, matching his career-best on the boards.

Golden State, missing Stephen Curry, Jimmy Butler, Al Horford and Kristaps Porzingis due to injuries and illness, mounted a late rally in the fourth quarter. A 6-0 run cut the deficit to 104-101, but Bey answered with a three-point play to steady the Pelicans.

Melton kept the Warriors within striking distance by converting three of four free throws, but Dejounte Murray responded with a driving basket before Herbert Jones sealed the momentum with two free throws.

Murray, appearing in his first game in nearly 13 months after recovering from a torn right Achilles tendon, made an immediate impact by scoring on a reverse layup within the opening 20 seconds.

With Williamson leading the charge early, New Orleans surged ahead with a 17-3 run to take a 25-11 advantage and extended the lead to 31-19 at the end of the first quarter.

The Pelicans stretched their lead to as many as 14 points in a physical second quarter, though both teams struggled offensively. Golden State shot just 7-of-23 in the period and committed 13 first-half turnovers, with Jones recording five steals to disrupt their rhythm.

However, New Orleans also went cold, shooting 5-of-22 in the second quarter, including 2-of-12 from beyond the arc, and endured a scoring drought of more than five minutes. The Warriors capitalized by outscoring the Pelicans 20-15 in the period to trim the deficit to 46-39 at halftime.

Golden State’s zone defense continued to trouble New Orleans in the third quarter, forcing turnovers and limiting perimeter shooting. Moody tied the game at 57 before sinking two free throws to give the Warriors their first lead with 6:22 remaining in the period.

Moody fueled an 11-2 run for Golden State, but the Pelicans responded late in the quarter behind strong two-way play from Derik Queen to regain control and take a 77-72 lead into the fourth.

The Warriors briefly reclaimed the lead early in the final quarter, but Williamson answered with a powerful drive and followed it up with a three-point play after an offensive foul call was overturned. From there, New Orleans held firm down the stretch to secure the win. -Field Level Media/Reuters