Brandon Ingram scored a season-high 34 points in the same game that Zion Williamson returned from a three-game absence, and the New Orleans Pelicans routed the depleted Golden State Warriors 128-83 on Monday night.
“He was fantastic all game,” Pelicans coach Willie Green said of Ingram, who hit 12 of 19 shots and whose repertoire included transition 3s, driving dunks and late-shot-clock turnaround fade-aways. “He played with force. When he decided to go (to the basket), he went quickly. … It was just good to see him put together an all-around good game.”
Playing one night after winning on the road for the first time this season at Houston, the Warriors scratched Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green and Andrew Wiggins from the lineup in New Orleans.
New Orleans Pelicans forward Brandon Ingram (14) shoots against Golden State Warriors
“This was just a night for the young guys to get a chance to play and it was a tough night,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said. “New Orleans played really well.”
Williamson played 23 minutes in his first game back from a bruised right foot, scoring nine points.
“I was very excited to be back out there,” Williamson said. “We got a great win. The score speaks for itself.”
Green said there was no predetermined limit on Williamson’s playing time, which was dictated more by the size of New Orleans’ lead.
New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson slam dunks over Golden State Warriors
Devonte Graham scored 19 for the Pelicans, who took the lead for good less than two minutes into the game. Jonas Valanciunas had 10 points and 13 rebounds, and CJ McCollum scored 15.
Jordan Poole scored 26 for Golden State, which committed 28 turnovers while falling to 1-9 on the road.
“The effort was there but we didn´t execute very well,” Kerr said. “A lot of that is one me. I´ve got to work with these guys and do a better job of teaching execution and getting our guys to understand the value of the ball.”
The starting lineup for Golden State was usual starting center Kevon Looney, along with forwards Anthony Lamb and Jonathan Kuminga, and guards Donte DiVincenzo and Poole.
Less than nine minutes in, Graham’s 3 as he was fouled gave New Orleans a 26-9 lead. Rookie Dyson Daniels’ finger roll made it 35-11 before the first quarter ended.
Ingram and Poole each scored 20 in the first half, but Ingram had a lot more help, and New Orleans led 65-41 at the break.
Stephen Curry sits on the bench in street clothes after being given a rest night
Andrew Wiggins, second left, and Klay Thompson, second right, both sit on bench in street clothes
BULLS 121, CELTICS 107
DeMar DeRozan scored 28 points, Zach LaVine added 22 and the Chicago Bulls stopped Boston´s nine-game win streak, beating the Celtics 121-107 on Monday night.
Patrick Williams scored a season-high 17, and the Bulls made it look rather easy against the team with the NBA´s best record. They led by 13 at halftime, got it up to 21 in the third quarter and withstood a push to come away with the victory after dropping four straight and five of six.
Jayson Tatum led Boston with 28 points. Jaylen Brown scored 25 and Malcolm Brogdon finished with 23 points, shooting 5 of 6 on 3-pointers.
Chicago Bulls’ DeMar DeRozan shoots over Boston Celtics’ Al Horford during the second half
BUCKS 119, TRAIL BLAZERS 111
Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 37 points and Milwaukee pulled away in the second half to beat Portland.
Antetokounmpo shot 16 of 24 to go with seven rebounds and six assists in 35 minutes. Milwaukee improved to 12-4 overall and 9-1 at home.
Bucks guard Jrue Holiday scored 13 of his 17 points in the fourth quarter, and Grayson Allen added 17 points and eight rebounds. Holiday had the first nine Milwaukee points in the period.
Anfernee Simons paced the Trail Blazers (10-7) with 29 points. Jusuf Nurkic added 16 points and 10 rebounds, but Portland lost its third straight game.
Giannis Antetokounmpo looks to pass the ball in the second quarter during game against the Portland Trail Blazers
CAVALIERS 114, HAWKS 102
Donovan Mitchell had 29 points and nine assists, and Darius Garland scored 26 to send Cleveland past Atlanta in their first meeting since the play-in tournament last season.
Trae Young had 25 points and 10 assists, and Onyeka Okongwu had a season-high 18 points and 10 rebounds for the Hawks. Key offseason acquisition Dejounte Murray scored 11 on 4-of-18 shooting.
Atlanta claimed the final playoff berth in the East with a 107-101 win at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse on April 15, extending Cleveland´s postseason drought to four years. The Cavaliers have not made the playoffs without LeBron James since 1998.
Garland also had nine assists and tied his career high with eight turnovers. Cedi Osman scored a season-best 23 off the bench as Cleveland won its third in a row following a five-game losing streak. The Cavaliers are 7-1 at home.
Donovan Mitchell dribbles between his legs before drivong to the basket against the Atlanta Hawks
PACERS 123, MAGIC 102
Bennedict Mathurin scored 22 points and Indiana blew out Orlando for its fifth consecutive victory.
Tyrese Haliburton had 18 points and 14 assists for the Pacers. T.J. McConnell added 19 points and 10 assists. Oshae Brissett scored 18 as Indiana’s bench accounted for 71 points.
Franz Wagner led the Magic with 20 points and Gary Harris had 18.
Bennedict Mathurin #00 of the Indiana Pacers shoots the ball during the game against the Orlando Magic
TIMBERWOLVES 105, HEAT 101
Karl-Anthony Towns had 25 points and Anthony Edwards scored 10 of his 22 in the third quarter as Minnesota outlasted shorthanded Miami.
Down to eight players due to injuries and rest on the second night of a back-to-back, the Heat led by 15 in the first half before Edwards sparked a third-quarter run.
Jaden McDaniels added 18 points for the Timberwolves, who won their fourth straight.
Kyle Lowry led the Heat with 21 points and Max Strus had 19. Bam Adebayo, playing in back-to-back games while dealing with a knee injury, had 17 points and 14 rebounds for Miami, which has lost four in a row.
Jimmy Butler missed his third straight game with a knee injury for the Heat, who were also without Tyler Herro, Duncan Robinson and Gabe Vincent.
Karl-Anthony Towns (32) drives to the basket while Miami Heat forward Jamal Cain (8) defends
KNICKS 129, THUNDER 119
Jalen Brunson had a season-high 34 points while RJ Barrett and Julius Randle scored 25 each to lead New York over Oklahoma City.
Just eight days ago, the Thunder beat the Knicks in Madison Square Garden, scoring 145 points – including 79 in the opening half. But this time, New York held Oklahoma City´s offense in check for the bulk of the game.
Randle also pulled down 11 rebounds. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the Thunder with 30 points and Lu Dort added 24.
Jalen Brunson of the New York Knicks shoots over Shai Gilgeous-Alexander #2 of the Oklahoma City Thunder
CLIPPERS 121, JAZZ 114
Norman Powell led the way for the Clippers with 30 points off of the bench as the Clippers were able to hand the Jazz a defeat on the evening.
Reggie Jackson registered a team high 36 minutes on his way to 27 points, and aided Powell in picking up the slack for a team that was missing Paul George.
Jordan Clarkson, and Lauri Markkanen gave their best efforts to by scoring 26 and 25 points respectively, but it was not enough to overcome LA’s more efficient scoring output.
Reggie Jackson #1 of the LA Clippers celebrates a three-point shot with Norman Powell #24 against the Utah Jazz