Zion's Dominance Helps Pelicans Narrowly Escape With Victory Over The Lowly Wizards

New Orleans heads into the All-Star break with three straight victories after close win over the Wizards.

New Orleans, LA - The New Orleans Pelicans held on for dear life in their 133-126 victory over the lowly Washington Wizards. New Orleans built a 20-point lead late in the second quarter, only to see Washington storm back and grab a lead. Zion Williamson wouldn't be denied, scoring 36 points to lead the Pels in scoring. The Pelicans had to hold on for their third straight victory heading into the All-Star break. 

New Orleans entered the game eager to get a win before the All-Star break for their best record at the break since 2008. Both teams started slow from the field, combining for just 18 points in the first six minutes of play. Washington's turnovers allowed New Orleans to get their offense going. The Wizards committed seven turnovers, leading to 11 Pels points. Brandon Ingram scored on one of those turnovers for his 9,000 career point. Ingram also had eight assists on the night, marking his seventh straight game with at least six assists.

Feb 14, 2024; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; Washington Wizards forward Corey Kispert (24) has the ball stripped by New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson (1) during the first half at Smoothie King Center. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports

CJ McCollum paced the Pelicans with 11 points, while Jordan Poole scored six to lead the Wizards. New Orleans held a 31-26 lead heading into the second quarter. The Pelicans seemed poised to pull away with a 14-0 run to start the period, giving New Orleans a 20-point lead. Washington would not go away, chipping into the Pels lead. Jordan Poole hit a three-pointer as time expired in the half to cut New Orleans lead to 68-60 at the break. Zion Williamson scored 14 points in the quarter for a game-high 20 points, but the Pels defense surrendered 34 points to the Wizards. 

The third quarter saw the same song and dance defensively for the Pelicans. They gave up 38 points in the quarter, and the Wizards turned the once deficit into a lead midway through the quarter. Corey Krispert had 20 points off the Wizards bench to help the shorthanded Wizards in scoring. Their leading scorer, Kyle Kuzma, did not play on Wednesday night. Still, the lowly Wizards turned this into a close game heading into the fourth quarter, only down a point. The Pelicans entered the game No. 8 in defensive efficiency, while analytics from CA Sports Betting Sites says New Orleans can creep into the Top 5.

Zion Willamson then put his imprint on the fourth quarter, scoring ten points and willing the Pelicans to victory. Wizards forward Deni Avdida scored a game-high 43 points, which is also a career-high for him. The Pelicans' defense buckled down during the stretch, preventing the Wizards from cutting the lead closer. New Orleans dominated the paint, scoring 72 points against the second-worst paint-defensive team in the league. The Pelicans also cut down on mistakes, committing just ten turnovers in the ballgame. 

The victory for the Pelicans puts them 11 games over .500 heading into the All-Star break. New Orleans currently sits No. 5 in the Western Conference standings. The team gets a week off before hosting the Houston Rockets at home on February 22.