CJ McCollum helps surging Pelicans pull away from Blazers

CJ McCollum scored 30 points, Zion Williamson had 26 points and 10 rebounds and the host New Orleans Pelicans pulled away from the Portland Trail Blazers 126-107 on Saturday night.

Brandon Ingram had 22 points, Trey Murphy III added 20 points and Naji Marshall scored 11 for the Pelicans (41-26), who won for the sixth time in seven games.

Dalano Banton scored 28 points, Anfernee Simons added 25, Deandre Ayton scored 20, Toumani Camara and Scoot Henderson had 11 each and Jabari Walker added 10 for the Blazers (19-48), who played without second-leading scorer Jerami Grant (hamstring).

Ingram's jumper gave New Orleans a nine-point lead with 9:36 left in the third quarter before 3-pointers by Banton and Simons helped Portland trim its deficit to 84-83. The Blazers got within one point for a second time before Jeremiah Robinson-Earl, Marshall and Williamson scored four points each during a 13-2 run that gave the Pelicans a 12-point lead with 30.6 seconds left in the third.

Ayton made a layup to conclude the third-quarter scoring and pull Portland within 102-92 at the end of the period.

The Blazers got within 10 points again early in the fourth quarter before Ingram hit back-to-back jumpers and McCollum added a 3-pointer to increase the lead to 114-97 with 7:33 left.

The Blazers scored the first five points of the game, the Pelicans scored the next 10 and the lead changed hands six more times during a high-scoring first quarter. Williamson made two driving layups in 14 seconds during the final minute to help New Orleans take a 36-33 lead at the end of the first quarter.

Williamson scored eight points during the first 3 1/2 minutes of the second quarter and the Pelicans built a 48-41 lead.

Camara made a 3-pointer and Banton and Simons made two each to help Portland take a 66-64 lead. Ingram made two field goals and had an assist during a 9-2 closing run that gave New Orleans a 73-68 halftime lead.

—Field Level Media