It’s an interconference matchup on the hardwood as the past and present of a franchise take the floor in Buzz City. The New Orleans Pelicans are on the road as they travel to face the Charlotte Hornets Friday night. New Orleans opened the season with an emphatic 130-108 drubbing of the Nets on the road as a 3.5-point underdog Wednesday night. Charlotte rolled to an easy 129-102 road win over San Antonio Wednesday night, easily covering the one-point line in the game. In the all-time regular season series between the teams, the Pelicans own a 23-12 advantage though the Hornets have won the last two matchups. That includes a 106-103 road win in the most recent meeting on March 21, 2022.
New Orleans went on the road and took care of business with a commanding victory over Brooklyn on the road as they welcomed back Zion Williamson to the fold. The Pelicans look to build on that momentum as they jumped all over the Nets early on and never eased up after that. New Orleans bolted to a 7-0 lead just over two minutes into the game, went up 20-4 midway through the opening quarter and held a 32-14 advantage after the opening quarter. The Pelicans controlled the game the rest of the way as the lead never dropped below eight before regrouping and burying the Nets. New Orleans outscored Brooklyn 40-28 in the third quarter to take a 20-point edge and didn’t look back en route to the triumph.
In the game, the Pelicans shot an even 49% from the field, including 12 of 26 from three-point range, and connected on 18 of 25 free throw attempts in the game. New Orleans dominated the glass by a 6 1-39 margin, grabbed 20 offensive rebounds and forced 16 Brooklyn turnovers in the victory. Brandon Ingram led the Pelicans with 28 points, seven rebounds and five assists in the victory as one of five players in double figures. Zion Williamson, in his first game in over a year, poured in 25 points, nine rebounds, three assists and four steals while logging 30 minutes. CJ McCollum contributed 21 points while dishing out six assists, Trey Murphy III added 16 points plus nine boards off the bench and Jonas Valanciunas posted a double-double with 15 points along with 13 rebounds in the game. The Pelicans will look for another balanced attack in this one.
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