With Williamson suspended, McCollum scores 38 to lead Pelicans past 76ers 123-115
PHILADELPHIA (AP) CJ McCollum scored 38 points to lead a New Orleans Pelicans team playing without the suspended Zion Williamson past the Philadelphia 76ers 123-115 on Friday night.
Williamson was suspended for one game for a violation of team policies, that included repeated lateness to practices or flights. The Pelicans also played without forward and top defensive player Herb Jones. Jones is sidelined indefinitely with a posterior labrum tear in his right shoulder.
McCollum was enough for the eight-win Pelicans to topple a 76ers team that played without All-Star center Joel Embiid. Embiid missed his third straight game because of a sprained left foot. He has sat out 23 times this season.
Paul George had 25 points and 11 rebounds for the Sixers. Tyrese Maxey had 30 points and 12 assists. Kelly Oubre Jr. scored 21 points.
Pelicans: Snapped a two-game losing streak and won for only the third time since Dec. 7. Jordan Hawkins helped the cause with 21 points and Dejounte Murray had 17 points and 10 rebounds.
76ers: Yes, the 76ers are Embiid's team but it's been startling how bad they are without him in the lineup. The Sixers are just 8-15 when he doesn't play. The Sixers were pushed to final minute before holding off the lowly Wizards at home on Wednesday. They are 15-21 and hoping at this point just to make the play-in tournament.
Hawkins buried a 3 in the third for a 70-67 lead and Murray sank one for a 76-67 and New Orleans held off every Sixers run from there. McCollum buried a 3 in the fourth to push the lead back to 10 points and put the finishing touches on the win with a 12-foot step back jumper.
McCollum hit six 3s and made 13 of 24 shots overall from the floor.
Pelicans play at Boston on Sunday, and 76ers visit Orlando.
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| Time | Team | Play | Score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12:00 |  | Yves Missi vs. Guerschon Yabusele (Javonte Green gains possession) | ||
| 11:38 |  | Yves Missi turnover (traveling) | ||
| 11:17 | | Guerschon Yabusele turnover (out of bounds bad pass) | ||
| 10:58 | | Dejounte Murray misses three point jump shot | ||
| 10:55 | | Guerschon Yabusele defensive rebound | ||
| 10:48 | | Tyrese Maxey misses three point pullup jump shot | ||
| 10:44 | | Dejounte Murray defensive rebound | ||
| 10:25 | | Dejounte Murray misses three point jump shot | ||
| 10:21 | | Paul George defensive rebound | ||
| 10:15 | | Paul George misses three point running jump shot | ||
| 10:12 | | Dejounte Murray defensive rebound | ||
| 10:04 | | CJ McCollum misses three point jump shot | ||
| 10:02 | | Paul George defensive rebound | ||
| 9:56 | | +2 | Paul George makes two point running layup | 0-2 |
| 9:41 | | +2 | Yves Missi makes two point alley-oop dunk (Dejounte Murray assists) | 2-2 |
| 9:29 | | Guerschon Yabusele misses three point jump shot | ||
| 9:25 | | Dejounte Murray defensive rebound | ||
| 9:23 | | Kelly Oubre Jr. personal foul (Dejounte Murray draws the foul) | ||
| 9:08 | | +2 | Dejounte Murray makes two point driving finger roll layup (CJ McCollum assists) | 4-2 |
| 8:51 | | Kelly Oubre Jr. misses two point stepback jump shot | ||
| 8:47 | | Javonte Green defensive rebound | ||
| 8:42 | | +2 | CJ McCollum makes two point driving floating bank jump shot (Javonte Green assists) | 6-2 |
| 8:29 | | Paul George misses three point jump shot | ||
| 8:26 | | Caleb Martin offensive rebound | ||
| 8:22 | | Yves Missi blocks Kelly Oubre Jr.'s two point driving layup | ||
| 8:22 | | 76ers offensive rebound | ||
| 8:18 | | Caleb Martin misses three point jump shot | ||
| 8:14 | | Yves Missi defensive rebound | ||
| 8:09 | | Dejounte Murray misses two point running layup | ||
| 8:04 | | Yves Missi offensive rebound | ||
| 8:04 | | Yves Missi misses two point tip layup | ||
| 8:04 | | Tyrese Maxey defensive rebound | ||
| 8:00 | | +3 | Caleb Martin makes three point jump shot (Tyrese Maxey assists) | 6-5 |
| 7:46 | | Caleb Martin blocks CJ McCollum's two point driving floating jump shot | ||
| 7:46 | | Jordan Hawkins offensive rebound | ||
| 7:43 | | Jordan Hawkins misses three point jump shot | ||
| 7:41 | | Paul George defensive rebound | ||
| 7:37 | | +2 | Tyrese Maxey makes two point stepback jump shot (Paul George assists) | 6-7 |
| 7:21 | | Dejounte Murray turnover (bad pass) (Tyrese Maxey steals) | ||
| 7:17 | | +2 | Tyrese Maxey makes two point running dunk | 6-9 |
| 7:05 | | Yves Missi offensive foul (Guerschon Yabusele draws the foul) | ||
| 7:05 | | Yves Missi turnover (offensive foul) | ||
| 6:53 | | +2 | Tyrese Maxey makes two point pullup jump shot | 6-11 |
| 6:39 | | Tyrese Maxey shooting foul (CJ McCollum draws the foul) | ||
| 6:39 | | 76ers 60 second timeout | ||
| 6:39 | | +1 | CJ McCollum makes regular free throw 1 of 3 | 7-11 |
| 6:39 | | +1 | CJ McCollum makes regular free throw 2 of 3 | 8-11 |
| 6:39 | | +1 | CJ McCollum makes regular free throw 3 of 3 | 9-11 |
| 6:24 | | Paul George misses two point driving layup | ||
| 6:21 | | Javonte Green defensive rebound | ||
| 6:13 | | +2 | CJ McCollum makes two point driving floating jump shot (Dejounte Murray assists) | 11-11 |
| 5:59 | | Tyrese Maxey misses three point stepback jump shot | ||
| 5:56 | | CJ McCollum defensive rebound | ||
| 5:52 | | CJ McCollum misses two point driving floating jump shot | ||
| 5:47 | | Javonte Green offensive rebound | ||
| 5:45 | | Jordan Hawkins misses three point jump shot | ||
| 5:45 | | Caleb Martin defensive rebound | ||
| 5:35 | | Kelly Oubre Jr. misses three point jump shot | ||
| 5:31 | | Tyrese Maxey offensive rebound | ||
| 5:29 | | Tyrese Maxey misses three point jump shot | ||
| 5:26 | | Dejounte Murray defensive rebound | ||
| 5:12 | | Paul George shooting foul (Javonte Green draws the foul) | ||
| 5:12 | | +1 | Javonte Green makes regular free throw 1 of 2 | 12-11 |
| 5:12 | | +1 | Javonte Green makes regular free throw 2 of 2 | 13-11 |
| 4:59 | | Paul George misses two point pullup jump shot | ||
| 4:58 | | Pelicans defensive rebound | ||
| 4:58 | | Guerschon Yabusele personal foul (Loose ball) (Yves Missi draws the foul) | ||
| 4:33 | | CJ McCollum misses two point turnaround jump shot | ||
| 4:29 | | Paul George defensive rebound | ||
| 4:20 | | +2 | Guerschon Yabusele makes two point driving dunk (Tyrese Maxey assists) | 13-13 |
| 3:57 | | Dejounte Murray misses two point pullup jump shot | ||
| 3:55 | | Paul George defensive rebound | ||
| 3:51 | | Tyrese Maxey misses two point running finger roll layup | ||
| 3:48 | | Jeremiah Robinson-Earl defensive rebound | ||
| 3:44 | | +3 | CJ McCollum makes three point running jump shot (Jeremiah Robinson-Earl assists) | 16-13 |
| 3:19 | | +3 | Kelly Oubre Jr. makes three point jump shot (Tyrese Maxey assists) | 16-16 |
| 3:08 | | CJ McCollum turnover (lost ball) (Kelly Oubre Jr. steals) | ||
| 3:05 | | +2 | Kelly Oubre Jr. makes two point running reverse dunk | 16-18 |
| 2:58 | | Pelicans 60 second timeout | ||
| 2:43 | | Jose Alvarado misses three point jump shot | ||
| 2:39 | | Daniel Theis offensive rebound | ||
| 2:37 | | +3 | CJ McCollum makes three point stepback jump shot (Jose Alvarado assists) | 19-18 |
| 2:13 | | Brandon Boston shooting foul (Tyrese Maxey draws the foul) | ||
| 2:13 | | +1 | Tyrese Maxey makes regular free throw 1 of 2 | 19-19 |
| 2:13 | | +1 | Tyrese Maxey makes regular free throw 2 of 2 | 19-20 |
| 2:00 | | +2 | CJ McCollum makes two point driving floating bank jump shot | 21-20 |
| 1:38 | | +3 | Eric Gordon makes three point jump shot (Tyrese Maxey assists) | 21-23 |
| 1:21 | | +3 | CJ McCollum makes three point turnaround jump shot | 24-23 |
| 1:00 | | Tyrese Maxey misses three point stepback jump shot | ||
| 0:58 | | Jeremiah Robinson-Earl defensive rebound | ||
| 0:51 | | +2 | Jose Alvarado makes two point driving finger roll layup | 26-23 |
| 0:34 | | Tyrese Maxey misses three point pullup jump shot | ||
| 0:33 | | Pelicans defensive rebound | ||
| 0:27 | | +2 | Daniel Theis makes two point floating jump shot | 28-23 |
| 0:05 | | Jose Alvarado shooting foul (Kelly Oubre Jr. draws the foul) | ||
| 0:05 | | Kelly Oubre Jr. misses regular free throw 1 of 2 | ||
| 0:05 | | 76ers offensive rebound | ||
| 0:05 | | +1 | Kelly Oubre Jr. makes regular free throw 2 of 2 | 28-24 |
| 0:00 | | Daniel Theis misses three point bank jump shot | ||
| 0:00 | | Pelicans offensive rebound | ||
| 0:00 | | End of period |