Pelicans rally past Jazz 120-113 in overtime for a fourth straight win
New Orleans trailed by 13 points early in the fourth quarter and by six points in overtime on Wednesday night, then scored 14 straight points in the extra period to beat Utah and reach .500 at 4-4.
NEW ORLEANS: The New Orleans Pelicans beat the Utah Jazz 120-113 in overtime on Wednesday night at the Smoothie King Center, their fourth consecutive victory after an 0-4 start to the season.
Zion Williamson scored 23 points, all of them after halftime. Williamson was scoreless until he made two free throws with 8:49 left in the third quarter, then scored 13 points in the third as New Orleans began to climb back into the game.
Utah controlled most of the second half. The Jazz outscored the Pelicans 43-28 in the third quarter to lead 80-70, and early in the fourth a 3-pointer from Lauri Markkanen stretched the Utah lead to 85-72, the widest margin of the game. Markkanen finished with 21 points and 10 rebounds.
Derik Queen carried the comeback. Queen scored 14 of his 20 points in the fourth quarter, and New Orleans outscored Utah 34-24 in the period to force overtime. Utah still led 104-100 with 39.4 seconds left in regulation after the second of two late Markkanen 3-pointers. A driving layup by Williamson and free throws by Dejounte Murray tied the game at 104 with 6.4 seconds left, and a pull-up jumper by Utah guard Keyonte George left his hand just after the buzzer, sending the game to an extra period.
George opened overtime with back-to-back 3-pointers that put Utah ahead 110-104. He finished with a game-high 39 points on 14-of-26 shooting, with nine assists. New Orleans then scored 14 unanswered points. Williamson scored inside, Jeremiah Fears added a putback basket, and Saddiq Bey scored eight of his 22 points in the extra period, including a basket that made it 116-110 with 39 seconds left.
Murray finished with 20 points and eight rebounds, and Fears scored 19 points for the Pelicans, who improved to 4-4. Utah fell to 1-7 with its sixth straight loss. The only Jazz victory this season came against New Orleans, in Utah, on Oct. 23.
The Pelicans stay home on Friday night, Nov. 6, when they host the Minnesota Timberwolves in an NBA Cup West Group B game. Utah visits Dallas on Friday in a West Group A game.
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