Pelicans fall 115-109 to Timberwolves as four-game streak ends
Minnesota outscored New Orleans 38-30 in the fourth quarter on Friday night. Fears led the Pelicans with 24 points, and Williamson was held to a season-low 13 as the four-game winning streak ended.
NEW ORLEANS: The New Orleans Pelicans lost to the Minnesota Timberwolves 115-109 on Friday night at the Smoothie King Center, a result that ended a four-game winning streak and left New Orleans at 4-5 in its first NBA Cup game of the season.
Minnesota decided the game in the fourth quarter, outscoring New Orleans 38-30 in the period. Ayo Dosunmu led the visitors with 26 points, Jaden McDaniels added 23, and LaMelo Ball finished with 22 points and eight assists. Jonathan Kuminga scored 17 points, Rudy Gobert had eight points and 11 rebounds, and Trey Lyles took a season-high 13 rebounds.
Jeremiah Fears led New Orleans with 24 points, five rebounds and five assists on 9-of-16 shooting. Karlo Matkovic added 18 points, Saddiq Bey scored 17, Trendon Watford scored 12 and Trey Murphy III scored 10. Zion Williamson was held to a season-low 13 points with eight rebounds, after entering the night averaging 21.5 points a game.
New Orleans started the night in front. Matkovic scored 16 points in the opening quarter, making four 3-pointers, and the Pelicans led 30-27 after one. Minnesota answered 30-21 in the second quarter and took a 57-51 lead into halftime.
Williamson had only two points in the first half. In the third quarter he scored eight points during a 12-0 run that put New Orleans ahead 73-66 with 4:26 left in the period, and the Pelicans carried a 79-77 lead into the fourth after holding Minnesota to 6-of-23 shooting in the third.
The lead changed once more early in the fourth. A 3-pointer by Dejounte Murray put New Orleans ahead 89-87 with 7:55 left, before Ball scored five straight points at the start of a 10-2 Minnesota run that made it 97-91. A dunk by Lyles capped a later 15-4 run and stretched the margin to 102-94 with 3:55 remaining.
New Orleans made one more push. A 3-pointer by Bey cut the margin to 104-99 with 2:53 left, but the Pelicans missed on their next two possessions, and a 3-pointer by Dosunmu followed by two free throws from McDaniels restored a 10-point lead with 1:32 to play. Fears scored with 12 seconds left to make it 113-109, and Kuminga dunked at the other end for the final margin.
Minnesota played the second half without backup center Joan Beringer, who left the game in the second quarter with a nasal fracture. The win was the third in a row for the Timberwolves, who improved to 7-3 overall and 2-0 in NBA Cup West Group B play. New Orleans fell to 0-1 in the group.
The Pelicans play again on Sunday night, at the Los Angeles Clippers. Minnesota hosts Utah on Sunday night.
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