Pelicans lose 139-123 to the Clippers in Inglewood for a second straight defeat
Los Angeles scored a season-high 139 points and shot 54.8 percent to end a seven-game losing streak. Trey Murphy III led New Orleans with 26 points, and Zion Williamson and Jeremiah Fears scored 25 each in the opener of a two-game California trip.
INGLEWOOD, Calif.: The New Orleans Pelicans lost to the Los Angeles Clippers 139-123 on Sunday night at Intuit Dome, a second consecutive defeat that dropped New Orleans to 4-6 and gave the home team its first win after seven straight losses.
The first quarter ended tied at 28, and then the game started to tilt. Los Angeles outscored New Orleans 39-32 in the second quarter to lead 67-60 at halftime, and after an even third quarter the Clippers closed with a 37-28 fourth. Their largest lead reached 20 points.
The numbers explain the gap. Los Angeles made 46 of 84 shots, 54.8 percent, and 16 of 38 from three-point range, and the wire report noted that both the 139 points and the shooting percentage were season highs for the Clippers. They finished with 34 assists against 23 for New Orleans, and they scored 60 points in the paint against 52 for a Pelicans team that had made paint scoring its calling card.
Three Pelicans at 25 points or better, and not enough stops
Trey Murphy III led New Orleans with 26 points on 9-of-17 shooting, including four three-pointers, with seven rebounds. Zion Williamson scored 25 points without missing a shot from the field, going 9 of 9 and making seven of nine free throws, with four rebounds in 31 minutes. Jeremiah Fears matched him with 25 points on 10-of-14 shooting, with six rebounds and five assists. Saddiq Bey added 13 points and Derik Queen had 8 off the bench.
For Los Angeles, Darius Garland scored 24 points and handed out 10 assists, and Brook Lopez added 20 points on 8-of-11 shooting with seven rebounds. The Pelicans shot well enough to win most nights, 41 of 81 for 50.6 percent, but they committed 17 turnovers and were called for 29 fouls, and Los Angeles turned its trips to the line into 31 points.
The loss opened a two-game trip through California for New Orleans, which had won four games in a row before losing at home to Minnesota on Friday night and then in Inglewood on Sunday. The Pelicans stay in the state and play at the Golden State Warriors on Monday night, Nov. 9. The Clippers, now 2-7, play at Phoenix on Tuesday.
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