In Portland, Trey Murphy III showcased a stellar performance, scoring 31 points and grabbing eight rebounds to lead the New Orleans Pelicans to a 110-100 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers on Tuesday night.
Former Blazer C.J. McCollum contributed 29 points, sinking five 3-pointers, while Zion Williamson added 22 points and seven rebounds for the Pelicans.
Deandre Ayton led the Trail Blazers with 30 points and 13 rebounds, supported by Scoot Henderson’s 19 points and career-high 15 assists, with Kris Murray adding 14 points.
Pelicans coach Willie Green praised Murphy’s impact as a starter, emphasizing his shot-making ability that poses challenges for opponents.
With the win and Phoenix’s loss to the Clippers, New Orleans climbed to sixth place in the Western Conference standings, securing a spot beyond the play-in tournament.
Henderson’s notable performance included 12 points and 10 assists in the first half, making him the first rookie since Lonzo Ball in 2017 to achieve such stats. His 15 assists also set a franchise record for rookie assists.
Looking ahead, the Blazers are set to host the Golden State Warriors on Thursday.
For the box score:
New Orleans (110) — Murphy III 9-17 8-8 31, Williamson 7-18 8-9 22, Valanciunas 5-12 1-2 11, Jones 1-5 4-4 7, McCollum 10-19 4-4 29, Nance Jr. 0-2 2-2 2, Robinson-Earl 1-1 0-0 2, Ryan 0-0 0-0 0, Zeller 0-1 0-0 0, Alvarado 1-6 0-0 2, Daniels 2-4 0-0 4, Hawkins 0-2 0-0 0. Totals 36-87 27-29 110.
Portland (100) — Murray 4-8 2-2 14, Walker 2-5 0-0 4, Ayton 15-22 0-0 30, Henderson 7-18 3-3 19, Rupert 2-9 0-0 6, Minaya 1-4 0-0 3, Reath 5-8 0-1 12, Banton 4-11 2-2 12. Totals 40-85 7-8 100.
New Orleans: 28 24 35 23—110
Portland: 27 28 23 22—100
3-Point Goals—New Orleans 11-36 (McCollum 5-10, Murphy III 5-12, Jones 1-4, Daniels 0-1, Hawkins 0-1, Nance Jr. 0-1, Valanciunas 0-2, Alvarado 0-5), Portland 13-38 (Murray 4-6, Reath 2-3, Rupert 2-6, Banton 2-8, Henderson 2-10, Minaya 1-3, Ayton 0-1, Walker 0-1). Rebounds—New Orleans 45 (Murphy III, Valanciunas 8), Portland 47 (Ayton 13). Assists—New Orleans 25 (Daniels, Valanciunas 5), Portland 28 (Henderson 15). Total Fouls—New Orleans 9, Portland 19. A—18,341 (19,393)
