Pelicans Make Opening-Night Statement, Pound Nets 130-108
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The New Orleans Pelicans jumped out to a 32-14 first-quarter lead and never looked back in a 130-108 win over the Brooklyn Nets.
BROOKLYN, NY – The New Orleans Pelicans and Zion Williamson just sent a message to the rest of the NBA in a 130-108 win over the Brooklyn Nets.
Opening Night is one of the most important nights for statement games. Willie Green’s squad jumped out to a 32-14 first-quarter lead and never looked back during Opening Night at the Barclays Center.
New Orleans had 12 points off of 9 turnovers in the first 12 minutes. Williamson scored 8 points, grabbed four rebounds, and had one assist in the opening stanza of his 2022-23 season debut. The Pelicans had 20 first-quarter points in the paint thanks to Williamson, and CJ McCollum operated from the outside to quiet a crowd yelling, “you need Lillard,” with 21 points, six assists, and four rebounds.
The Nets needed more from Kyrie Irving and Ben Simmons, as the duo scored just six points in the first half.
Kevin Durant had 21 points in the first half but the Brooklyn Big 3 produced very little in their first regular season action together. Simmons added just 4 points, 5 boards, and 5 assists, before fouling out.
A toothless, broken defense was even worse than the sputtering offense, though the Pelicans will not complain about the night-long mismatch.
Williamson finished with 25 points, 9 rebounds, and 2 assists while shooting 50% (11/22) from the field. The only slight disappointment would be the 3/4 night from the charity stripe but that blame belongs mostly to the refs.
Willie Green wanted to see the Big 3 together this preseason but did not hesitate to let Ingram cook as the chef of the second unit. The first substations were Jose Alvarado and Trey Murphy III for Williamson and McCollum to start both halves. Look for the rotations to stay the same going forward as this team looks to build a top-seeded playoff resume.
Ingram (28), McCollum (21), Jonas Valanciunas (15), and Trey Murphy III (16) all scored in double figures. Herb Jones (6) hit a couple of shots but spent most of his energy slowing down Durant. Jose Alvarado (7) played a big part in Irving’s (6/19) struggles.
The Pelicans will travel to face the Charlotte Hornets before returning to the Smoothie King Center for the home opener on Sunday against the Utah Jazz.