In a battle that came down to two stars, Damian Lillard and the Blazers outslugged Zion Williamson and the Pelicans for a 126-124 win.
Lillard poured in 43 points, 21 of those coming in the first half and 15 in the first quarter, and made play after play down the stretch. Williamson and the Pelicans matched him for much of the fourth shot-for-shot. However, Williamson’s 36 points were not enough for New Orleans as they came up empty in the final possession with a chance to win or tie the game.
Lonzo Ball added 21 points for New Orleans while JJ Redick had 16 off the bench. Brandon Ingram chipped in 14 in the loss.
