Grizzlies at Pelicans
Zion Williamson is enjoying the first winning streak of his NBA career and will try to make it three in a row when the New Orleans Pelicans host the Memphis Grizzlies on Friday. The No. 1 overall pick continues to increase his minutes after sitting out the first 44 games following knee surgery and was up to 30 in the Pelicans' 125-111 win at Cleveland on Tuesday.
Williamson is averaging 18 points on 63.3 percent shooting and 8.3 rebounds in four games and collected 14 and nine in his first road game on Tuesday as he continues to make himself a bigger part of the team's rotation. "Anybody else, you would say that's a doggone good game," New Orleans coach Alvin Gentry told reporters of Williamson. "We haven't had a ton of practices; this is his fourth (game) overall. He's just like anybody else. But it's a learning process. We'll figure it out. We'll figure out spacing and things like that. He has to figure out exactly where he wants the ball and how we can get it there. But it's a pretty good game when you're in the process of learning." Williamson and the Pelicans are trying to chase down a group of teams ahead them in the Western Conference standings that includes the Grizzlies, who breezed past the New York Knicks on Wednesday in a game that was marred at the end by an ugly scene involving forward Jae Crowder. Crowder stole the ball with the Grizzlies up 18 in the final minute and dribbled to the 3-point line, raising to attempt a shot and getting shoved into the seats by New York guard Elfrid Payton.
TIME: 8 p.m. ET. TV: FS Southeast, FS New Orleans
ABOUT THE GRIZZLIES (24-24): The 127-106 triumph at the Knicks on Wednesday was the team's fourth straight and brought Memphis to .500 for the first time this season. "Great win by our guys," Grizzlies coach Taylor Jenkins told reporters. "Back to back. Hard fought game. Built a lead. ... Overall, for the most part, a really solid win by our guys." Ja Morant (18 points, 10 assists) and Jonas Valanciunas (12 points, 13 rebounds) each recorded a double-double in the victory while shooting guard Dillon Brooks scored 27 points to reach 20 for the fourth straight game and is shooting 52.9 percent from the floor in that span, including 10-of-18 from beyond the arc.
ABOUT THE PELICANS (19-29): Williamson is getting the hype of late but New Orleans is getting big contributions from small forward Brandon Ingram and guard Jrue Holiday, who combined for 52 points on 19-of-29 shooting in Tuesday's win. "He was really good," Ingram told reporters of Holiday. "I think that's something that we've seen from him all season pretty much. Jrue had a sense of urgency on both ends tonight. He had a good rhythm in what he was doing. Focused in on key guys and pretty much made it hard for them to score." Ingram went 9-of-13 from the floor on Tuesday to bust out of a slump that saw him shoot 34.6 percent over the previous five contests.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Pelicans SG E'Twaun Moore (neck spasms) sat out Tuesday and is day-to-day.
2. Grizzlies SG De'Anthony Melton (hand) missed the last two contests and is questionable for Friday.
3. Holiday scored 36 points in a 126-116 victory at Memphis on Jan. 20.