Murphy, McCollum help Pelicans beat Trail Blazers

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Trey Murphy III had 31 points and eight rebounds, and the New Orleans Pelicans beat the Portland Trail Blazers 110-100 on Tuesday night.

C.J. McCollum added 29 points and made five 3-pointers against his former team, and Zion Williamson had 22 points and seven rebounds for the Pelicans.

Deandre Ayton led the Trail Blazers with 30 points on 15-of-22 shooting and 13 rebounds. Scoot Henderson had 19 points and a career-high 15 assists. Kris Murray added 14 points for Portland.

“Trey has done a tremendous job stepping in and becoming a starter,” Pelicans coach Willie Green said. “We rely on him. His shot-making makes it difficult to help off CJ and help off Zion.”

New Orleans moved into sixth in the Western Conference, out of the play-in, with the win and Phoenix’s loss to the Clippers.

Henderson racked up 12 points and 10 of his assists in the first half, becoming the first rookie to have 10 points and 10 assists in a half since Lonzo Ball in 2017. His 15 assists also set the franchise record for assists by a rookie.

“My performance was solid,” Henderson said. “I was trying to get guys involved and they hit shots. Simple as that.”

UP NEXT

Pelicans: Visit Sacramento on Thursday.

Trail Blazers: Host Golden State on Thursday.

UP NEXT

Pelicans: Visit Sacramento on Thursday.

Trail Blazers: Host Golden State on Thursday.