NEW ORLEANS (Interstat) — Zion Williamson scored 21 points and Jordan Poole added 23, including five 3-pointers, to power the New Orleans Pelicans to a 126-111 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers on Saturday night at Smoothie King Center. The Pelicans erased a 65-66 halftime deficit with a dominant 40-point third quarter. New Orleans shot 49.4% from the field and made 17 of 34 3-point attempts. The 76ers, led by Tyrese Maxey’s 27 points, shot just 38.3% overall and 26.1% from beyond the arc. DeAndre Jordan, playing extended minutes, anchored the defense with 15 rebounds and four blocks for New Orleans. Kelly Oubre Jr. scored 25 points for Philadelphia in the loss. Attendance was 16,426.

NEW ORLEANS (Interstat) — A stunning third-quarter surge, fueled by a dominant defensive presence and a barrage of three-pointers, propelled the New Orleans Pelicans to a 126-111 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers on Saturday night at Smoothie King Center. The game’s decisive turn came after halftime. Philadelphia, led by the scoring of Tyrese Maxey and Kelly Oubre Jr., had built a 65-57 lead at the break and appeared in control. The landscape shifted completely in the third period. New Orleans outscored the 76ers 40-26, flipping an eight-point deficit into a six-point lead entering the fourth. The Pelicans’ defense, anchored by veteran center DeAndre Jordan, stifled the 76ers’ offense. Jordan, playing extended minutes in just his third appearance of the season, recorded 15 rebounds and blocked four shots. His rim protection altered countless others as Philadelphia shot a frigid 12 for 46 from three-point range for the game. The Pelicans also forced 14 turnovers, converting them into easy transition opportunities. Offensively, New Orleans found its rhythm from deep, hitting 17 of 34 three-point attempts. Jordan Poole came off the bench to score 23 points, including five three-pointers, and his back-to-back triples late in the fourth quarter extinguished Philadelphia’s final hopes. Zion Williamson orchestrated the attack with 21 points and eight assists, while Saddiq Bey added 20 points. The Pelicans’ 60-35 run over the final 21 minutes was a masterclass in efficiency. They scored 126 points on just 103 possessions, an elite offensive rating of 122.3, while holding Philadelphia to an offensive rating of 103.1. Maxey finished with 27 points and seven assists for the 76ers, and Oubre, a New Orleans native, scored 25. But Philadelphia’s offense grew stagnant and rushed against the intensified Pelicans’ defense, managing only 10 assists as a team and shooting 38.3% from the field overall. The win improved New Orleans’ record to 16-42, while Philadelphia fell to 30-26. The 76ers, who were 3.5-point favorites according to the pregame spread, have now lost two straight games. They will continue a road trip in Minnesota on Sunday. The Pelicans host Golden State on Tuesday. The game’s total of 237 points went under the betting over/under line of 229.

Preview: 76ers Look to Bounce Back Against Pelicans NEW ORLEANS (Interstat) — The Philadelphia 76ers, seeking to stabilize after a recent skid, visit the struggling New Orleans Pelicans on Saturday night at Smoothie King Center. Philadelphia (30-25) arrives having lost three of its last four, including a 117-107 home defeat to Atlanta on Thursday. The 76ers had won five straight prior to this rough patch. Center Andre Drummond, a key player to watch, is coming off a strong performance in the loss, posting 10 points and 14 rebounds. His consistency has varied, but he recorded a double-double in two of his last four meaningful appearances. The Pelicans (15-41) have the second-worst record in the NBA and have lost two consecutive games. Their last outing was a 123-111 home loss to Miami on Feb. 11. Star forward Zion Williamson remains the focal point, averaging 20.1 points, 6.6 rebounds and 4.0 assists over his last seven games. He scored 25 points in the loss to the Heat. This is the second meeting between the teams this season. Philadelphia won the first matchup 124-114 at home on Jan. 31. Williamson was held to 11 points in that game, while Tyrese Maxey led the 76ers with 28 points. For Philadelphia, the game opens a two-game road trip before returning home. New Orleans begins a stretch where it will play seven of its next eight games on the road following Saturday’s contest. The 76ers will need to leverage their interior presence, led by Drummond, against a Pelicans defense that ranks near the bottom of the league. Containing Williamson’s explosive drives will be critical for Philadelphia to avoid a damaging loss to a bottom-tier opponent. New Orleans, playing in front of its home crowd for one of its final times in weeks, will look to Williamson and recent contributors like Trey Murphy to spring an upset and build momentum before a daunting travel schedule. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. CST Saturday.