Pelicans show maturity in win over Portland

The New Orleans Pelicans faced the second of back-to-back contests against Portland Saturday evening at Smoothie King Center.

The question was not whether New Orleans was better than Portland. The Pelicans are way better than the Blazers.

The questions were whether the Pelicans could handle the task of playing the second game in two nights after an emotionally and physically taxing game against the Clippers Friday night and whether the Pelicans could withstand not having two key players.

New Orleans was without Herb Jones and Larry Nance Jr. against Portland. Jones was out with a back and hip contusion while Nance had an illness.

The Pelicans showed maturity and toughness, handling their business with a 126-107 win over the Blazers at Smoothie King Center.

Facing his former team, CJ McCollum turned up the level of his play, burning the Blazers with 30 points and eight assists, making 6-of-12 from 3-point range.

Portland opened the game on a 5-0 run but New Orleans answered with a 10-0 run.

The Blazers came out picking up Zion Williamson full court as he brought the ball up frequently.

Portland came out playing fast, as the Blazers like to do, trying to push the pace with the Pelicans, who played Friday night.

Jonas Valanciunas picked up two fouls in the first quarter and struggled defensively against DeAndre Ayton.

Jeremiah Robinson-Earl replaced Valanciunas. Jordan Hawkins also entered in the first quarter, entering the rotation with Jones out.

New Orleans shot 64 percent from the field to take a 36-33 lead after one quarter behind 10 points each from Williamson and Trey Murphy III, who started in place of Jones.

The issue was that Portland shot 65 percent from the field behind 10 points from Ayton.

The hot shooting continued for both teams in the second quarter with Williamson closing the quarter, catching a long inbound pass and flipping a shot over Ayton for a tremendous basket to close the half with New Orleans up 73-68.

New Orleans shot 66.7 percent from the field (30-of-45) but only led by five points as Portland shot 63.6 percent (28-of-44) from the field.

Willamson finished the half with 20 points on 9-of-11 shooting from the field.

The defensive effort and intensity improved in the third quarter for the Pelicans, who played quite a bit of zone and it paid off as New Orleans finally got stops and held the Blazers to 24 points and took a 92-82 lead heading to the fourth quarter.

New Orleans was never threatened in the fourth quarter, pulling away for a convincing win.

The Pelicans had 36 assists on 52 made shots. Williamson finished with 26 points and 10 rebounds. Brandon Ingram had 22 points and seven rebounds and Murphy had 20 points, six rebounds and five assists.

It was the fifth straight win for the Pelicans over Portland.

New Orleans scored 31 points off 20 Portland turnovers and the Pelicans outscored the Blazers 58-48 in the paint.

Dalano Banton entered the game averaging 6.7 points per game.

He scored 28 points against New Orleans, missing his career high by two points, but it was not enough.

With 15 games remaining in the regular season, the Pelicans (41-26), now 15 games over. 500 for the first time this season and for the first time since Jan. 28, 2011, open a four-game road trip at Brooklyn Tuesday night.

New Orleans is a more mature, tougher team than we have seen in recent years and that must continue. If it does, it will serve this team very well in the postseason.