Trey Murphy scored 24 points, five teammates also scored in double figures, and the New Orleans Pelicans ended a seven-game losing streak by defeating the Portland Trail Blazers 143-120 on Thursday night in the Smoothie King Center.
Bryce McGowens tied a career-high by scoring 23 points; Jordan Poole returned from an 18-game absence because of a quad strain to score 22; Jeremiah Fears had 19; Derik Queen added 17; and Saddiq Bey put in 15. Forward Herb Jones was ejected with one second left in the second quarter after getting two technical fouls.
The Pelicans (4-22) will visit the Chicago Bulls on Sunday.
Shaedon Sharpe had 21; Sidy Cissoko scored 20; Jerami Grant and Deni Avdija added 16; Toumani Camara scored 15; and Rayan Rupert had 14 to lead the Blazers (9-15), who beat the Pelicans 125-117 on Nov. 12 in the Smoothie King Center.
Grant made a 3-pointer to start the second-half scoring and to give the Blazers a 71-70 lead. That was the first of eight lead changes in the period, the last coming when Bey made two free throws to give the Pelicans a 92-91 lead. They held a 105-97 lead at the end of the third quarter.
The Blazers scored the first four points of the fourth quarter, but New Orleans scored the next eight points to open up a 113-101 lead. The Pelicans then pulled away, outscoring Portland 73-52 in the second half.
The Pelicans, who lost to the visiting San Antonio Spurs 135-132 on Monday, had two full practices between games for the first time since interim coach James Borrego replaced Willie Green on Nov. 15.
Borrego focused on defense in those practices after New Orleans allowed an average of 36.4 points in its last five first quarters, which Borrego called “unacceptable.”
The Pelicans showed marginal improvement early on, then shut down the Blazers in the second half.
They already had a 14-6 lead when Poole entered the game with 7:08 remaining in the first quarter. He went on to match Murphy’s eight first-quarter points, and New Orleans had a 39-30 lead at the end of the period.
McGowens’ 3-pointer started the second-quarter scoring and gave the Pelicans their largest lead of the half. Portland charged back, and the lead changed hands eight times before Bey broke the eighth tie of the period with a dunk that gave New Orleans a 70-68 halftime lead.