EditorsNote: fixes spelling of pointers in 2nd graf
Jrue Holiday returned from a seven-game absence and tied a season-high with 36 points to lead the visiting New Orleans Pelicans to a 126-116 victory over the Grizzlies in Memphis, Tenn., on Monday.
Holiday overcame an elbow contusion to make 12 of 18 field goals, including 7 of 10 3-pointers, and the Pelicans made a franchise-record 21 3-pointers on 48 attempts.
Brandon Ingram added 25 points, Nicolo Melli had 15 and Josh Hart and JJ Redick scored 10 each as the Pelicans won for the 11th time in 16 games since they had a 13-game losing streak.
Dillon Brooks scored 31, Jaren Jackson Jr. had 19, Ja Morant scored 16, Jonas Valanciunas added 14 points and 11 rebounds, and De'Anthony Melton added 10 points off the bench to lead the Grizzlies, who saw their seven-game winning streak end.
Memphis had had the NBA's longest winning since New Orleans ended Utah's 10-game streak with a 138-132 overtime victory last Thursday.
Trailing 69-50 at halftime, the Grizzlies scored the first five points of the third quarter to get within 14, but the Pelicans quickly regained command.
Lonzo Ball made a 3-pointer to break the run and by the time Holiday scored on a layup with 7:55 left in the period, New Orleans led 81-60.
E'Twaun Moore's floater give the Pelicans a 25-point lead before they took a 98-77 advantage at the end of the period.
New Orleans maintained a 21-point lead before Morant's 3-pointer completed a 7-0 run that got Memphis within 114-100 with 5:10 left.
Ingram made a 3-pointer and scored the Pelicans' next seven points, but the Grizzlies went on an 11-0 run to get within five before Ingram hit a jumper and Redick made a 3-pointer to make it 126-116 New Orleans with 36 seconds left.
Holiday made 2 of 3 from 3-point range and scored eight points as the Pelicans made 6 of 12 3-pointers and took a 31-30 lead at the end of the first quarter.
Melli got hot early in the second quarter, making three 3-pointers before Hart added one that gave New Orleans a 48-37 lead.
Holiday took over for the remainder of the quarter and the lead kept growing. He made three 3-pointers and Ingram added one as New Orleans took the 69-50 halftime lead.
--Field Level Media
