Zion Williamson

Damian Lillard's 50-point, 10-assist effort enabled the Portland Trail Blazers to overcome a 17-point fourth-quarter deficit and defeat the New Orleans Pelicans 125-124 on Tuesday at home in Moda Center.

Pels forward Brandon Ingram, who led New Orleans with 30 points, missed a pair of free throws with his team up 124-121 with 7.2 seconds left. The Pels then intentionally fouled Lillard to prevent a game-tying three-point attempt, and the point guard responded with two free throws.

New Orleans guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker, who shined off the bench with 20 points, then committed a turnover on the Pels' inbounds attempt when the ball bounced off him out of bounds.

The ball found itself back in Lillard's hands. He missed a long two-pointer, but Pels point guard Eric Bledsoe fouled him in the process. Lillard responded with two free throws for the lead.

After the second make, a quick-thinking Lonzo Ball grabbed the ball and heaved it downcourt to Zion Williamson, who grabbed the ball and had a chance for the win despite defenders in his face. The shot hit the backboard before glancing off the rim and falling to the floor, clinching the Blazers' comeback victory.

The Pels shot 52.3 percent from the field and 16-of-33 from three-point range. Williamson pitched in 28 points and eight assists. Ball dropped 11 points and dished a career-high 17 assists.

Lillard got his 50 points on 13-of-20 shooting, including 6-of-13 from deep, and he was a perfect 18-of-18 at the charity stripe. Blazers guard Gary Trent Jr. had 22 points off the bench.

Portland also welcomed back shooting guard CJ McCollum, who missed two months because of a fractured left foot. He had 10 points on 3-of-11 shooting in 26 minutes.

The 23-16 Blazers have won five of their last seven games, while the loss ended the 17-23 Pels' two-game winning streak.

Notable Performances

Blazers PG Damian Lillard: 50 points, 10 assists

Blazers G Gary Trent Jr.: 22 points

Blazers SG C.J. McCollum: 10 points, 4 rebounds

Blazers C Enes Kanter: 10 points, 5 rebounds

Pelicans F Brandon Ingram: 30 points, 6 rebounds

Pelicans F Zion Williamson: 28 points, 8 assists, 5 rebounds

Pelicans PG Lonzo Ball: 11 points, 17 assists

Pelicans G Nickeil Alexander-Walker: 20 points, 5 rebounds

Dame Time

Lillard's performance against the New Orleans Pelicans is one of the top single-game outings of the season.

He led a 17-point comeback with under six minutes left, with the Blazers closing the game on a 25-7 run. Lillard had a hand in 18 of those points.

He made all 18 of his free throws on a night where he needed to do just that so the Blazers could win by one, with this final shot giving Portland the victory. The rest of his team was also perfect (13-of-13).

He hit six three-pointers, including three in the final quarter, when he scored 20 points. You can catch his entire performance here.

Lillard is now averaging 30.5 points and 8.0 assists per game for a Blazers team that just welcomed back an All-Star guard in McCollum following a two-month absence. Portland is still without big man Jusuf Nurkic, who has been out for two months with a broken right wrist.

And yet the Blazers are 23-16, good enough for a fifth-place tie in the Western Conference. Inching up a few more spots in the West certainly isn't out of the realm of possibility with McCollum back and Lillard playing the best ball of his career.

After the game, the TNT crew posited that Lillard should be in the NBA MVP conversation. It's hard to argue otherwise, especially if Portland ends the second half of the season strong. Just take a look at these stats from Rob Perez, for instance.

Lillard is clearly in the MVP conversation, but for now, the Blazers are focused on stacking wins. With Lillard playing lights-out and McCollum back in the lineup, Portland is a dangerous team.

What's Next?

The two teams will meet again in Portland on Thursday at 10 p.m. ET.

The New Orleans Pelicans earned a 135-115 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday at home inside Smoothie King Center.

New Orleans headed into the All-Star break having dropped five of its last six games. Now, Stan Van Gundy's squad is 2-0 in the second half and appears to be rejuvenated from the time off.

The Pelicans jumped ahead early thanks to a 36-point opening quarter and then dropped 43 in the third frame to eliminate any doubt about the outcome.

Zion Williamson, Lonzo Ball and Brandon Ingram all enjoyed 20-point nights, and New Orleans' bench combined to score 49. New Orleans as a team shot a scintillating 65.4 percent from the field and knocked down 12 of its 26 three-pointers.

Notable Performers

Lonzo Ball, PG, Pelicans: 20 points (7-10 FG, 5-8 3PT), eight rebounds, five assists, one steal

Zion Williamson, PF, Pelicans: 27 points (13-16 FG), five assists, two rebounds

Kawhi Leonard, SF, Clippers: 23 points (9-13 FG, 2-4 3PT), five rebounds, two assists, two steals

Paul George, SG, Clippers: 15 points (5-14 FG, 1-8 3PT), three rebounds, three assists, one steal

Zion Overwhelms Clippers Inside

The Clippers drew up the blueprint for exactly how not to stop Williamson in the paint.

The 2021 All-Star was unstoppable around the basket. It basically came down to the fact that Los Angeles didn't have anybody on the roster who could individually match up with the 6'7", 284-pound forward.

His combination of speed and power was simply too much, whether he was scoring himself or feeding open teammates.

Although it doesn't appear the Pelicans are desperate to offload him, Bleacher Report's Jake Fischer reported Ball "has been widely discussed in preliminary trade conversations this winter." The Ringer's Kevin O'Connor reported a week later that trade discussions "have fizzled for now."

Ball, a restricted free agent in the summer, displayed why he should continue to be in New Orleans' future plans.

While you're here, spare a thought for Reggie Jackson, who was in the wrong place at the wrong time as Jaxson Hayes threw down a thunderous dunk.

By the letter of the law, Hayes' taunting warranted a technical foul. But you can't blame him for savoring the posterization.

Clippers Defense Takes the Night Off

Even the best teams have a bad night at the office on occasion. The Clippers entered this game short-handed as well, with knee soreness keeping Patrick Beverley out of action. Then Serge Ibaka was limited to eight minutes after experiencing lower back tightness.

But this performance rises to somewhat concerning levels when considering Los Angeles closed out the first half by losing four of its last five games.

The Clippers played flat to start Sunday night, and that set the tone for the rest of their outing.

Fans know how good this squad can be at its best, which makes the inconsistency all the more inexplicable.

The front office almost certainly won't do anything to drastically alter the roster in the middle of the season. Especially if Ibaka's back injury proves to be troublesome, general manager Michael Winger and president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank might have to weigh some minor reinforcements before the March 25 trade deadline, though.

What's Next?

The Clippers are back in action Monday against the Dallas Mavericks and have a return game with the Mavs in Dallas on Wednesday. The Pelicans hit the road for a pair of games with the Portland Trail Blazers on Tuesday and Thursday.

USA Basketball announced its list of 57 finalists, including 15 new additions, for the men's national team ahead of the Tokyo Olympics.

The final team this summer will be coached by Gregg Popovich and feature 12 players.

LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Anthony Davis, Kawhi Leonard and Kevin Durant are among the big names on the initial list, while the additions include younger players like Zion Williamson and Trae Young.

"With the postponement of the Tokyo Olympics from 2020 to 2021, it's important that we continue to remain flexible and consider all players who can contribute to our efforts to field the best USA team possible," managing director Jerry Colangelo said. "These additions we are announcing today will help ensure that we are doing that."

Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium reported Marcus Smart was invited, but "opted out due to injury concerns from playing late into consecutive seasons and a shortened offseason this summer."

The United States has won gold in each of the last three Olympic Games, including going 8-0 in the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Games behind Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and Carmelo Anthony.

LeBron was on the last team not to win it all—the 2004 squad took home a bronze medal—but he helped the 2008 and 2012 teams earn first place. After skipping the 2016 Games, the 36-year-old said he is undecided about playing this summer.

"It's always predicated on: one, my body, how my body is feeling at the end of the season—I hope to make a long playoff run," he told reporters in February. "And then where my mind is and then where my family's head is. So it's a lot of factors, but my name is in the hat."

Curry has never competed in the Olympics, but the 32-year-old has won gold with Team USA at the 2010 and 2014 World Cups.

While several players will certainly drop out before the list is finalized, the overall talent ensures the Americans will be the favorite to win it all.

Full List of Finalists 

• Bam Adebayo (Miami Heat)
• LaMarcus Aldridge (San Antonio Spurs)
• *Jarrett Allen (Cleveland Cavaliers)
• Harrison Barnes (Sacramento Kings)
• Bradley Beal (Washington Wizards)
• Devin Booker (Phoenix Suns)
• Malcolm Brogdon (Indiana Pacers)
• Jaylen Brown (Boston Celtics)
• Jimmy Butler (Miami Heat)
• Mike Conley (Utah Jazz)
• Stephen Curry (Golden State Warriors)
• Anthony Davis (Los Angeles Lakers)
• DeMar DeRozan (San Antonio Spurs)
• Andre Drummond (Cleveland Cavaliers)
• Kevin Durant (Brooklyn Nets)
• Paul George (Los Angeles Clippers)
• *Eric Gordon (Houston Rockets)
• *Jerami Grant (Detroit Pistons)
• Draymond Green (Golden State Warriors)
• *Blake Griffin (Brooklyn Nets)
• James Harden (Brooklyn Nets)
• Montrezl Harrell (Los Angeles Lakers)
• Joe Harris (Brooklyn Nets)
• Tobias Harris (Philadelphia 76ers)
• Gordon Hayward (Charlotte Hornets)
• *Jrue Holiday (Milwaukee Bucks)
• Dwight Howard (Philadelphia 76ers)
• Brandon Ingram (New Orleans Pelicans)
• Kyrie Irving (Brooklyn Nets)
• LeBron James (Los Angeles Lakers)
• *DeAndre Jordan (Brooklyn Nets)
• Kyle Kuzma (Los Angeles Lakers)
• *Zach LaVine (Chicago Bulls)
• Kawhi Leonard (Los Angeles Clippers)
• Damian Lillard (Portland Trail Blazers)
• Brook Lopez (Milwaukee Bucks)
• Kevin Love (Cleveland Cavaliers)
• Kyle Lowry (Toronto Raptors)
• JaVale McGee (Cleveland Cavaliers)
• Khris Middleton (Milwaukee Bucks)
• Donovan Mitchell (Utah Jazz)
• Victor Oladipo (Houston Rockets)
• Chris Paul (Phoenix Suns)
• Mason Plumlee (Detroit Pistons)
• *Julius Randle (New York Knicks)
• *Duncan Robinson (Miami Heat)
• *Mitchell Robinson (New York Knicks)
• Jayson Tatum (Boston Celtics)
• Myles Turner (Indiana Pacers)
• *Fred VanVleet (Toronto Raptors)
• Kemba Walker (Boston Celtics)
• *John Wall (Houston Rockets)
• Russell Westbrook (Washington Wizards)
• Derrick White (San Antonio Spurs)
• *Zion Williamson (New Orleans Pelicans)
• *Christian Wood (Houston Rockets)
• *Trae Young (Atlanta Hawks)

*New addition  

Zion Williamson will replace Joel Embiid in the starting lineup for Team Durant in Sunday's NBA All-Star Game.

The NBA confirmed the change after ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski first reported the news in the wake of Embiid and Ben Simmons being ruled out due to Health and Safety Protocols. The Sixers stars were in contact with someone who recently tested positive for COVID-19. 

None of the other players or coaches were affected because of the NBA's quarantine rules in Atlanta.

Doc Rivers, the coach for Team Durant, was responsible for picking Embiid's replacement.

Williamson is averaging 25.6 points, 7.2 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game this season for the Pelicans, who are a disappointing 15-21 at the break. New Orleans has turned over the keys to the offense to Williamson over the last month, allowing him to flash additional playmaking skills in his second NBA season. That said, it will be hard to replace a player like Embiid, who is widely seen as the first-half MVP. 

Team Durant was already without its namesake, with KD being forced to sit out Sunday's game due to a hamstring injury. Williamson will be joined by Bradley Beal, Kyrie Irving, Kawhi Leonard and Jayson Tatum.

Sunday's All-Star broadcast will feature the Skills and Three-Point competitions before the game, along with the dunk contest taking place at halftime.

New Orleans Pelicans star Zion Williamson missed his team's 103-93 loss to the Miami Heat on Thursday as he dealt with an irritation in his right fifth toe, but the injury won't keep him out of Sunday's All-Star Game, according to Andrew Lopez of ESPN. 

The 20-year-old, who is averaging 25.6 points and 7.2 rebounds through 34 games this season, was drafted to play on Team Durant during Sunday's game. 

Thursday's game was the second one Williamson missed this season, but only the first in which an injury forced him to sit. He had an inconclusive test for COVID-19 in January and did not play against the Los Angeles Clippers, per Lopez.

But the toe injury is something that the Duke product has been managing for some time, head coach Stan Van Gundy told reporters. 

"It's one of those things that's just continued to get a little bit worse," Van Gundy said. "Obviously, a lot of minutes last night and the whole thing. So it got worse. But it's been something that he's had."

Williamson logged 38 minutes and 28 points in a loss to the Chicago Bulls on Wednesday.

After he makes his first All-Star Game appearance on Sunday, Williamson will have some time to get right. The Pelicans are back in action against the Minnesota Timberwolves next Thursday.

The Miami Heat are rolling right into the All-Star break.

Miami completed its season sweep of the New Orleans Pelicans with a 103-93 win in Thursday's showdown at the Smoothie King Center. Jimmy Butler and Kelly Olynyk led the way for the victors in Bam Adebayo's absence, helping the Heat improve to 18-18 overall and 7-1 in the last eight. 

Solid showings from Brandon Ingram and Steven Adams were not enough for the Pelicans, who fell to 15-21 on the campaign and 1-4 in the last five with Zion Williamson out nursing a minor toe injury. 

Notable Player Stats

• Jimmy Butler, F, MIA: 29 PTS, 9 AST, 3 REB, 3 STL
• Kelly Olynyk, F, MIA: 18 PTS, 10 REB, 7 AST, 4-of-5 3PT
• Brandon Ingram, F, NO: 17 PTS, 9 AST, 5 REB, 2 STL
• Steven Adams, C, NO: 15 PTS, 5 REB

Jimmy Butler Takes Over With Game on Line

Adebayo was an important absence, but Miami is better equipped than many teams to deal with such a missing piece.

After all, the big man was not Miami's leading scorer in any of its previous seven games. Rather, Tyler Herro, Kendrick Nunn (twice), Butler (twice), Duncan Robinson and Goran Dragic led the Heat in scoring the last seven games, underscoring the offensive versatility across the roster.

That balance was on full display out of the gates, as Olynyk appeared ready to threaten for a triple-double in the early going when he caught fire from deep, served as a facilitator and battled the Pelicans frontcourt for rebounds.

He wasn't the only one creating for his teammates with Butler attacking the lane and either scoring at the rim or dishing out when New Orleans collapsed on his penetration.

Butler was essentially playing point guard when he was on the floor, and the Pelicans had no answer when he drove the basket. He scored or got to the free-throw line when the help didn't come and racked up the assists when the help did come.

He also had to rescue his team in crunch time.

While Miami led by double digits for much of the contest, New Orleans trimmed the deficit to two points in the fourth quarter. All Butler did is score the next two baskets to create breathing room, convert an and-1 from the outside and hit a three as part of a stretch of four straight field goals for the Heat to put the Pelicans away.

Pelicans Never Overcome Initial Deficit

Zion generates most of the headlines in New Orleans and for good reason, but his absence at least provided an opportunity for some of the other impact players to make a statement against the defending Eastern Conference champions.

Ingram and Lonzo Ball figured to lead the effort, but the home team looked lost on the offensive side without its All-Star in the early going.

It scored a mere 15 points in the entire first quarter, putting it in a hole from the start and forcing it into catch-up mode for the entire game. Part of the issue was Ball's struggles from the outside, which was more reminiscent of the early portion of his career rather than his 39.6 percentage from deep this season. 

Ingram kept the Pelicans within striking distance with fewer shots because of his passing ability, especially since Miami made it a point of getting the ball out of his hands without Williamson on the floor.

Adams also provided a scoring presence around the rim, which at least made up for some of Zion's missing production. A half-court heave from Josh Hart to end the third quarter also kept New Orleans within single digits and gave it a chance to win down the stretch.

Even though they climbed to within two points in the fourth quarter with some help from Kira Lewis Jr. and Nickeil Alexander-Walker off the bench, the early hole was simply too much for the Pelicans to emerge from with Butler taking over in crunch time.

What's Next?

Both teams return to action from the All-Star break with home games on March 11 when the Heat host the Orlando Magic and the Pelicans face the Minnesota Timberwolves.

New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson will miss his team's game against the Miami Heat on Thursday because of toe irritation, the team announced. 

While this is considered minor ahead of the All-Star break, injuries have generally been a concern for Williamson dating back to his days at Duke. He missed time during his lone season with the Blue Devils because of a knee sprain and again in his rookie campaign with the Pels thanks to a torn meniscus. However, he had appeared in all but one game this season heading into Thursday. 

Perhaps the only major source of wariness about Williamson following his October 2019 surgery was whether his body could withstand the rigors of a full NBA schedule. 

The Pelicans have played Williamson heavy minutes this season, and he has responded well. He's averaging 25.6 points and 7.2 rebounds per game while shooting 61.4 percent from the floor and is slated to be part of the All-Star Game this Sunday in Atlanta.

Unhappy with how he played in Wednesday's 128-124 loss to the Chicago Bulls, Zion Williamson gave himself some extra time on the court to find his rhythm. 

Per ESPN's Andrew Lopez, the New Orleans Pelicans star went through a shooting routine after the game in order to "find my flow."

"I really felt like I let my team down, man," Williamson said. "It's like I tell y'all, I never want to let them down. All those free throws, it can't go down like that. I gotta be better in those situations. If I want to be one of those great players, I gotta take a lot of responsibility and be ready for those moments."

Williamson's final stat line was right in line with what he's done all season. The 20-year-old scored a team-high 28 points on 10-of-17 shooting with nine rebounds, five assists and two steals. 

One area where Williamson did struggle was at the free-throw line. He missed four attempts from the charity stripe in the fourth quarter, including two straight with one minute, 23 seconds remaining and New Orleans trailing 117-113. The All-Star forward went just 8-of-16 from the line overall. 

Lopez noted that Williamson "needed to make at least" 10 straight free throws during his post-game routine before moving out behind the three-point line. 

The Pelicans will host the Miami Heat on Thursday night in the final game before the All-Star break for both teams. New Orleans has lost three of its last four games and is 11th in the Western Conference standings with a 15-20 overall record.