Pelicans Stun Timberwolves with 119-115 Victory

MINNEAPOLIS – Zion Williamson delivered a dominant performance with 29 points, while CJ McCollum contributed 18 as the New Orleans Pelicans pulled off a surprising 119-115 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday night.

The loss marked Minnesota’s second straight defeat after previously winning eight in a row. With the playoff race tightening, the Timberwolves are now trailing Golden State by a full game in the battle for the Western Conference’s No. 6 seed.

Early in the game, Minnesota looked in control, building a 43-32 lead in the second quarter. However, the Pelicans responded with a 14-0 run, surging ahead 46-43. From there, the teams traded blows, but the Timberwolves never managed to create a comfortable cushion.

Anthony Edwards led Minnesota with 29 points, while Julius Randle added 17 and Mike Conley chipped in 16. However, Edwards struggled with his shot, finishing just 5-of-19 from the field, including a rough 1-for-9 on two-point attempts.

New Orleans played its first game without forward Trey Murphy III, who was ruled out for the season after suffering a right shoulder injury in Monday’s loss to Detroit. Murphy had been averaging 21.2 points per game this season.

While Williamson was the star of the night, he wasn’t alone in leading the Pelicans to victory. Six different New Orleans players scored in double figures, breaking through a Minnesota defense that has ranked among the league’s best this season.

For the Timberwolves, this was supposed to be an easy bounce-back opportunity after Monday’s loss to Indiana. Instead, they fell short against a Pelicans squad that had won just six road games all season before Wednesday.

Down by two in the final minute, Minnesota had a chance to seize momentum but failed to secure a crucial defensive rebound. New Orleans grabbed its 11th offensive board of the night, leading to a Williamson layup with 13.1 seconds left—sealing the victory and sending Timberwolves fans to an early exit.

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The two teams will face off again on Friday in Minneapolis.