Zion Williamson scored 25 points and grabbed 11 rebounds, and Jeremiah Fears sank a pair of clutch free throws in the closing moments of overtime as the New Orleans Pelicans handed the host Memphis Grizzlies their first loss of the season, 135-134, on Monday.
Fears’ game-winning foul shots came off of a second-chance opportunity. With the Pelicans trailing by a point, Williamson attempted to muscle up a jumper under duress.
Saddiq Bey came up with the carom but had the ball poked free. Fears was on the spot to gain possession and get up a shot while taking contact from Jaylen Wells.
Fears calmly sank both attempts, capping his 12-point night and a 25-of-30 performance at the free-throw line for the Pelicans.
Memphis put the ball in Ty Jerome’s hands on the final possession, but his contested jumper was no good — a rare misfire for Jerome in the late stages of Monday’s contest.
He scored nine of his game-high 40 points to end regulation, accounting for all of the Grizzlies’ overtime-forcing, 9-0 run. New Orleans led for the entire fourth quarter before then, pulling ahead 124-115 with 2:36 remaining on a Karlo Matkovic 3-pointer.
The triple closed Matkovic’s scoring with 25 points to match Williamson’s team-high.
Jerome continued his hot scoring in the extra frame, accounting for eight of the Grizzlies’ 10 points. Williamson answered with nine of the Pelicans’ overtime points.
Fears’ foul shots were the only New Orleans points in overtime not provided by Williamson.
Six Pelicans scored in double figures, including Derik Queen, who came up big off the bench with 20 points. He added seven rebounds and five assists.
Trey Murphy III and Bey each scored 18 points for New Orleans. Rookie sensation Cameron Boozer finished with 18 points, nine rebounds and five assists for the Grizzlies.
The win ended a franchise record-matching six-game winning streak for Memphis to open the season. New Orleans, meanwhile, picked up its third consecutive victory after opening the campaign 0-4.
