The New Orleans Pelicans defeated the Washington Wizards, 142-122, at Capital One Arena on Wednesday night.

The Wizards (3-20) looked good out of the gate as they established a 15-point lead in the first quarter. It wasn't long to last, however, as the Pelicans (14-11) stormed back and cut the deficit to two points at the end of the frame. They continued their momentum into the second quarter and outscored the Wizards 47-34 to take a double-digit lead into halftime. The second half was more competitive between the two squads, though the fourth quarter involved the deep bench players from each team with New Orleans leading by as much as 28 points. The Pelicans are now 4-2 in the month of December, while the Wizards are losers of six straight and hold a 1-8 record at home.

Brandon Ingram led all scorers with a season-high 40 points while making 11 of 12 free throws and added three assists over 31 minutes. Perhaps most impressive for New Orleans was Trey Murphy, who in his fifth game since returning from a torn meniscus injury, scored 27 points off the bench while adding six rebounds, four assists, two steals and a block across 33 minutes and registered a team-high plus-43 point differential. CJ McCollum had an efficient 22 points along with six assists and three rebounds, while Jonas Valanciunas recorded his 11th double-double of the season with 16 points and 18 rebounds.

For the Wizards, Kyle Kuzma led the team in scoring for the third straight game with 27 points, along with seven rebounds and four assists. Deni Avdija continued to show improvement in his fourth year in the league with 13 points, seven assists and six rebounds. Bilal Coulibaly played a team-high 32 minutes off the bench and had 16 points and five rebounds. Jordan Poole chipped in with 11 points, four assists and two steals.

Both teams have their next game Friday. The Pelicans continue their three-game road trip against the Charlotte Hornets, while the Wizards host the Indiana Pacers.