The New Orleans Pelicans defeated the Charlotte Hornets, 112-107, at Spectrum Center on Friday.

The Pelicans (15-11) and the Hornets (7-16) played a back-and-forth contest, but in the end, the Pelicans executed better down the stretch and escaped with the win. With the victory, the Pelicans moved to 6-7 away from home, while the Hornets fell to 4-9 at home. New Orleans looked like the better team in the early stages and raced to a 21-20 lead in the first quarter. They’d bolster that advantage even further following a 29-19 score in the second quarter, giving them an 11-point lead at the break. However, Charlotte responded with a different attitude in the third quarter, and that translated in them outscoring New Orleans by a 37-26 score -- meaning the game was tied heading into the final 12 minutes. The Pelicans executed much better down the stretch and won the fourth quarter by a 36-31 score, which was enough to seal the victory here.

Jonas Valanciunas led the Pelicans in scoring with 29 points, but he also added 13 rebounds, four assists and two blocks. Zion Williamson finished with 21 points, 11 rebounds and four assists. Brandon Ingram only had eight points (3-8 FG) but added seven assists across 32 minutes. CJ McCollum finished with 19 points, five boards and four dimes. Trey Murphy III added 13 points and six rebounds off the bench.

Terry Rozier led the Hornets once again with 30 points, six assists, four rebounds and three steals. Miles Bridges recorded 27 points and 10 rebounds. Nick Richards posted 16 points and six rebounds. Brandon Miller also had 16 points, but he added four boards and three assists. No other Charlotte player scored in double digits.