CHICAGO (AP) — Zion Williamson scored 13 points and grabbed four rebounds over 15 minutes in his return after a lost season with a broken foot, and the New Orleans Pelicans held on to beat the Chicago Bulls 129-125 on Tuesday night.
Devonte’ Graham led the Pelicans with 21 points and five assists. Willy Hernangomez and rookie Dyson Daniels, the eighth overall pick in last summer’s draft, had 15 points apiece. Dyson had 12 points in the fourth quarter as New Orleans won with a late push.
DeMar DeRozan led the Bulls with 21 points, and Javonte Green had 18. Nikola Vucevic finished with 15 points and 11 rebounds. Rookie Dalen Terry scored 11 points.
The Pelicans built a 73-50 lead at halftime with a significant portion of the scoring coming from the bench, a testament to New Orleans’ depth. And the Pelicans were without Brandon Ingram, who sat out with a sore toe.
Williamson was the only New Orleans starter to reach double figures. Jaxson Hayes added 14 points off the bench.