Zion Williamson's 25 Points Lead Pelicans Past Blazers with Damian Lillard Out

The New Orleans Pelicans took advantage of Damian Lillard's absence by topping the Portland Trail Blazers 128-115 at the Moda Center on Friday night.

New Orleans also defeated Portland 138-117 on Feb. 11, and this one similarly favored the Pelicans throughout.

Zion Williamson led the team with 25 points. The 2019 No. 1 overall pick has scored at least 20 points in every one of his games this month. Jrue Holiday was the only other 20-point performer for the Pels. 

New Orleans' bench outscored Portland's 44-21. The Pelicans also shot 52.9 percent (18-of-34) from three compared to Portland's 37.0 percent (10-of-27). 

Lillard suffered a right groin strain late in the Blazers' 111-104 loss to Memphis on Feb. 12. The All-Star point guard estimated Thursday that he will sit three or four games. Gary Trent Jr., a 2018 second-round pick, started in Lillard's place.

The Pelicans improved to 24-32, while the Blazers dropped their third straight and fell to 25-32.

Notable Performances

NO F Zion Williamson: 25 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal

NO G Jrue Holiday: 20 points, 2 rebounds, 9 assists, 4 steals

NO F Brandon Ingram: 16 points, 4 rebounds, 6 assists

NO G Lonzo Ball: 15 points, 4 rebounds, 7 assists, 1 steal, 1 block

POR G CJ McCollum: 27 points, 6 rebounds, 10 assists

POR F Carmelo Anthony: 20 points, 5 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, 1 block

POR C Hassan Whiteside: 19 points, 12 rebounds, 2 assists, 6 blocks

POR G Gary Trent Jr.: 15 points, 1 rebound, 2 assists, 1 steal

Pelicans Begin Playoff Push While Portland Looks Lost Without Lillard

New Orleans had Williamson, and the Blazers did not have Lillard. But there were other factors that could affect each team's path forward with fewer than 30 games remaining in the 2019-20 regular season.

Williamson made his debut Jan. 22 after an October arthroscopic knee surgery, which delayed anybody's ability to truly evaluate his team. Against the Blazers, the rookie presumably worked with 22-year-old Brandon Ingram in a way the organization hoped:

Williamson also showed promising chemistry with Ball. The two lottery picks had been seen practicing lobs in practice months ago, and they showed that off at Portland's expense:

The Pelicans are coming together as a cohesive unit after a stilted start to the campaign:

If their roster can (finally) stay healthy, the Pelicans should only get better and challenge for a playoff spot. 

Meanwhile, the Blazers are significantly less intimidating without Lillard. The 29-year-old entered the All-Star break as arguably the league's hottest player, ranking fourth with 29.5 points per game. His ability to score does wonders to mask Portland's 27th-ranked defensive unit.

McCollum, who has been Lillard's right hand since 2013, had his second double-double of 2019-20:

The fact that the Blazers managed to lose by 13 even though McCollum adapted well, Whiteside posted his fifth straight double-double and Anthony notched his 16th 30-plus-point performance on the season is concerning. The Pelicans maximized their own potential while exploiting just how much Portland relies on Lillard.

Lillard's groin injury is not significant, which is good news for Portland, but this should be a wake-up call. The Blazers are ninth in the Western Conference and just 3.5 games back from the Memphis Grizzlies for the final playoff seed, but the Pelicans are just a half-game behind them. 

What's Next? 

Both teams next play Sunday night. 

Portland will continue its three-game homestand against the Detroit Pistons, while the Pelicans will continue a three-game road trip at Golden State.