Trey Murphy III scores 28 points while filling in for Zion as Pelicans beat Cavaliers 123-104

CLEVELAND (AP) — Trey Murphy III scored 28 points while starting in place of New Orleans star Zion Williamson — out with an illness — and the Pelicans pulled away in the second half to beat the undermanned Cleveland Cavaliers 123-104 on Thursday night.

Williamson didn’t travel with the Pelicans, who have been battling a flu bug that has been making its way though the team and affecting several other players in the past few days. Williamson is averaging 22 points.

Murphy started for the first time this season and helped offset the absence of Williamson by making six 3-pointers as the Pelicans won for the fifth time in six games.

CJ McCollum scored 18 points and Brandon Ingram added 17 for New Orleans.

Dean Wade had 20 points and Isaac Okoro 16 for the Cavs, who played without their top three scorers — Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland and Evan Mobley.

A four-time All-Star, Mitchell missed his second straight game due to an illness, while Garland (jaw fracture) and Mobley (knee surgery) are both expected to be out at least until February.

Despite being short-handed this past week, Cleveland went 3-1 on a four-game homestand.

New Orleans closed the third quarter by scoring 14 straight points to take a 94-76 lead into the final 12 minutes. The Pelicans pushed their lead to 24 in the fourth.

Down by 14 at half, the Cavs stayed close and pulled within 80-76 in the third on Dean Wade's 3-pointer. But the Pelicans responded with the sealing 14-0 run, getting most of their buckets on layups or in transition.

Murphy got hot from outside late in the second quarter, dropping three 3-pointers — one of them from 36 feet — as the Pelicans went on a 15-3 spurt over the final 4:16 to open a 66-52 halftime lead.

Cavaliers guard Sam Merrill didn't score in 12 minutes after getting a career-high 27 points while making eight 3-pointers Wednesday night in a win over Utah. Merrill was added to the injury report earlier in the day with a wrist issue.

Cavs undrafted rookie Craig Porter Jr. had a season-high 11 assists.

UP NEXT

Pelicans: Open five-game homestand against Houston on Saturday night.

Cavaliers: At Chicago on Saturday night.

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