Pelicans’ CJ McCollum makes franchise history in wild comeback win against Jazz

The New Orleans Pelicans came back with 25 points to defeat the Utah Jazz in overtime, 123-119. It took a collective group effort, but it did CJ McCollum who stole the show for the team, he finished the game with 45 points, eight rebounds and three blocks. McCollum became first player in franchise history to post those numbers in the game.

The Pelicans have now won their fourth straight game and seven of their last ten. The difficult start of the season is due to injuries, and not everyone was healthy for this game. Zion Williamson, Brandon Ingram and Herb Jones did not play in this game, but they were still able to weather the storm and get a big win.

Hopefully, as the season continues and they get more bodies on the field, they can continue to win more games.

CJ McCollum leads Pelicans to victory in OT

CJ McCollum has been in good form for the Pelicans of late, scoring 45 or more points twice in 10 games and helping the team get back on track. After the game, head coach Willie Green talked about McCollum’s impact on the floor.

“CJ was amazing and when he got going, I thought his teammates did a great job of trying to find him,” Green said. “We were preparing things for him.” Again and again he went on the offensive. Without that effort, it’s hard for us to win that game.”

McCollum isn’t exactly athletic, but he knows his jump shot is one thing that won’t go away as long as he plays basketball.

“I’m not knocking people here,” McCollum said. “It’s a skill. It’s a strategy. Those are the angles. It’s footwork. It’s a jump that never goes away. I’ll be able to shoot when I’m 40.”

With so many injuries in the squad, it has been difficult for them to get into any kind of rhythm, but since the new year started things have changed. McCollum and Dejounte Murray are on the court together more, and Trey Murphy III has also been playing good basketball for the Pelicans. Zion Williamson returned a few weeks ago, and while he may be on a conditioning schedule, he still makes an impact when he’s on the field. The only thing Pelicans fans are hoping for is that Brandon Ingram returns soon, as he is currently dealing with a sprained right ankle. As far as Herb Jones, he’s on an indefinite term with a shoulder injury, and it is uncertain when he will return to the Pelicans.