Paul George hits eight 3s as Clippers set team record for long-range shots to beat Pelicans.

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla — Paul George made three consecutive three-pointers in the opening minutes and had eight overall for 28 points for the Los Angeles Clippers, who rode a team-record barrage of long-range shots to beat the New Orleans Pelicans 126-103 Saturday.

The Clippers broke the franchise record by making 25 of 47 three-pointers. George made 8 of 11. The Clippers also tied the team record for three-pointers made in a half, and fell one short of the NBA record by hitting 16 of 24 in racing to a 77-45 halftime lead.

Los Angeles made its first six three-pointers to take a 20-6 lead. Patrick Beverley (Arkansas Razorbacks) scored from behind the arc for L.A.’s first points, then George connected on three consecutive possessions for a 12-2 lead just 2:11 in.

Leonard and Beverley kept the barrage going for six consecutive three-pointers before Leonard had the Clippers’ first miss. The Clippers made 9 of 13 three-pointers in the first quarter for a 37-25 lead.

Leonard had 24 points for the Clippers, who bounced back from a 103-101 loss to LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday night.

The Pelicans had a minor scare midway through the first half when rookie Zion Williamson stepped on Reggie Jackson’s foot and appeared to roll his right ankle while driving to the basket, ending up on his backside under the basket. He got up with a slight limp and was subbed out.

With the Clippers well on their way to a blowout win, it was an opportunity for the Pelicans to get Williamson out of the game. They’re monitoring his playing time because he missed nearly two weeks of practice after leaving the team for a family medical matter July 16. He played only 15 minutes in a loss to the Utah Jazz on Thursday night when the NBA resumed after the coronavirus shutdown.

Williamson returned for the start of the second half, finishing with seven points and five rebounds.

In other games played Saturday, Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo each scored 22 points to help the Miami Heat beat the Denver Nuggets 125-105 in the first restart game for both teams. Kelly Olynyk scored all of his 20 points in the fourth quarter for the Heat, who shot 56% from the floor. The Heat broke away with a strong second half on both ends. Nikola Jokic and Jerami Grant each scored 19 points for Denver. … Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 19 points, Chris Paul added 18 and the Oklahoma City Thunder rolled past the Utah Jazz 110-94. Steven Adams had 16 points and 11 rebounds, Danilo Gallinari added 15 points and the Thunder shot 53% from the floor . ... T.J. Warren scored a career-high 53 points, Victor Oladipo added 15 after reversing course on opting out of the NBA restart and the Indiana Pacers beat the Philadelphia 76ers 127-121 . ... Kyle Lowry had 33 points and 14 rebounds as the defending NBA champion Toronto Raptors restarted their season by beating the Los Angeles Lakers for the 11th consecutive time, 107-92. OG Anunoby scored 23 points for the Raptors, the second-place team in the Eastern Conference, who haven’t lost to Los Angeles since the 2014-15 season. LeBron James had 20 points and 10 rebounds for the Lakers.