Williamson scores 36 as Pelicans top Pistons

DETROIT — Zion Williamson scored 36 points and led the New Orleans Pelicans to a 114-101 victory over the short-handed Detroit Pistons on Sunday.

Williamson shot 13 for 14 from the floor and 10 for 14 from the line in 36 minutes. He added seven rebounds and six assists and received applause from the crowd at Little Caesars Arena when he left the game with 1:20 remaining.

CJ McCollum scored 23 points for the Pelicans (44-27), who have won five of six.

The Pistons played without four of their five starters. Cade Cunningham (knee), Jalen Duren (back), Isaiah Stewart (hamstring) and Ausar Thompson (illness) missed the game, and sixth man Simone Fontecchio (toe) was also sidelined. Jaden Ivey was the only available player to have scored more than 500 points this season.

Chimezu Metu and Malachi Flynn each scored 17 points for Detroit (12-59), which lost its sixth straight. Ivey added 16 points and Buddy Boeheim had a careerhigh 13. The Pistons need four wins in their last 11 games to avoid exceeding the franchise record of 66 losses.

New Orleans led 57-41 after two periods and did just enough to keep the Pistons from mounting a significant rally in the second half.

The Pistons’ patchwork offense has struggled to score. In the first quarter, Detroit shot 21.1% (4 for 19) from the floor, including 0 for 10 from 3-point range on the way to a season-low 10 points.

76ers take down Harden, Clippers

Tobias Harris scored 24 points and Tyrese Maxey added 19 of his 24 in the second half of the Philadelphia 76ers’ 121-107 victory over James Harden and the Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday.

Harden had 12 points and 14 assists in his first game against the 76ers since he forced his way out of Philadelphia last November. After going 0 for 6 on 3-pointers to jeers from a small but vocal cheering section of Sixers fans in Los Angeles, the 10-time All-Star and 2018 MVP will head back to Philadelphia with the Clippers on Wednesday for the rematch.

Cameron Payne had a seasonhigh 23 points with five 3-pointers for the Sixers, who rebounded from a loss to the Lakers on Friday by hitting 18 3-pointers in just their fourth victory in 11 games.