(AP) Jrue Holiday scored 28 points, and New Orleans defeated Washington without star rookie Zion Williamson, improving its chances of earning a Western Conference playoff spot.
Williamson, the top pick in the 2019 NBA draft, rested.
The Pelicans shot 48 percent. New Orleans is 2 1/2 games behind eighth-place Memphis in the West and 1 1/2 games behind ninth-place Portland with three games remaining. To force a play-in, a team must be in ninth place and within four games of the eighth-place team.
Rui Hachimura scored 23 points, Thomas Bryant scored 22 and Troy Brown Jr. added 20 points and 10 rebounds for Washington. The Wizards fell to 0-5 in the restart and are too far behind Orlando in the Eastern Conference standings to force a play-in.
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