NEW ORLEANS – Anfernee Simons scored 24 points, Deandre Ayton had 19 points and 13 rebounds and the Portland Trail Blazers defeated the injury-depleted New Orleans Pelicans 118-100 on Monday night.

Toumani Camara and Jerami Grant each scored 16 points for the Trail Blazers, who trailed for much of the first three quarters. Portland pulled ahead in the fourth when Dalano Banton came into the game and scored 20 points in a single period.

Brandon Ingram was the Pelicans' only starter in uniform for the second straight game, scoring 27 points.

Pelicans star forward Zion Williamson was left out of the lineup for the second straight game because of right hamstring and quadriceps strain. New Orleans was also without starters Dejounte Murray, CJ McCollum and Herb Jones, as well as prominent backups Trey Murphy III and Jordan Hawkins.

Brandon Boston Jr. scored 20 points to earn a starting spot as Hawkins, who recently started for McCollum, was unable to play for a second straight night due to lower back strain.

Jose Alvarado added 18 points for New Orleans.

Takeaways

Trail Blazers: Portland's advantage around the basket was evident as the Blazers shot 54.8% (46 of 84) and outscored New Orleans 38-34.

Pelicans: For the second straight year, New Orleans was significantly outscored in the league. Portland finished the game with a 66-38 lead, a night after Atlanta beat the Pelicans 66-32 on the road.

Key moment

Banton, coming off a break in the first three quarters, scored eight points in five minutes, sparking a 10-2 run that gave Portland a 94-89 lead. The Blazers retreated from there.

Key statistics

Banton made 8 of 9 shots in his 12 minutes on the court, including 2 of 3 from 3-point range.

Next

The Trail Blazers visit San Antonio on Thursday night. The Pelicans host undefeated Cleveland on Wednesday night, completing a four-game homestand.

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AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba