San Antonio Spurs at New Orleans Pelicans

Spurs help playoff chances, top Pelicans, Zion 122-113

The playoffs might be a nice bonus.

For Zion Williamson, postseason hopes have to wait until next year.

DeMar DeRozan scored 27 points, Rudy Gay added 19 off the bench and the Spurs wasted much of a 20-point, second-half lead before hanging on to beat New Orleans 122-113 on Sunday. The loss, combined with Portland's win over Philadelphia later Sunday, eliminated New Orleans from playoff contention.

"We've just got to put ourselves in a better position to win," Williamson said.

"I think it'd be huge," said Popovich, the Spurs' coach. "If we're able to be in that ninth spot, that's quite a victory and it says a lot about how this young group has come together with three of the starters out. I'm already thrilled with how they played, and it'd be really fantastic if we could get that."

Dejounte Murray scored 18 for the Spurs. Derrick White added 16 before leaving early in the third quarter with a bruised knee.

JJ Redick scored 31 points with a season-high eight 3-pointers for New Orleans, which got 25 from Williamson and 17 from Brandon Ingram.

Pelicans coach Alvin Gentry called it a Game 7-type game beforehand but stayed with the plan of playing Williamson in short bursts. Williamson started the first, second and third quarters, coming out around the midway point of each.

In the fourth, Gentry took Williamson out with 6:53 left, putting him back in for the last-ditch try about two minutes later. But the Pelicans never got the lead back, and now have only two games left in the No. 1 pick's season. It's unknown if Williamson will play in those games.

"We played 44 games without Zion so it's really kind of hard to put a stamp on exactly what the season is," Gentry said. "But I like the young players that we have. I think going forward we're going to have an opportunity to be a good team and compete at a real high level."

And the game changed in an instant.

Williamson scored the next eight points by himself, kick-starting what became a 28-12 run by the Pelicans to end the quarter.

"We didn't expect to blow them out," Gay said. "We don't expect to blow anybody out."

Redick got into the lane for a three-point play with 3:21 left, getting the Pelicans within 103-100. DeRozan scored inside on the next San Antonio possession, and a late 8-0 spurt by the Spurs sealed the deal.

"We're not there yet," Popovich said. "But we've made a lot progress, for sure."

TIP-INS

Spurs: Popovich revealed that assistant Tim Duncan, who the team said stayed behind instead of coming to Disney to help with the rehabilitation of injured forward LaMarcus Aldridge, wanted to be on the trip. "He would like to be here, but it didn't make much sense to me to put him through that," Popovich said. "So, he's coaching from home."

Pelicans: Redick took two charges in a 47-second span during the third quarter, part of the Pelicans' big run to end that period. ... Lonzo Ball had 10 assists.

REMEMBERING FERGUSON

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UP NEXT

Spurs: Play Houston on Tuesday.

Pelicans: Play Sacramento on Tuesday.

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Regular Season Series

SA wins series 2-0