Celtics rout Pelicans for first win of season

Anfernee Simons scored 25 points to lead six Boston double-figure scorers and the visiting Celtics got their first victory of the season by defeating the winless New Orleans Pelicans 122-90 on Monday night.

Payton Pritchard added 18 points, Luka Garza had 16, Jaylen Brown and Josh Minott had 15 each and Derrick White 11 for the Celtics, who completed a back-to-back that began with a loss at Detroit by beating the Pelicans for the ninth straight meeting.

Jordan Poole scored 22 points, rookie Derik Queen had 12, and Yves Missi, returning from a one-game absence due to a sprained ankle, Herbert Jones and Saddiq Bey had 11 each for the Pelicans.

Zion Williamson missed the game because of a left foot bone contusion suffered in a 120-116 overtime loss to visiting San Antonio on Friday night. The injury is not believed to be long term.

Bey made two 3-pointers, Missi added a three-point play and the Pelicans turned an 11-point halftime deficit into a 75-71 deficit midway through the third quarter.

Sam Hauser and Baylor Scheierman each made a 3-pointer to help the Celtics take an 87-78 lead at the end of the third quarter.

New Orleans got within five points on a 3-pointer by Poole but Hauser made a 3-pointer and Simons made two to push the lead to 102-86. Boston outscored New Orleans 35-12 in the fourth quarter.

Brown scored eight points to help the Celtics open a 23-9 lead. Trey Murphy III and Bey made consecutive dunks off turnovers to pull the Pelicans with five before Simons and White each made a 3-pointer to leave Boston with a 34-26 lead at the end of the first quarter.

DeAndre Jordan scored his first four points for New Orleans and the Pelicans scored the first six points of the second quarter. Minott scored seven points and Pritchard had five as the Celtics opened a 51-37 lead.

New Orleans got as close as nine points on four occasions before Boston took a 65-54 halftime lead.