Without four key players, Kira Lewis Jr. stepped up off the bench on Friday to lead the New Orleans Pelicans in scoring but his career night was not enough as the Atlanta Hawks coasted to a 126-103 victory.
Lewis produced a career-high 21 points, surpassing his previous high of 16 points, to lead the Pelicans, who were without Zion Williamson, Brandon Ingram, Lonzo Ball and Josh Hart. He converted on 9-of-16 shots from the field, including 2-of-4 from 3-point range in the loss.
The performance by Lewis helped offset a shaky outing on Thursday, in which he went just 4-of-13 from the field in a loss to the Orlando Magic. Although in a losing effort, Lewis bounced back on Friday and looked to be in a groove on the court.
Kira Lewis Jr. was a bright spot for the Pelicans tonight, as he set a new career-high with 21 points!@PelicansNBA | @kiralewisjr | #WontBowDown pic.twitter.com/Dg3R2pkco4
— Bally Sports New Orleans (@BallySportsNO) April 3, 2021
New Orleans has been hit by the injury bug recently and has struggled a bit. The team is hopeful they can get some of their key players back as they fight to stay alive in the playoff picture in the Western Conference, but the outing by Lewis offered a glimpse of what he can bring off the bench.
This post originally appeared on Rookie Wire! Follow us on Facebook!
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