In April, the New Orleans Pelicans’ 2023-24 season ended with Zion Williamson in street clothes. Williamson was unable to play in the team’s first-round match against the Oklahoma City Thunder due to a hamstring injury.

On Wednesday, the Pelicans’ 2024-25 season began without Williamson on the sidelines. He missed the team’s opener against the Chicago Bulls due to illness.

“It’s kind of like a virus at this point,” Pelicans coach Willie Green said. “Something like that.”

Without Williamson, the Pelicans still toppled the Bulls. CJ McCollum and Brandon Ingram combined to score 56 points as New Orleans defeated Chicago 123-111 at Smoothie King Center.

The Pelicans are 1-0. They head west for two games against the Portland Trail Blazers, followed by two games against the Golden State Warriors. Green did not know if Williamson can join the team.

“We are hopeful,” Green said. “We don’t know yet.”

Green decided to go with a starting lineup of Dejounte Murray, McCollum, Herb Jones, Ingram and Daniel Theis – the same five players who started the team’s preseason finale.

McCollum paced the Pelicans offensively early. New Orleans held a one-point lead at halftime and then raced ahead early in the third quarter as it repeatedly turned Chicago over and scored in transition.

With 8:17 left in the quarter, Murray and Theis forced the Bulls into a bad pass. Murray threw the ball behind his back to McCollum, who was waiting in the left corner. McCollum made the shot, extending New Orleans’ lead to 10 points.

McCollum ranked third in the NBA in three-pointers made per game last season. He shot 5 of 11 from behind the arc in the first game of his 12th NBA season.

McCollum received plenty of support from Ingram in the second half. The Pelicans forward scored eight points in the first five minutes of the fourth quarter.

Ingram indicated during training camp that he wanted to make more three-pointers this season and on Wednesday he went 3 of 5 from distance. He finished with a game-high 33 points.

The Pelicans forced the Bulls into 21 turnovers, which they converted into 30 points. With 6:58 left in the game, backup wing Javonte Green picked off Zach LaVine and ran down the floor for a dunk.

Green scored nine of the Pelicans’ 43 bench points. Rookie Yves Missi was one of two New Orleans reserves to score in double figures. In his first NBA game, Missi contributed 12 points, seven rebounds, one steal and three blocks. When he left the game for the last time at 4:19 in the fourth quarter, the crowd gave him a loud ovation.

Sophomore guard Jordan Hawkins had 13 points off the bench.