Williamson powers Pelicans on historic night

NBA superstar Zion Williamson delivered on his promise to "have some fun" by throwing down a spectacular alley-oop as New Orleans overcame Melbourne United in their historic exhibition clash.

Showcasing his new physique for the first time, the trimmer Williamson scored 15 points in the Pelicans' hard-fought 107-97 victory at Rod Laver Arena on Friday night.

It was the first time an NBA team had played in Australia, and headline act Williamson wowed the sold-out crowd when he soared to latch on to a Saddiq Bey toss and tucked it away.

Williamson also had five assists, two rebounds and two steals in 16 minutes on court.

The former No.1 draft pick's contribution came as he prepares for a predicted breakout season, having got himself in the best physical shape of his professional career.

Trey Murphy III (18 points, three steals) and off-season acquisition Jordan Poole (11 points, four assists) also fired on limited minutes.

NBA draft prospect Dash Daniels - the 17-year-old brother of former Pelicans and current Atlanta Hawks star Dyson Daniels - showcased his talent for Melbourne with 11 points and six rebounds.

Williamson featured in a new-look Pelicans starting line-up alongside Poole and fellow recruit Kevon Looney.

He had 10 points, two steals and four assists in the first quarter, including an in-bounds pass to Murphy for the first in his series of big dunks.

The pair helped New Orleans to an early double-figure lead, and while Melbourne got back within four points with more than four minutes remaining, the Pelicans were good enough to close it out.

Melbourne, who have made a 3-0 start to their NBL campaign, were far from disgraced as both teams rotated their line-ups heavily.

American import Milton Doyle top-scored with 25 points and had support from Finn Delany (13), Jesse Edwards and Tom Wilson (12 each).

Melbourne guard Shea Ili sat out the second half with a suspected hamstring injury, and import Tyson Walker was forced off late with a thumb issue.

Veteran sharpshooter Chris Goulding suited up but did not play as he recovers from a quad injury.

NBA teams have now won 24 of 25 pre-season games against NBL clubs since the "NBAxNBL" series was introduced in 2017.

The only outlier was in 2022, when the Adelaide 36ers stunned the Phoenix Suns.

New Orleans will face NBL opposition again on Sunday when they take on South East Melbourne Phoenix at Rod Laver Arena.

NBAxNBL MELBOURNE SERIES

MELBOURNE UNITED 97 (Doyle 25, Delaney 13, Edwards 12, Wilson 12)

NEW ORLEANS PELICANS 107 (Murphy III 18, Williamson 15, Poole 11, Alvarado 11, Hawkins 11)

BOX SCORE