The New Orleans Pelicans’ frontcourt was dominant as Saddiq Bey and Derik Queen scored 22 points each and Zion Williamson had 21.

Their backcourt did its part as Herb Jones scored 15 and Jose Alvarado came off the bench to score 11 and spark a third-quarter surge to overcome a rare poor shooting night from Trey Murphy III.

It all added up to a 114-106 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies on Friday night in the Smoothie King Center.

Alvarado made three 3-pointers in the final 1:48 of the third quarter as part of a 14-0 closing run as the Pelicans (13-37) took control by outscoring the Grizzlies 35-15 in the period.

“Jose had a massive impact,” New Orleans interim head coach James Borrego said. “He turned the game with his energy on defense and by hitting key shots.”

The Pelicans improved to 3-1 since Borrego switched to a bigger starting lineup by inserting forward Saddiq Bey in place of rookie point guard Jeremiah Fears and going without a pure point guard to begin games.

“Ultimately to win in this league you have to defend,” Borrego said. “In order to defend you have to have size, physicality or elite rim protection. We’re working on the rim protection, but that first group is bigger and it’s being physical.”

Queen had his ninth game of the season with at least 20 points, but his first since Dec. 27. He, Bey and Williamson helped the Pelicans accumulate a 68-48 advantage in points in the paint.

“We all take turns, share the ball and stay out of each other’s way,” Queen said of the starting frontcourt.

New Orleans begins a four-game road trip when it faces the 76ers in Philadelphia on Saturday night.

Jaren Jackson Jr. and Cam Spencer scored 16 each, Cedric Coward and Vince Williams Jr. scored 13 each, Jock Landale had 12, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope had 11 and Jaylen Wells added 10 for the Grizzlies (18-28), who lost their fifth straight.

The Grizzlies played without leading scorer Ja Morant (19.5 points per game), who missed his fourth straight game because of an elbow sprain, and Zach Edey (ankle), who averages 13.6 points and a team-best 11.1 rebounds.

Spencer made a 3-pointer to start the second-half scoring and give the Grizzlies a 64-58 lead. Williamson and Jones scored four points each and Pelicans pulled even at 68.

Landale’s basket broke the tie before Bey scored seven points and Queen had four as New Orleans took a 79-74 lead. John Konchar made a layup for Memphis, but Alvarado made three 3-pointers and Karlo Matkovic one during a 14-0 run that gave the Pelicans a 93-76 lead at the end of the period.

“That was all defense and we hit big shots at the end of the third quarter,” Queen said.

New Orleans made just 8-of-33 3-pointers, including Murphy’s 0-7 line as he finished 2-of-14 from the floor and scored just eight points, nearly 14 below his average. But the Pelicans finished 5-of-11 from beyond the arc in the third quarter.

“He’s always ready and he’s steady,” Borrego said of Alvarado. “You know what you’re going to get every night with his spirit, his energy on defense and his poise. When he’s hitting shots that’s icing on the cake.”

The Grizzlies scored the first 11 points of the fourth quarter to get within six. Bey made two free throws for the Pelicans’ first points of the quarter and Queen and Jones had two field goals each during a 10-3 run that gave New Orleans a 103-90 lead.

Memphis got as close as five points, but didn’t get any closer.

The lead changed hands eight times in the first quarter, the last coming when Landale’s jumper gave the Grizzlies a 21-20 lead and started a 9-0 run. Murphy stopped the run when he completed a three-point play and Fears’ field goal pulled the Pelicans within 32-28 at the end of the first quarter.

Borrego praised Fears for his positive approach to coming off the bench as part of the lineup change. Fears finished with six points, four rebounds, three assists and two steals in 17 minutes.

Jackson made a 3-pointer to help Memphis extend the lead to 10 points early in the second quarter. Queen scored four points, including a layup that gave New Orleans a 45-44 lead.

GG Jackson’s dunk gave the Grizzlies the lead and six teammates scored as they took a 61-58 halftime lead.