Bey scores 25 points and Murphy 23 to pace Pelicans to 124-109 victory over Clippers

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Saddiq Bey scored 25 points, Trey Murphy added 23 and the New Orleans Pelicans overcame an early 18-point hole to beat the Los Angeles Clippers 124-109 on Wednesday night.

Dejounte Murray had 17 points and 11 assists, while Zion Williamson and rookie Derrick Queen each scored 14 for the Pelicans, who received a standing ovation as the final seconds wound down on their sixth straight victory at home and ninth win in their past 13 games overall

Kawhi Leonard scored 25 points and John Collins added 18 for the Clippers, who dropped a game below .500 (34-35), but maintained a tenuous hold on the No. 8 spot in the Western Conference standings, a half-game ahead of Portland.

Bey hit five of 10 3-point shots to help New Orleans go 16 of 37 (43.2%) from deep. The Pelicans also made 20 of 21 free throws, with Queen making all nine of his.

Pelicans rookie guard Jeremiah Fears chipped in 11 points off the bench.

Murphy made his 200th 3 of the season late in the third quarter to give New Orleans an 89-81 lead. His fourth make from deep made it 94-81 in the final minute of the period, which ended with New Orleans leading 96-85.

Murphy's double-clutch dunk over Brook Lopez to close out a fast break spawned by Herb Jones' steal gave New Orleans a 117-101 lead with 4:43 left, and the Pelicans led by as many as 20 in the final minutes.

New Orleans committed eight turnovers in the first nine minutes, and the Clippers converted those into nine points while building a 33-18 lead.

Leonard scored 12 of his points during that stint and the Clippers led by as many as 18 during the opening quarter before the Pelicans trimmed it to 40-26 on Murphy's free throws.

New Orleans came all the way back to tie it at 58 on Murphy's 3 late in the second quarter.

Leonard and Murphy traded baskets in the final 10 seconds before halftime, with Murphy tying it at 60 on a high, driving floater in traffic.

The Clippers and Pelicans face each other for a second straight game in New Orleans on Thursday night.

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Los Angeles Clippers forward John Collins (20) goes to the basket against New Orleans Pelicans guard Saddiq Bey in the first half of an NBA basketball game, Wednesday, March 18, 2026, in New Orleans. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

Los Angeles Clippers guard Kris Dunn (8) drives to the basket on a fast break against New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson (1) in the first half of an NBA basketball game, Wednesday, March 18, 2026, in New Orleans. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

Los Angeles Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard (2) drives to the basket against New Orleans Pelicans forward Herbert Jones (2) in the first half of an NBA basketball game, Wednesday, March 18, 2026, in New Orleans. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

New Orleans Pelicans guard Saddiq Bey (41) congratulates forward Zion Williamson (1) after being fouled going to the basket in the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Los Angeles Clippers, Wednesday, March 18, 2026, in New Orleans. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

Los Angeles Clippers forward John Collins (20) is stopped driving to the basket against New Orleans Pelicans forward Trey Murphy III (25) and center Yves Missi (21) in the first half of an NBA basketball game, Wednesday, March 18, 2026, in New Orleans. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

Labor rights activist Dolores Huerta revealed she was among women and girls who say they were sexually abused by César Chavez, the widely admired Latino icon who brought to light the struggles of farmhands while leading the United Farm Workers union.

The stunning allegations against Chavez, who died more than three decades ago, drew immediate calls to alter memorials honoring the man who in the 1960s helped secure better wages and working conditions for farmworkers and has been long revered by many Democratic leaders in the U.S.

In a statement released Wednesday, Huerta said she stayed silent for 60 years out of concern that her words would hurt the farmworker movement.

Huerta described two sexual encounters with Chavez, one where she was “manipulated and pressured” and another where she was “forced against my will.”

“I carried this secret for as long as I did because building the movement and securing farmworker rights was life’s work. The formation of a union was the only vehicle to accomplish and secure those rights and I wasn’t going to let César or anyone else get in the way,” she said.

Huerta, who is a labor rights legend in her own right, joined Chavez in 1962 to co-found the National Farm Workers Association, which became the United Farm Workers of America.

For many, they were akin to Martin Luther King. Jr. and Rosa Parks because of their work advocating for racial equality and civil rights.

The New York Times first reported Wednesday that it found Chavez groomed and sexually abused young girls who worked in the movement. Huerta, too, revealed to the newspaper that she was a victim of the abuse in her 30s.

Huerta later said both sexual encounters with Chavez led to pregnancies, which she kept secret, and that she arranged for the children to be raised by other families. “No one knew the full truth about how they were conceived until just a few weeks ago,” she said in her statement.

Huerta said she did not know that Chavez hurt other women and condemned his actions but emphasized that the farmworker movement is bigger than one person.

“César’s actions do not diminish the permanent improvements achieved for farmworkers with the help of thousands of people,” Huerta said in her statement. “We must continue to engage and support our community, which needs advocacy and activism now more than ever.”

Chavez's family said in a statement that they are devastated by the news and “wish peace and healing to the survivors and commend their courage to come forward.”

“We carry our own memories of the person we knew. Someone whose life included work and contributions that matter deeply to many people,” the statement said.

Streets, schools and parks across the Southwest bear Chavez’s name. California became the first state to commemorate his birthday, and in 2014, then-President Barack Obama proclaimed March 31 as national César Chavez Day.

President Joe Biden had a bronze bust of Chavez installed in the Oval Office when he moved into the White House. Neither Biden nor Obama have yet commented on the allegations.

But otherwise, reactions Wednesday were swift from many in both parties.

Days before the allegations were revealed publicly, several César Chavez celebrations in San Francisco, Texas and in his home state of Arizona were canceled at the request of the César Chavez Foundation. Organizers of canceled events did not immediately respond to requests for comment from The Associated Press.

Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said the state will not observe the César Chavez Day holiday and that he will urge the state Legislature to remove it altogether.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom said he was still processing the news. The Democratic governor wouldn’t commit to making any changes to the state holiday, saying the farmworker movement was much more than Chavez. “It’s about labor. It’s about social justice, economic justice, racial justice.”

A spokesperson for Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs said she has declined to recognize March 31 as César Chavez Day as she has in the two prior years. César Chavez Day isn’t a state holiday in Arizona.

Next week, the Phoenix City Council is set to vote on whether to rename the March 31 holiday, as well as buildings and city streets that bear Chavez’s name. The mayor and two city council members want the holiday to be renamed Farmworkers Day.

Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller ordered a review of how Chavez is recognized across the city. And U.S. Sen. Ben Ray Luján, a New Mexico Democrat, said: “His name should be removed from landmarks, institutions and honors."

Born in Yuma, Arizona, Chavez grew up in a Mexican American family that traveled around California picking lettuce, grapes, cotton and other seasonal crops. He died in California in 1993 at age 66.

Chavez is known nationally for his early organizing in the fields, a hunger strike, a grape boycott and eventual victory in getting growers to negotiate with farmworkers for better wages and working conditions.

The César Chavez Foundation pledged unequivocal support for the labor leader’s victims on Wednesday and said that -- with the Chavez family’s support -- the organization will figure out its identity going forward.

“We are committed to restorative justice and healing for those who have been harmed, and to ensure our organization reflects the dignity and safety every person deserves,” the foundation said in a statement.

Latino leaders and community groups are now weighing the impact of Chavez's actions on the labor rights movement while emphasizing that the farmworker movement was led by thousands who came together to fight for justice.

The League of United Latin American Citizens, a civil rights organization, released a statement condemning any form of sexual violence, stating that “no individual, regardless of statue or legacy is above accountability.” Similarly, leaders from the nonprofit Voto Latino said in a statement that no matter his legacy or historical framing Chavez’s actions are inexcusable. But, they said, the news does not erase the work done by others.

“The women who organized, marched, and sacrificed alongside farmworkers carried this movement on their backs,” Voto Latino said.

U.S. Congresswoman Teresa Leger Fernández, chair of the Democratic Women’s Caucus, issued a statement saying she was heartbroken and deeply disturbed by the stories of women who say they were abused.

The United Farm Workers union quickly distanced itself from annual celebrations of its founder, calling the allegations troubling.

In a statement Tuesday, the union said allegations of “abuse of young women or minors” were concerning enough to urge people around the country to participate in immigration justice events or acts of service instead of the typical events in March to commemorate Chavez’s legacy.

Associated Press writers Susan Montoya Bryan in Albuquerque, New Mexico; Hallie Golden in Seattle; Trân Nguyễn in Sacramento, Calif.; Dorany Pineda in Los Angeles; Felicia Fonseca and Jacques Billeaud in Arizona contributed to this report.

FILE - United Farm Workers co-founder Dolores Huerta looks at a mural of the late Cesar Chavez during a dedication of the Cesar Chavez Monument on the San Jose State University campus in San Jose, Calif., Thursday, Sept. 4, 2008. (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma, File)

United Farm Workers leader Dolores Huerta sits in the UFW headquarters in San Francisco on March 8, 1989, as she awaits results from a San Francisco Police Commission hearing about the alleged beating of Huerta at a rally in September the previous year. (Mike Maloney/San Francisco Chronicle via AP)

FILE - Dolores Huerta, the Mexican-American social activist who formed a farm workers union with Cesar Chavez, stands for the Pledge of Allegiance in Spanish while visiting the New Mexico Statehouse in Santa Fe. N.M., on Feb. 27, 2019. (AP Photo/Russell Contreras, File)

FILE - United Farm Workers leader Dolores Huerta, center, leads a rally in San Francisco's Mission District on Nov. 19, 1988, along with Howard Wallace, president of the San Francisco chapter of the UFW, left, and Maria Elena Chavez, 16, the daughter of Cesar Chavez, right, as part of a national boycott of what the UFW claims is the dangerous use of pesticides on table grapes. (AP Photo/Court Mast, File)

FILE - United Farm Workers President Cesar Chavez talks to striking Salinas Valley farmworkers during a large rally in Salinas, Calif., on March 7, 1979. (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma, File)

Civil rights leader Cesar Chavez leads a picket against Dole in front of the offices of Castle & Cooke, its parent company, at 50 California St. in San Francisco on Feb. 3, 1982. The United Farm Workers are sponsoring a consumer boycott on Dole products where 300 union members from Ventura, Calif., have been on strike since November. (Steve Ringman/San Francisco Chronicle via AP)

Civil rights leader Cesar Chavez leads a picket against Dole in front of the offices of Castle & Cooke, its parent company, at 50 California St. in San Francisco on Feb. 3, 1982. The United Farm Workers are sponsoring a consumer boycott on Dole products where 300 union members from Ventura, Calif., have been on strike since November. (Steve Ringman/San Francisco Chronicle via AP)

A statue of farmworker union leader César Chávez stands in a plaza named after him in Sacramento, Calif., Wednesday, March 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Tran Nguyen)

FILE - Dolores Huerta, the labor leader, civil rights activist and co-founder of the National Farm Workers Association, is seen at the California Democratic Party's 2025 State Convention at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, Calif., May 31, 2025. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes, File)

A plaque dedicated to the 30th anniversary of the passing of Cesar Chavez, honoring Chavez and Sister Dolores Huerta, is part of the Haymarket Memorial, seen Wednesday, March 18, 2026, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley)

Books about Cesar Chavez are seen on a library shelf at San Lorenzo High School Wednesday, March 18, 2026, in San Lorenzo, Calif. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)

A plaque dedicated to the 30th anniversary of the passing of Cesar Chavez, honoring Chavez and Sister Dolores Huerta, is part of the Haymarket Memorial, seen Wednesday, March 18, 2026, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley)

Governor Gavin Newsom speaks about the sexual assault allegations against Cesar Chavez during a press conference at San Lorenzo High School, Wednesday, March 18, 2026, in San Lorenzo, Calif. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)

FILE - Cesar Chavez, a farm worker, labor organizer and leader of the California grape strike, is seen in a California works office in 1965. (AP Photo, George Brich, File)