The New Orleans Pelicans acquired CJ McCollum during last season's trade deadline to bolster the young core led by Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram. And since acquiring McCollum, the Pelicans have improved considerably. On Friday night, McCollum proved that he's worth his weight in gold after leading the Pelicans to a rousing 127-116 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers despite the absences of Ingram and Herb Jones.

CJ McCollum must've woken up in a good mood as he came out of the gates smoldering hot, particularly from deep. McCollum ended up making a career-best 11 triples on the night en route to a blazing 42-point performance, a season-best to bury the Sixers. While McCollum's three-point barrage was special enough as it is, Zion Williamson revealed what made the 31-year old guard's explosion such a thing of beauty.

“That's amazing, 'cause none of the threes looked forced. None of the threes looked forced. That’s what made it look beautiful. None of the shots looked forced. They were all in rhythm and within the offense,” Williamson said in his postgame presser, per the official Pelicans Twitter account.

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McCollum most definitely didn't hog the ball or throw the Pelicans' offense off its rhythm. To get to 42 points, he only needed to take 20 shots, having made 13 of them for a stellar percentage. Even Zion Williamson had his way with the Sixers defense, dropping 36 points on an incredible 13-19 shooting from the field only two days after posting a career-high 43-point performance.

Thanks to McCollum and Williamson, the Pelicans remain atop the Western Conference standings with a 23-15 record. And they may only get better from here, especially once Brandon Ingram makes his return from a toe injury. Perhaps that's what truly makes the Pelicans beautiful – their strength in numbers.