NBA: LeBron scores 34 as Lakers defeat Pelicans

LeBron James had a triple-double as the visiting Los Angeles Lakers overcame the absence of All-Star forward Anthony Davis and defeated the New Orleans Pelicans 122-114 on Sunday night.

Davis, who averaged 36 points as the Lakers won the first three meetings with his former team, sat out because of knee soreness one night after a 105-88 loss at Memphis in which L.A. had a season-low point total.

James, who had 40 points in a 118-109 home victory against the Pelicans on Tuesday, finished with 34 points, 13 assists and 12 rebounds.

Kyle Kuzma added 20 points, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope scored 13, and Danny Green, Avery Bradley and Markieff Morris had 10 each.

Rookie Zion Williamson led the Pelicans with a career-high 35 points, marking his 11th consecutive games with 20-plus points. Lonzo Ball scored 19, Brandon Ingram had 15 on 5-of-23 shooting, Derrick Favors had 12 points and 14 rebounds, Jrue Holiday scored 11 and Nicolo Melli added 10.

The Lakers led by two at halftime, but Green scored the team's first five points of the third quarter and the lead quickly grew to 77-68.

Williamson scored the first four points of a 9-0 run that pulled the Pelicans even.

The score was tied four more times before New Orleans took a 95-93 lead at the end of the third quarter.

James started the fourth-quarter with a jumper to tie the game before the Pelicans scored six straight points.

The Lakers answered with an 11-0 run as James had two baskets and assists on Kuzma's 3-pointer and Quinn Cook's jumper to make the score 106-101.

Williamson scored five points to help New Orleans pull even at 108.

Kuzma and James each made a 3-pointer to give L.A. a 116-111 lead with 2:27 remaining and the Pelicans scored just three points after that.

Ingram scored nine points and Josh Hart beat the quarter buzzer with a tip-in as New Orleans took a 33-29 lead at the end of the first period.

James had 11 of his 19 first-half points in the second quarter, making all five of his shots, including one 3-pointer, as L.A. edged in front 63-61 at halftime.

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NBA: Williamson, Pelicans roll over Cavaliers

Rookie Zion Williamson scored 24 points for his 10th consecutive game with at least 20, as the host New Orleans Pelicans routed the visiting Cleveland Cavaliers 116-104 on Friday night.

Brandon Ingram scored 29, Jrue Holiday added 22 and E'Twaun Moore and Nicolo Melli had 10 each, as the Pelicans improved to 3-1 since the All-Star break. 

It was their first home game in 15 days and started a three-game home-stand over five days.

Derrick Favors had 15 rebounds, and Lonzo Ball had 12 assists for New Orleans, which has won six of eight games as it pursues Memphis for the final playoff spot in the Western Conference. 

Pelicans guard JJ Redick left the game in the first quarter because of a left hamstring strain and did not return.

Collin Sexton tied his career-high with 31 points to lead the Cavaliers, who are just 17-42 but entered the game with a 3-1 record under coach J.B. Bickerstaff, who took over when John Beilein resigned during the All-Star break.

Kevin Porter Jr. scored 16, Darius Garland had 15, Tristan Thompson had 13 and Kevin Love 10.

New Orleans, which beat the Cavaliers 125-111 on Jan. 28 in Cleveland, swept the season series by winning its ninth straight home game against the Cavs.

The Pelicans led by 15 at halftime, and Ingram scored 11 points as they increased the lead to 93-70 midway through the third quarter.

Sexton made three 3-pointers during a 13-2 run that pulled Cleveland within 95-83 at the end of the third quarter.

But Moore made a 3-pointer, and Williamson followed with a basket to start the fourth-quarter scoring, as the Pelicans regained command with a 17-point lead. The Cavs didn't get closer than 15 until the final two minutes.

The Pelicans set a franchise record for assists in a quarter with 15 in the first. They made 18 of 24 field-goal attempts and scored a season-high in first-quarter points by taking a 43-25 lead.

Sexton scored nine of his 19 first-half points as the Cavaliers outscored New Orleans in the second quarter, but the Pelicans still held a 70-55 halftime edge.

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NBA: Williamson scores 32 but Pelicans fall to Thunder

Danilo Gallinari scored 11 of his 29 points in the fourth quarter as the visiting Oklahoma City Thunder held off the New Orleans Pelicans, 123-118, on Thursday night.

The Thunder completed a four-game sweep of the season series in the last game for both teams before the All-Star break.

Dennis Schroder had seven of his 22 points in the fourth quarter, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander finished with 17 points, Chris Paul had 14 points and 12 assists, Steven Adams had 11 points and 11 rebounds and Mike Muscala scored 10.

Rookie Zion Williamson led the Pelicans with a season-high 32 points, surpassing the 31 he had two nights earlier against the Portland Trail Blazers. JJ Redick scored 24, Lonzo Ball had 16 points and Jrue Holiday totaled 14 points and 11 assists. New Orleans played its third straight game without All-Star forward Brandon Ingram, who has a sprained ankle.

The Thunder led by eight points at halftime, but Williamson scored eight points as the Pelicans took a 76-75 lead.

Paul made a 3-pointer to put Oklahoma City back on top, and Muscala had eight points during a 14-0 run that gave the Thunder a 94-81 lead.

Holiday's layup stopped the run, Redick scored eight straight points and Holiday made another layup to cut Oklahoma City's lead to 98-93 at the end of the quarter.

Redick and Williamson scored four points each as New Orleans pulled even at 101.

Schroder's 3-pointer put the Thunder back on top, but Williamson answered with back-to-back baskets.

Gallinari's basket put Oklahoma City ahead before Ball's 3-pointer gave New Orleans a 111-110 lead.

But Gallinari scored the next five points to give the Thunder the lead for good.

Both teams shot better than 50 percent from the field in the first quarter and Nicolo Melli's 3-pointer gave New Orleans a 30-29 lead at the end of the period.

The score was tied five times in the second quarter before Oklahoma City finished with a strong push. Adams beat the buzzer with a one-handed toss from beyond half court to give the Thunder a 66-58 halftime lead.

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Hype real? Zion Williamson earns lavish praise in NBA debut

New Orleans rookie Zion Williamson flashed some brilliance in his long-awaited NBA debut Wednesday, but the San Antonio Spurs spoiled the party at Smoothie King Center with a 121-117 victory over the Pelicans.

Williamson, who was the No. 1 overall draft pick in June, offered a tantalizing glimpse of what's to come in his career when he exploded for 17 points in little more than three minutes in the fourth quarter.

The 19-year-old sensation had been sidelined since arthroscopic surgery on his right knee on the eve of the Pelicans' season-opener in October.

He made a tentative start, scoring just five points with four rebounds, one assist four turnovers in less than 12 minutes on the floor over the first three quarters.

With 8:52 remaining and the Spurs up 99-91, Williamson connected with a three-pointer from the top of the key that ignited the crowd of 18,365.

He followed up with an alley-oop layup, fed by Lonzo Ball, drained a trey and put back his own miss with a spinning layup before adding two more three-pointers.

The crowd was chanting "M-V-P!" as he capped the burst with a free-throw, but he was soon subbed out of the game as Pelicans coach Alvin Gentry stuck to the plan of playing Williamson only in short bursts.

"I think what you saw there is a taste," Gentry said. "There's a lot of potential there."

He said he'd counseled Williamson at halftime to be more aggressive, and he was pleased to see him deliver.

"I think there's a really, really high ceiling that he can reach, and he can reach it soon," added Gentry, who nevertheless was impervious to the cries of "We want Zion" from fans late in the fourth quarter.

"It was very hard," Williamson acknowledged of coming out of the game just as he had found his rhythm. "I'm 19. Honestly, in that moment I'm not thinking about longevity I'm thinking about winning that game.

"So it was very tough," added Williamson, who finished with 22 points, seven rebounds and three assists.

The Spurs, who led by as many as 15 and by 12 to start the fourth quarter, were up 109-108 when Williamson departed and quickly pulled away again.

LaMarcus Aldridge led the Spurs with 32 points and DeMar DeRozan added 20 for a San Antonio team holding down the eighth and final playoff spot in the West.

Williamson, who admitted on Tuesday he wasn't sure just how much sleep he'd get on the eve of his debut, said that as the pre-game introductions were made he just told himself to "be calm."

- 'Great stuff' -

He said it wasn't just Gentry who urged him at halftime to defer less but also teammates including Jrue Holiday.

"I think he did well," Holiday said, commending the teenager's poise.

"We're almost in February and he hadn't played a game yet, so for him to come out and do that his first game is pretty elite."

Spurs coach Gregg Popovich was pleased to have a courtside seat for Williamson's debut.

"Oh, yeah, it's great stuff, I'm glad he’s back, a talent like that," Popovich said. "He's a great guy on top of it all. So it's good for the Pelicans. It's good for basketball. He's quite a package as a player and as a person."

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NBA: Collison, Pacers hold on to edge depleted Pelicans

Darren Collison scored 22 points to lead a balance scoring attack as the visiting Indiana Pacers held off the New Orleans Pelicans 109-107 on Monday night.

Collison was joined in double figures by Domantas Sabonis (16 points and 13 rebounds), Myles Turner (15 points, nine rebounds), Thaddeus Young (14 points) and Bojan Bogdanovich (14 points) as the Pacers won their second straight game to finish a 2-2 road trip.

Jahlil Okafor had 25 points and 13 rebounds and Jrue Holiday added 19 points and 11 rebounds, and fell one assist shy of a triple-double to lead the injury-riddled Pelicans, who lost for the sixth time in seven games.

Ian Clark had 18 points, Darius Miller scored 16 and Cheick Diallo had 12 points and 14 rebounds for New Orleans, which lost its third straight as it played its fourth straight game without five of its top six scorers due to injuries.

Kenrich Williams' 3-pointer started the third-quarter scoring and pulled New Orleans even before Indiana opened a 10-point lead midway through the quarter.

The Pelicans closed the gap to three points before the Pacers rebuilt it to 83-74 after the third quarter.

Indiana extended the lead to 11 before New Orleans cut it to four on a 3-pointer by Miller.

Collison answered with a 3-pointer and Bogdanovich added a technical free throw, but the Pelicans came back again. Clark made a 3-pointer and assisted on an Okafor basket to get them within one with 2:30 left.

New Orleans had a chance to take the lead, but Miller missed a 3-pointer, and Collison's 3-pointer gave the Pacers a 106-102 lead with 1:54 to play.

Okafor's layup got the Pelicans within two, but they again missed an opportunity to take the lead when Williams missed a 3-pointer.

Collison's jumper pushed Indiana's lead to 108-104 with 27 seconds left, and after Miller missed another 3-pointer, Collison added a free throw with 10 seconds left.

Clark made a layup to trim the deficit back to three, and the Pacers turned the ball over with five seconds left.

Indiana fouled Holiday before he could attempt a tying 3-pointer. He made the first free throw and intentionally missed the second, but New Orleans knocked the rebound out of bounds.

The Pacers inbounded the ball and the clock expired.

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NBA: Davis scores 48 as Pelicans nip Mavs, end 5-game skid

Anthony Davis scored a season-high 48 points and grabbed 17 rebounds as the host New Orleans Pelicans ended a five-game losing streak by beating the Dallas Mavericks 114-112 on Friday night.

Julius Randle added 22 points and 12 rebounds, and Jrue Holiday scored 18 for the Pelicans, who won for just the second time in their last nine games decided by five or fewer points.

Rookie Luka Doncic scored 34 points, Harrison Barnes added 21, Dennis Smith Jr. had 14, Dirk Nowitzki 11 and Dwight Powell 10 for the Mavericks, who ended a six-game losing streak by beating the Pelicans 122-119 on Wednesday in Dallas.

It was Smith's first game back after missing six because of a sprained right wrist.

The Mavericks took an 11-point halftime lead after they made 10 of 19 3-pointers in the first half while the Pelicans made 1 of 13.

Doncic made a 3-pointer to help Dallas extend the lead to 13 early in the third quarter before the Pelicans made a push.

Randle made four baskets as New Orleans climbed within three points.

After Barnes made a 3-pointer and Smith converted a three-point play, the Pelicans made another run.

Ian Clark made a 3-pointer and Davis and Solomon Hill each made a free throw as the Mavericks' lead shrunk to 88-86 after three quarters.

New Orleans finally caught up early in the fourth quarter and the score was tied at 94, 96, 99 and 101 before Randle's layup gave the Pelicans a 103-102 lead.

The score was tied three more times before Davis' jumper gave New Orleans a 111-109 lead with 2:12 left.

Doncic's 3-pointer gave Dallas a one-point lead, but Davis answered with a three-point play that gave the Pelicans a 114-112 lead with 43 seconds left.

Smith missed a jumper and Davis rebounded for New Orleans, which called a timeout.

Davis missed a step-back 3-pointer and the Mavericks rebounded with four seconds left.

After a time out, the Mavericks cleared out for Smith, who dribbled across the key and drove toward the rim but didn't get a shot off before time expired.

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Holiday, Pelicans shoot past Wizards

Jrue Holiday had 29 points to lead six New Orleans scorers in double figures as the host Pelicans ended a four-game losing streak by beating the Washington Wizards 125-104 on Wednesday night.

Anthony Davis added 28 points and 15 rebounds, and point guard Tim Frazier, whose insertion into the starting lineup allowed Holiday to return to his natural shooting guard position, also had a double-double, finishing with 12 points and 12 assists.

Holiday had struggled while playing point guard in the absence of starting point guard Elfrid Payton, who is sidelined due to finger surgery that is expected to keep him out for another month.

Julius Randle came off the New Orleans bench to add 23 points and 12 rebounds, Nikola Mirotic had 15 points and nine boards, and E'Twaun Moore added 10 points.

Kelly Oubre Jr. and Markieff Morris scored 22 each, and John Wall added 17 for Washington, which had won three of its previous four games. Bradley Beal contributed 16 points and 11 assists, and Jeff Green came off the bench to score 10.

The Pelicans led by 22 early in the third quarter, but Wall made back-to-back baskets to complete an 11-0 run that cut the lead in half.

Davis scored 11 points as New Orleans rebuilt the lead to 19 before Washington made another run.

Oubre, Beal and Morris each made a 3-pointer as the Wizards got within 11 again, but Mirotic beat the buzzer with a 3-pointer that gave the Pelicans a 98-81 lead after three quarters.

The closest the Wizards could get in the fourth quarter was 13 points as New Orleans rebounded from a 124-114 loss at Washington four days earlier.

Holiday made 6 of 8 first-quarter field-goal attempts, including two 3-pointers, to score 14 points as the Pelicans led by as many as 14 before settling for a 31-24 lead.

The Wizards got within five points four times in the second quarter before New Orleans went on a surge.

The Pelicans finished on a 24-9 run, and Randle scored the last five points as New Orleans took a 67-47 lead into halftime.

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Davis scores 40 as Pelicans beat Nuggets

Anthony Davis had his second consecutive 40-point game as the host New Orleans Pelicans held on for a 125-115 win over the Denver Nuggets on Saturday night.

Davis, who had 43 points one night earlier, led five Pelicans in double figures as the team won for the fifth time in its last six games.

Julius Randle came off the bench to score 21 points and grab 10 rebounds, Nikola Mirotic had 20 points and 10 rebounds, Jrue Holiday overcame foul trouble to score 19 points and E'Twaun Moore added 13.

Nikola Jokic had 25 points and 10 rebounds to lead the Nuggets, who lost for the fifth time in their last six games. Gary Harris scored 24, Juan Hernangomez had 20 points and 11 rebounds, Monte Morris came off the bench to add 13 and Jamal Murray scored 11.

Davis made 20 of 21 free throws as New Orleans finished 31 of 34 at the line and Denver was 8 of 13.

New Orleans led by three at halftime, but Denver tied the score twice early in the third quarter and Holiday went to the bench after committing his fourth foul.

But Davis' basket started an 8-0 run that gave the Pelicans an 85-77 lead.

New Orleans led by as many as 13 points before finishing the third quarter with a 98-88 advantage.

Murray started the fourth-quarter scoring with a 3-pointer and the Nuggets got within seven points twice more, but four points each by Holiday and Davis gave the Pelicans a 110-95 lead with less than seven minutes remaining.

Jokic and Davis got into a shootout in the early going. The Nuggets led for most of the first quarter as Jokic scored 18 points on 7-for-8 shooting.

Davis led the way as the Pelicans finished strong to take a 37-35 lead after the first quarter.

Jokic didn't score in the second quarter, but Davis kept on scoring and finished the half with 22 points. New Orleans led by as many as eight points before settling for a 70-67 halftime lead as both teams had four double-figure scorers by halftime.

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NBA: Davis pours in 43 as Pelicans rally, beat Knicks

Anthony Davis had 43 points and 17 rebounds as the host New Orleans Pelicans overcame an 11-point deficit midway through the fourth quarter to defeat the New York Knicks 129-124 on Friday night.

Jrue Holiday had 24 points and 10 assists, Julius Randle came off the bench to score 19, E'Twaun Moore scored 13 and Nikola Mirotic scored 12 for New Orleans, which trailed by as many as 19 points as it began a stretch of three home games in four days.

Elfrid Payton started for the Pelicans after missing the last nine games because of a sprained right ankle, but he left the game for good in the first half after fracturing his left small finger.

Tim Hardaway Jr. scored 30 points, Trey Burke came off the bench to score 24, Emmanuel Mudiay scored 19 and Kevin Knox and Allonzo Trier had 11 each for the Knicks, who lost their fourth straight and sixth in their last seven.

New York, which had been outscored by a total of 67 points in three straight losses to Toronto, Orlando and Oklahoma City, looked poised to end its losing streak for most of the game, but it couldn't hold on.

The Knicks led 114-103 midway through the fourth quarter before Davis and Randle brought New Orleans back. They scored six points each during a 19-5 run that gave New Orleans a 122-119 lead with 1:47 left.

Hardaway made two free throws and Davis missed two, but Randle grabbed an offensive rebound and scored on a put-back. Holiday's 3-pointer pushed the lead to 127-121 with 35 seconds left.

New York led by 10 at halftime and Knox scored eight points as the lead grew to 14 midway through the third quarter.

New Orleans made a push, and seven straight points by Davis cut the lead to 84-81.

Hardaway made two 3-pointers as the Knicks increased the lead to 10 before taking a 96-88 lead after three quarters.

The Knicks raced to a 32-16 lead after one quarter. Eight New York players scored in the period and the Pelicans made just 7 of 24 shots as their three starting perimeter players -- Payton, Holiday and Moore -- were a combined 0 of 7.

New Orleans fell behind by 19 on two occasions, but started getting to the foul line to cut into the lead.

After not shooting a free throw in the first quarter, the Pelicans made 13 of 16 in the second quarter, getting as close as seven points before the Knicks took a 64-54 halftime lead.

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Warriors rout Pelicans for 3-1 series lead

Kevin Durant scored 38 points as the Golden State Warriors increased their series lead to 3-1 with a 118-92 victory over the home-standing New Orleans Pelicans on Sunday afternoon in the Smoothie King Center.

The defending NBA champion Warriors can close out the Western Conference semifinal series when they host Game 5 on Tuesday night.

Stephen Curry added 23 points, Klay Thompson scored 13 and Quinn Cook came off the bench to score 12 for Golden State.

Anthony Davis had 26 points and 12 rebounds to lead the Pelicans, who were looking to even the series after a 119-100 victory Friday. E'Twaun Moore scored 20 and Jrue Holiday had 19.

Golden State shot 48.4 percent from the floor, including 33 percent on 3-pointers, and New Orleans shot 36.4 percent, including just 15 percent on 3-pointers.

The Warriors, who led by as many as 18 points in the first quarter before settling for a seven-point halftime lead, quickly rebuilt the margin to start the third quarter. Curry's 3-pointer completed an opening 10-2 run that gave Golden State a 71-56 lead barely two minutes into the second half.

The closest the Pelicans could get was 11 points before the Warriors built the lead to 23 and took a 94-73 advantage after three quarters.

The Warriors began the game with more intensity than they showed in Game 3, and it was evident on both ends of the court.

Golden State shot 60 percent and New Orleans shot 29 percent in the first quarter, which ended with the Warriors holding a 37-22 lead.

"KD and Steph were more strategic," Warriors coach Steve Kerr said. "They already know: Stars have to be stars in the playoffs. Steph and KD don't need to be told that, but my job as a coach is to try to help them strategically. So I talked to both of them about how I thought they could attack and create better shots, and we just did a much better job executing offensively tonight as a group."

The Pelicans chipped away in the second quarter, thanks in large part to their ability to make 3-pointers and get to the foul line.

The Warriors made one more field goal than the Pelicans in the second quarter (11-10), but New Orleans made three 3-pointers and nine free throws and Golden State missed all six of its 3-point attempts and sank just two free throws.

The Pelicans got as close as four points before the Warriors took a 61-54 halftime lead behind Durant's 20 points.

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Davis, Holiday combine for 88 points, lead sweep of Blazers

Anthony Davis and Jrue Holiday each achieved career playoff scoring highs as the New Orleans Pelicans held off the Portland Trail Blazers 131-123 Saturday at Smoothie King Center.

Davis scored 47 points and Holiday 41 as the Pelicans clinched the best-of-seven playoff series with a four-game sweep. Rajon Rondo dished out 16 assists to go with seven points and seven rebounds for New Orleans.

CJ McCollum had 38 points, Al-Farouq Aminu scored 27 points, Damian Lillard added 19 and Jusuf Nurkic contributed 18 points and 11 rebounds for the Trail Blazers.

Portland lost despite shooting 52.6 percent from the field and turning the ball over just six times. But the Blazers could not stop New Orleans, which shot 57 percent and assisted on 28 of their 45 baskets.


Davis and Holiday each scored 14 points and E'Twaun Moore added 12 as New Orleans took a 58-56 lead into intermission. McCollum and Aminu each had 15 points and Evan Turner 12 for the Blazers before the break.

The Pelicans scored 42 points in breaking things open in the third quarter. They hiked their advantage to 87-72 late in the quarter. The difference was 100-87 heading into the fourth quarter.

Portland scored the first five points of the final period to draw within 100-92.

Nurkic and Holiday traded baskets, and Davis' dunk gave New Orleans a 110-104 edge with seven minutes to go. Aminu hit a 3-point shot to cut it to 110-107, but Holiday scored on a drive to make it 112-107 with 6:33 to play. McCollum made a short jumper, and Aminu scored off a fast break to get Portland to within 112-111. But Davis converted a three-point play to give New Orleans a 115-111 lead with 4:56 remaining.

Nurkic made a reverse layup, but Davis drilled a 3 to make it 118-113. Lillard's jumper got the Blazers to within 118-115 with 4:07 left. Nikola Mirotic split a pair at the line to make it 119-115 with 3:51 to go. McCollum scored on a drive to cut it to 119-117, but Davis dunked a rebound for a 121-117 lead with 3:24 to play.

Turner hit a pair at the line to make it 121-119 with 3:06 left, but Holiday's 3-point shot pushed the Pelicans' lead to 124-119 with 2:44 to go. Davis made two free throws for a 126-119 edge with 2:29 remaining.

Aminu's driving layup drew Portland to within 126-121 with 1:47 remaining. Holiday made one of two foul shots to make it 127-121 with 1:09 left. McCollum's driving layup cut it to 127-123 with one minute to go, but Holiday's jumper pulled the Pelicans ahead 129-123 with 40.4 seconds left.

When Davis sank a pair at the line with 20.9 ticks on the clock, the issue was decided.

Portland jumped to a 9-3 lead. New Orleans took a 26-25 advantage into the second quarter.

The Pelicans extended the margin to 35-29, but the Blazers came back to tie it at 35-35. New Orleans carried a two-point edge into halftime.

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Davis scores 53 as Pelicans rout Suns for sixth straight win

Anthony Davis scored 53 points as the New Orleans Pelicans won their sixth consecutive game by defeating the Phoenix Suns, 125-116, on Monday night in the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans.

Davis added 17 rebounds as the Pelicans came back from a 17-point first-half deficit a day after overcoming an 18-point second-half deficit to win in overtime at Milwaukee.

New Orleans made 31 of 40 free throws, including 21 of 26 by Davis, as the Suns' three tallest players -- Dragan Bender, Marquese Chriss and Alex Len -- all fouled out while trying to guard Davis. The Suns made 25 of 32 free throws.

Jrue Holiday added 20 points, Emeka Okafor scored 14 points and Nikola Mirotic came off the bench to score 10.

Devin Booker led the Suns with 40 points and 10 rebounds, TJ Warren scored 23, Josh Jackson had 20 points and 12 rebounds and Elfrid Payton scored 16.

It was the fifth time in the last seven games that Davis scored at least 38 points.

The Suns led by seven at halftime, but Davis and Holiday led a Pelicans charge to start the third quarter. Davis scored eight and Holiday scored seven during a 17-9 run that gave New Orleans its first lead since the opening minutes at 75-74.

The lead changed hands six times before two free throws by Okafor and a 3-pointer by Mirotic gave the Pelicans an 86-80 lead.

They took their biggest lead of the quarter at 91-82 on a 3-pointer by Ian Clark before taking a 96-89 lead after three quarters.

Phoenix trimmed the lead to six, but Davis scored seven points as New Orleans took a 105-95 lead.

Jackson scored six points as the Suns closed within 109-107, and they got within two three more times.

Darius Miller was fouled while making a 3-pointer and missed the free throw, but the Pelicans got the offensive rebound and Holiday scored on a drive for a 121-114 lead with 1:48 left.

Booker scored 14 points as the Suns shot 53.8 percent and took a 36-26 lead after one quarter.

Phoenix extended its lead to 52-35 when Jackson made two free throws.

Davis scored 11 points as the Pelicans finished with a 23-13 run to cut the Suns' lead to 65-58 at halftime.

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Hot-shooting Jazz torch Pelicans

Rodney Hood came off the bench to score 30 points as the hot-shooting Utah Jazz won their sixth consecutive game with a 133-109 victory over the host New Orleans Pelicans on Monday night in the Smoothie King Center.

The Jazz made 58.4 percent (52 of 89) of their field-goal attempts, including 66.7 percent (14 of 21) of their 3-point tries.

Utah's Ricky Rubio had 20 points and 11 assists, Derrick Favors scored 19, Rudy Gobert had 19 points and 10 rebounds, Joe Ingles scored 18 and Royce O'Neale had 13.

Hood made 12 of 14 field-goal attempts, including all four shots from 3-point range, and Gobert made 7 of 8 shots. Favors was 7-for-11 shooting and made both of his 3-pointers. Ingles made 7 of 12 shots, including 4 of 5 from beyond the arc.

Jrue Holiday led the Pelicans with 28 points, and Rajon Rondo scored 18. Anthony Davis, who averaged 40.5 points in his previous two games, had 15 points and 11 rebounds, and Ian Clark and E'Twaun Moore scored 14 each.

Nikola Mirotic made his first start in his second game since being acquired from the Chicago Bulls in a Thursday trade, and he had five points and three rebounds in 33 minutes.

Utah's bench outscored New Orleans' bench, 55-29.

Favors scored eight points as the Jazz extended their six-point halftime lead to an 84-66 cushion midway through the third quarter. He finished with 10 points in the period.

Utah led by 19 points on three occasions before taking a 99-86 edge after three quarters despite 12 points by Holiday in the period. The Jazz led by no fewer than 11 points in the fourth quarter before expanding the margin down the stretch.

The Jazz made 13 of 21 field goals, including 4 of 5 3-point tries, to take a 34-23 lead after one quarter.

They took their biggest lead to that point, 52-36, on a 3-pointer by Rubio before the Pelicans finished the second quarter with a push. Rondo made four 3-pointers in as many attempts as New Orleans cut the deficit to 70-64 at halftime.

The Pelicans shot 56.5 percent (26 of 46) in the first half, but the Jazz were even better, shooting 61.4 percent (27 of 44). New Orleans wound up shooting 50.5 percent (47 of 93) from the floor.

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Holiday, Davis and Cousins lift Pelicans over Grizzlies

DeMarcus Cousins and Anthony Davis played their first game since being named starters in the NBA All-Star Game, but Pelicans teammate Jrue Holiday commanded equal billing in a 111-104 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies on Saturday night in the Smoothie King Center .

Holiday scored a team-high 27 points as the Pelicans got their first victory over the Grizzlies after two losses earlier in the season. Cousins had 24 points and 10 rebounds and Davis had 21 points and 12 rebounds. Darius Miller came off the bench to score 12.

Wayne Selden led the Grizzlies with a career-high 31 points, Marc Gasol scored 16, Tyreke Evans had 12, Jarell Martin had 11 and Dillon Brooks and Ben McLemore scored 10 points each before both fouled out. JaMychal Green had 16 rebounds and eight points, but missed most of the second half after suffering an injury to his right ankle.

  
The Pelicans led by 15 at halftime, but the Grizzlies scored the first 13 points of the third quarter to start a 16-2 run that pulled them within a point.

New Orleans responded with 10 straight points before Memphis heated up from outside. The Grizzlies made five 3-pointers, including two each by Selden and Martin, to pull within 83-81 after three quarters. Memphis made a franchise-record nine 3-pointers in the quarter.

Holiday started the fourth-quarter scoring with a three-point play before the Grizzlies cut the lead to three points six times without getting closer.

E'Twaun Moore's 3-pointer and Holiday's basket pushed the lead to eight before Gasol's 3-pointer started another Memphis push.

Seldon's 3-pointer pulled the Grizzlies within 106-102, but Davis answered with a dunk with 1:15 left.

Gasol made two free throws, but missed a 3-pointer moments later.

Holiday made two free throws to give New Orleans a 110-104 lead with 10 seconds left.

The Pelicans made 17 of 19 free throws as they grabbed a 34-18 lead after one quarter.

They made just 1 of 3 free throws in the second quarter, but still led by as many as 21 points on their way to a 59-44 halftime lead.

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NBA: Hill on fire as Pelicans topple Rockets

NEW ORLEANS - Forward Solomon Hill scored a career-high 30 points and Anthony Davis finished with 24 points and 14 rebounds as the New Orleans Pelicans defeated the Houston Rockets 128-112, spoiling a triple double performance by James Hardin.

Hill, who entered Friday's NBA contest averaging just 6.5 points per game, shot six-of-nine from beyond the arc. He tallied 16 points in the opening quarter as New Orleans jumped out to a 36-23 lead.

The Pelicans improved to 28-41 on the season despite playing without centre DeMarcus Cousins.

Cousins was out with a sore left knee and a bruised rib and the Pelicans didn't appear to miss him, building a 68-50 lead at the half at the Smoothie King Center arena.

The Rockets got a game-high 41 points from James Harden to go with his 14 rebounds and 11 assists.

Houston cut a 23-point deficit to 114-103 with 5:27 remaining but that was as good as it got for them.

The Rockets opened the third with back-to-back threes by Trevor Ariza and Patrick Beverley to cut the deficit to 68-56, but Hill and guard Jrue Holiday combined for 21 points in the third quarter as the Pelicans took a 99-81 lead into the fourth quarter.

Hill's previous season high was 16 points as he stepped up his game with Cousins sitting out.

In addition, Hill played strong defence against Harden, holding him to six points in the first quarter.

By the time the Pelicans built a 52-36 lead with 6:30 left in the second quarter, Davis had only three points. The Pelicans shot 51 percent in the first half and held the Rockets to 36 percent shooting, including just six of 21 from long range.

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More injury trouble for Pelicans forward Davis

New Orleans Pelicans forward Anthony Davis missed the second half of Wednesday's game against Oklahoma City after aggravating a right thigh bruise.

Davis came up limping late in the second quarter and did not return for the last two quarters as the Pelicans fell to the Thunder 114-105.

Davis tallied eight points and five rebounds in 16 minutes before leaving the game due to the same issue that caused him to miss a game on Monday against Cleveland.

Davis, who came into Wednesday 28.6 points per game along with 12 rebounds and 2.4 blocks, has now missed parts of seven of the last eight games because of injury.

The 23-year-old missed 21 games last year and has been a frequent visitor to the treatment room over his first 4 1/2 seasons in the NBA.

Davis was named an NBA All Star starter last week and, if healthy, will be a focal point as New Orleans hosts the exhibition on Feb. 19.

(Writing by Jahmal Corner in Los Angeles; Editing by Peter Rutherford)

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Westbrook pours in 42 points to lead Thunder past Pelicans

Russell Westbrook scored a team-high 42 points, including 11 consecutive in the final five minutes, and reserve guard Alex Abrines scored 18 points to lift the Oklahoma City Thunder to a 121-110 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans on Wednesday at the Smoothie King Center.

Westbrook, the NBA's leading scorer, added 10 rebounds and seven assists and fell short of his 51 triple-double of the season. The Thunder (17-12), who had lost three of four games coming in, also got 14 points and 14 rebounds from center Enes Kanter.

The Pelicans (10-21) were led by Anthony Davis, who scored 34 points and had 15 rebounds, and by Jrue Holiday with a season-high 23 points.

Tyreke Evans cut the Oklahoma City lead to 89-87 with a 3-pointer from the right wing, but the Thunder then went on an 11-0 spurt, fueled by reserve guard Alex Abrines' nine points that included two 3-pointers.

Abrines added another long-range jumper and Oklahoma City led 105-89 with 8:04 left. Abrines finished 5 of 10 from long range.

The Pelicans opened the third quarter with a small lineup and got three consecutive layups by Davis, Holiday and Terrence Jones to take a 64-63 lead. But Westbrook scored 12 points in the quarter as Oklahoma City took an 87-84 lead into the fourth quarter.

Westbrook drew a blocking foul on Davis with 4:58 left in the quarter -- Davis' fourth foul -- and that opened up the middle for the Thunder.

Westbrook finished the first half with force, scoring Oklahoma City's final eight points in the last 1:20 of the second quarter to give the Thunder a 63-58 lead. Westbrook finished the first half with 19 points, five rebounds and three assists.

Davis kept the Pelicans in the game, scoring 17 points and grabbing six rebounds in the first half. But Davis had to sit after picking up his third foul on Westbrook's drive to the basket with 3:11 left in the half.

The Pelicans made 15 of 16 free throws in the first half to somewhat offset Oklahoma City's 28-18 advantage in the paint. Holiday added 14 first-half points for New Orleans.

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NBA: Heat down short-handed Pelicans, Hornets beat Nets

Heat 113, Pelicans 99

Reserve center Hassan Whiteside scored a team-high 24 points and Dwayne Wade and Goran Dragic added 23 each to power the Miami Heat to a 113-99 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans Tuesday night at the Smoothie King Center.

In addition to his 10-of-11 shooting for the game, Hassan had 14 rebounds and three blocks to improve the Heat's record to 41-29.

The Heat shot 50 percent from the field after having shot 54.8 percent in a 122-101 victory over Cleveland on Saturday. Amar'e Stoudemire also had 16 points for the Heat.

The short-handed Pelicans (26-44) were led by Jrue Holiday with 24 points and Luke Babbitt with 23.

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Hornets 105, Nets 100

Nicolas Batum scored 23 points and Jeremy Lin added 21 as the Charlotte Hornets blew a 17-point lead before holding on for a 105-100 victory over the Brooklyn Nets.

Batum and Lin combined for 20 points in the fourth quarter when the Hornets withstood a comeback attempt by the Nets. The two made 15 of 28 shots from the field and 5 of 6 in the fourth quarter, helping the Hornets win for the 11th time in 13 games.

Rookie Frank Kaminsky added 14 points in his first career start and Kemba Walker also had 14. Walker didn't score until the last possession of the first half and went 4 of 14 from the floor.

Brook Lopez helped the Nets mount a comeback bid by scoring 10 of his 29 points in the fourth quarter.

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Lakers 107, Grizzlies 100

Jordan Clarkson scored 22 points and Kobe Bryant added 20 points, and the Los Angeles Lakers ended a four-game skid by defeating the Memphis Grizzlies.

Lakers forward Brandon Bass contributed 18 points and converted some clutch baskets in the last three minutes of the game, including a reverse dunk that gave Los Angeles a 105-98 edge with 1:02 remaining.

That was too much for the Grizzlies, who missed an opportunity to pick up a 1/2 game in the Western Conference race for the No. 4 spot with the idle Los Angeles Clippers. Memphis now trails the Clippers by 3 1/2 games.

Julius Randle had 13 points and 14 rebounds for Los Angeles (15-55), which snapped a nine-game losing streak to Memphis. Lou Williams also scored 13 for the Lakers.

Tony Allen scored a game-high 27 points, hitting all 12 of his field-goal attempts for the Grizzlies (41-31).

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