Pelicans 100, Jazz 96
NEW ORLEANS -- Forward Anthony Davis shook off a woeful offensive start by hitting a rolling left-handed hook in the lane and a 3-pointer from the right wing in the final minute to lift the New Orleans Pelicans to a 100-96 victory over the Utah Jazz on Wednesday night at the Smoothie King Center.
The victory for the Pelicans (20-32) snapped a seven-game winning streak by the Jazz (26-26).
Davis' hook in the lane put New Orleans up 94-92 with 58 seconds left. After Utah forward Derrick Favors hit one of two free throws to cut the deficit to 94-93 with 47.1 seconds left, Davis, who finished with 19 points, nailed a 3-point jumper from the right wing with 35.7 seconds remaining.
Davis' jumper, with an assist by guard Jrue Holiday, put New Orleans up 97-93. Holiday finished with a team-high 21 points and nine assists.
After forward Gordon Hayward hit one of two free throws to draw Utah within 97-94 with 27.8 seconds left, New Orleans guard Norris Cole iced the game with two foul shots with 22.6 seconds remaining.
Utah was led by Favors, who scored 20 of his game-high 29 points in the first half, and Hayward, who added 21.
Holiday had eight points and an assist in the first seven minutes of the fourth quarter and the Pelicans tied the score at 85 on reserve center Alexis Ajinca's layup.
The lead exchanged hands six times in the next 3 1/2 minutes, but guard Rodney Hood hit a 17-footer with 1:32 left make it 92-92 -- the 19th tie of the game.
Utah used a 32-24 third quarter to take a 77-71 lead entering the fourth quarter. The Jazz pounded the ball inside and made 12 of 15 shots from the field, with center Rudy Gobert scoring nine points and Hayward adding eight.
The Jazz hit seven of their first 10 shots from the floor but then went just 8 of 27 in the first two quarters and the Pelicans led 47-40 at halftime.
Favors came out strong, hitting his first five baskets, most in the paint, and he had 20 points and five rebounds at halftime. Favors also forced Davis into early foul trouble and the New Orleans guard went to the bench with two fouls with 1:45 left in the first quarter.
The Pelicans used balanced scoring in the first half with contributions from 10 players, led by reserve guard Toney Douglas' eight points, including two 3-pointers. Davis was just 1 of 5 from the floor in the first half.
The Pelicans closed the second quarter with a 12-7 run to take a 47-45 halftime lead. They made 11 of 19 shots from the field in the quarter, and their bench outscored the Jazz reserves 28-8.
NOTES: Former Pelicans coach Monty Williams' wife, Ingrid, was killed in a car wreck on Tuesday night in Oklahoma City. Williams now serves as an assistant with OKC after leading the Pelicans for five seasons. ... New Orleans coach Alvin Gentry said the looming All-Star break brings the Pelicans' 1-11 start into sharper focus. New Orleans' record has never been better than seven games below .500. "It's difficult in that we never had our team together," Gentry said. "We never had the guys we anticipated playing with. We have to continue to fight and battle and play as hard as we can ... and then we'll have to accept the results." ... Utah coach Quin Snyder said F Chris Johnson, who grabbed seven rebounds in 22 minutes against Dallas, is starting to find himself in his fourth season. "Sometimes you just need opportunity," Snyder said. "Chris has pounded his way in. It's hard not to trust a guy who plays as hard as he does." ... Asked about Dallas coach Rick Carlisle's comments that Utah is the NBA's team of the future, Snyder said, "It's nice. It's not true."