Pelicans 121, 76ers 114
NEW ORLEANS -- Pelicans forward Anthony Davis was an offensive force Friday, outplaying matchup forward Nerlens Noel and the Philadelphia 76ers to the tune of 34 points, seven rebounds and two blocks.
The three-time All-Star converted 16 of 20 free throws as he led the Pelicans (21-33) to a 121-114 victory against the Philadelphia 76ers (8-46) on Friday night in the Smoothie King Center.
Davis fed off guard Jrue Holiday, who dished three alley-oops to the big man. Holiday picked up where he left off before the break, when he was averaging 18 points and 6.9 assists in the new year. The 25-year-old picked up a double-double in 33 minutes off the bench with 24 points and 12 assists.
Forward Nerlens Noel led the 76ers' effort with 24 points and nine rebounds, and guard Ish Smith tallied 12 points and seven assists in the first game against his former team since being traded Dec. 24.
Davis aggressively attacked the basket from the opening tip, scoring the first of New Orleans' 71 first-half points, its second-highest scoring half of the season.
76ers forward Jahlil Okafor sat out the remainder of the half after picking up his third foul with 6 minutes, 25 seconds left in the first quarter.
With Okafor on the bench, the 76ers struggled containing Davis, who totaled 18 points in the first quarter, eight of which came at the free throw line, and finished with 22 in the first half.
Pelicans forward Ryan Anderson came off the bench firing from behind the arc, converting three of four in the first half.
Guard Nik Stauskas also nailed three of four shots from downtown, and Noel and forward Jerami Grant added 10 points each, but New Orleans outscored Philadelphia by 16 in Okafor's absence for a 71-55 halftime lead.
Okafor returned to the court in the third quarter, scoring 14 points in the quarter and orchestrating a Philly comeback along with guard Isaiah Canaan, who added 10 in the third.
Philly cut New Orleans' lead to two points at the end of the quarter, 92-90, but Okafor didn't score for the rest of the game, and he fouled out with 6:11 left.
Without the spark Okafor provided in the third, Philadelphia couldn't erase New Orleans' lead despite shooting 55.7 percent from the field on the night.
The 76ers turned the ball over 21 times and allowed 11 offensive rebounds, collecting just three of their own.
New Orleans shot 50.6 percent, and Anderson finished with 26 points and a 4-for-6 clip from three.
NOTES: 76ers G Ish Smith has started every game since being dealt from the Pelicans for two second-round picks on December 24. He was averaging 15.3 points and 7.9 assists per game for Philadelphia before Friday's game. ... Playing in his third career All-Star game, Pelicans F Anthony Davis recorded 24 points on 12-for-13 shooting in just 15 minutes in Sunday's NBA All-Star Game ... New Orleans signed G Bryce Dejean-Jones to a three-year contract Friday, and it waived F Jarnell Stokes after acquiring him and cash from the Heat on Thursday for a conditional second-round pick ... F Nerlens Noel returned to Philadelphia's starting lineup after missing the final game before the All-Star break and the Rising Stars Challenge with right knee tendinitis.