Pelicans 101, Thunder 99
Anthony Davis bounced back from a miserable performance to post 38 points and 12 rebounds as New Orleans stopped host Oklahoma City.
Davis shot 16-of-22 and added three blocks after shooting 3-of-14 with seven points in a loss to Portland on Saturday. Ryan Anderson scored 14 points off the bench and Jrue Holiday added a season-high 15 assists as New Orleans won for the sixth time in nine games to stave off Oklahoma City for the eighth playoff spot for the time being.
Russell Westbrook had 29 points and eight assists but came up empty in the fourth quarter for the Thunder, who played without reigning MVP Kevin Durant (ankle) for a second straight game and lost for just the second time in 10 games. Reggie Jackson scored all but two of his 19 points in the second half for Oklahoma City, which was outscored 25-18 in the fourth quarter.
Anderson started an 8-0 run with a 3-pointer and Davis capped it with a three-point play off a floater to give the Pelicans a 99-97 lead with four minutes left, and their defense snuffed out Westbrook at the rim several times down the stretch. They turned one of his turnovers into a Davis dunk, and Westbrook missed a pair of straightaway 3-pointers in the final 30 seconds, including one with three ticks left, as the Pelicans prevailed.
Davis had 13 points and seven boards in the first quarter and added eight more in the second as New Orleans shot 56.5 percent to take a 53-48 lead at the half. The Thunder clawed back and got 3-pointers from Anthony Morrow and Jackson during a closing 11-4 run to take an 81-76 lead into the fourth.
GAME NOTEBOOK: Westbrook scored 10 points in the third quarter, his 18th double-digit scoring quarter of the season. … Westbrook shot just 2-for-9 in the fourth quarter. … Steven Adams had 12 points and 10 rebounds - five offensive - as the Thunder held a 16-10 edge on the offensive glass.