Pelicans 113, Lakers 92
Anthony Davis had 20 points, seven rebounds, six assists and four blocked shots as visiting New Orleans defeated Los Angeles to gain ground in the playoff race.
Ryan Anderson and Norris Cole each scored 17 points off the bench for the Pelicans, who moved within 1 1/2 games of the Oklahoma City Thunder for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference. Tyreke Evans added 16 points and eight assists and Omer Asik collected 10 rebounds as New Orleans committed just seven turnovers while finishing off a four-game season sweep of Los Angeles.
Jordan Clarkson had 18 points on 7-of-9 shooting to go with 10 assists for the Lakers, who also committed seven turnovers. Tarik Black added 16 points on 8-of-10 shooting and Ryan Kelly scored 12 points.
Cole scored five points during a 7-2 run to open the fourth quarter as New Orleans increased its lead to 25. The lead was 20 or more most of the final quarter with Los Angeles trailing by 17 late in the period before the Pelicans pushed it back above 20.
New Orleans finished the first half with an 8-2 run to take a 60-49 edge into the break. The Pelicans used a 9-0 burst in the third to open up a 19-point advantage and possessed a 90-70 lead entering the final stanza.
GAME NOTEBOOK: The double-double is the second in a row for Clarkson, who is averaging 21 points over the past six contests. … The Pelicans shot 56.4 percent from the field, including 9-of-16 from 3-point range. … Lakers G Jeremy Lin (illness) returned from a two-game absence and had 10 points on 3-of-10 shooting.