Pelicans 107, Wizards 105
NEW ORLEANS -- Guard Tyreke Evans scored 27 points and forward Anthony Davis added 18 points and 11 rebounds as the New Orleans Pelicans made a franchise-record 16 3-pointers to defeat the Washington Wizards 107-105 Friday night at the Smoothie King Center.
The Pelicans (6-16) made 16 of 27 from behind the arc (59.3 percent), and they needed every one to overcome guard John Wall's 26 points and 12 assists.
Davis' free throw with 1:47 left gave the Pelicans a 104-103 lead, and New Orleans had a chance to extend the lead, but Evans missed a driving layup with 32 seconds left.
Wall tried to regain the lead for Washington, but his 17-foot jumper over Alonzo Gee failed to go, and guard Eric Gordon was fouled on the rebound and made two free throws to build New Orleans' lead to 106-103 with 18.1 seconds left.
Wall made it 106-105 at 10.9 with a layup off an inbounds pass. On New Orleans' next possession, guard Jrue Holiday was tied up for a jump ball but won the tip against forward Jared Dudley.
Evans made only one of two foul shots, and New Orleans led 107-105 with 4.7 seconds left. Washington had one last possession in the New Orleans end, but Gary Neal missed an open 18-foot jumper at the buzzer, and the Wizards fell to (9-12).
The Pelicans trailed 86-77 with 10 minutes left, but Evans connected on consecutive 3-pointers to cut the Washington lead to 87-85 with 8:56 left.
Wall hit a 3-pointer from the left wing and then fed forward DeJuan Blair for an easy layup to extend the Wizards lead to 97-90.
The Pelicans continued to rain 3-pointers, and Davis' jumper from the top of the key tied the game at with 2:00 left. It was New Orleans franchise-record 16th 3-pointer (in 26 attempts).
Both teams came out ice cold in the third quarter, combining to miss 11 of 13 shots. Even though the Pelicans took a 70-66 lead on forward Dante Cunningham's 3-pointer from the right wing, the Wizards closed out the quarter with an 11-7 run to tie the game at 77 after three periods.
After going scoreless, missing all five shots and committing five turnovers in a 111-93 home loss to Boston on Monday night, Evans came out blazing, scoring 15 first-half points as New Orleans took a 55-54 lead at halftime.
NOTES: Pelicans F Ryan Anderson, the NBA's highest-scoring sixth man, missed the game with flu-like symptoms. Anderson's name has come up in trade talks recently. He averages 18.0 points, including 37.6 percent shooting on three-pointers, and 7.0 rebounds a game. ... Reserve C Kendrick Perkins, who missed the last 18 games with a torn pectoral muscle, returned to action. ... After his starting backcourt of Eric Gordon and Tyreke Evans was outscored 33-0 against Boston on Monday night, New Orleans coach Alvin Gentry said he may have to tweak his uptempo offensive philosophy. "We still want to be a running team, but sometimes you may have to have a few set plays that you would normally not have," Gentry said ... Washington started a four-game road trip. "We are a confident road team and have played well on the road this season (5-4)," said Wizards coach Randy Wittman. ... F Kris Humphries (sprained left ankle) did not play.