Pelicans 123, Thunder 119
NEW ORLEANS -- Forward Anthony Davis rebounded from a nine-point performance to score a team-high 30 points, and three teammates scored at least 20 points to power the New Orleans Pelicans to a 123-119 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder Thursday night at the Smoothie King Center.
In winning for the ninth time in 12 games, the short-handed Pelicans (23-34) got 26 points from forward Ryan Anderson, 22 from guard Jrue Holiday and 21 from guard Norris Cole.
That overcame the powerhouse duo of guard Russell Westbrook, who scored a game-high 44 points, and forward Kevin Durant, who added 29 points and 14 rebounds.
New Orleans used four 3-pointers in the first four minutes of the fourth quarter - two by guard Toney Douglas and one each by Anderson and Holiday -- to extend its lead to 103-95. Douglas followed up with two driving layups, and the Pelicans led 109-100 with 5:25 remaining.
When Holiday nailed the fifth 3-pointer of the quarter for the Pelicans, New Orleans was up 114-103 with 4:04 left. Davis went up strong to block Westbrook's layup attempt on the other end and came down hard on his left knee, staying down on the court as Anderson hit a 3-pointer for New Orleans, giving the Pelicans a 117-105 lead with 3:15 left.
But Westbrook hit two layups, a pair of free throws and a 3-pointer from the top of the key to cut the deficit to 119-114, and Durant kept the 11-2 run going with another driving layup past Dante Cunningham to make it 119-116 with 1:15 left.
Davis hit two free throws with 64 seconds left to extend the New Orleans lead to 121-116.
The Pelicans used an 8-2 run early in the third quarter to take a 74-72 lead, and the Pelicans held an 89-87 advantage entering the fourth quarter.
Westbrook exploded for 15 second-quarter points on his way to 25 for the half, and OKC led 64-61 in a fast-paced first half. Westbrook closed the half by drawing a foul on a 14-foot jumper over Toney Douglas, who tried to avoid contact but then brushed Westbrook's leg on the way down.
The Thunder shot 60.5 percent in the first half (26 of 43), but they did not take their first lead until Westbrook dribbled inside from the top of the key for a three-point play, giving OKC a 51-50 lead with 4:12 left in the half.
The Thunder trailed 44-34 before going on a 10-0 run to tie the game.
Durant added 17 points for the Thunder in the first half, and he and Westbrook combined to shoot 16 of 21 from the field.
But New Orleans stayed within range behind Davis' 16 points and 14 points each from Anderson and Cole. Davis scored all 16 of his first-half points in the first quarter, as the Pelicans built a 35-32 lead.
NOTES: Because of a broken wrist sustained by G Bryce Dejean-Jones, the injury-riddled Pelicans used their 26th different starting lineup of the season. Alonzo Gee and Norris Cole started at guard. ... Thunder assistant coach Monty Williams, who was head coach in New Orleans for five seasons, will not return to the bench until he feels comfortable, coach Billy Donovan said. Williams' wife Ingrid was killed earlier this month in an automobile accident. "We haven't talked about when he will be coming back," Donovan said. "It's been more of how he and his (five) children are doing, just them adjusting to life without Ingrid. ... Whatever he decides to do, I'm behind him 100 percent." ... Pelicans coach Alvin Gentry said he has been texting Williams regularly. "Right now, all he needs to know ... is that we still have him in our prayers and not a day goes by that we don't think about him and his family," Gentry said.