Westbrook pours in 42 points to lead Thunder past Pelicans
NEW ORLEANS – Russell Westbrook scored a team-high 42 points, including 11 consecutive in the final five minutes, and reserve guard Alex Abrines scored 18 points to lift the Oklahoma City Thunder to a 121-110 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans on Wednesday night at the Smoothie King Center.
Westbrook, the NBA's leading scorer, added 10 rebounds and seven assists and fell short of his 51 triple-double of the season. The Thunder (17-12), who had lost three of four games coming in, also got 14 points and 14 rebounds from center Enes Kanter.
The Pelicans (10-21) were led by Anthony Davis, who scored 34 points and had 15 rebounds, and by Jrue Holiday with a season-high 23 points.
Tyreke Evans cut the Oklahoma City lead to 89-87 with a 3-pointer from the right wing, but the Thunder then went on an 11-0 spurt, fueled by reserve guard Alex Abrines' nine points that included two 3-pointers.
Abrines added another long-range jumper and Oklahoma City led 105-89 with 8:04 left. Abrines finished 5 of 10 from long range.
The Pelicans opened the third quarter with a small lineup and got three consecutive layups by Davis, Holiday and Terrence Jones to take a 64-63 lead. But Westbrook scored 12 points in the quarter as Oklahoma City took an 87-84 lead into the fourth quarter.
Westbrook drew a blocking foul on Davis with 4:58 left in the quarter -- Davis' fourth foul -- and that opened up the middle for the Thunder.
Westbrook finished the first half with force, scoring Oklahoma City's final eight points in the last 1:20 of the second quarter to give the Thunder a 63-58 lead. Westbrook finished the first half with 19 points, five rebounds and three assists.
Davis kept the Pelicans in the game, scoring 17 points and grabbing six rebounds in the first half. But Davis had to sit after picking up his third foul on Westbrook's drive to the basket with 3:11 left in the half.
The Pelicans made 15 of 16 free throws in the first half to somewhat offset Oklahoma City's 28-18 advantage in the paint. Holiday added 14 first-half points for New Orleans.
NOTES: While Thunder coach Billy Donovan said he was pleased the NBA acknowledged that game officials incorrectly failed to call a foul as Russell Westbrook hoisted a 3-point attempt in a 110-108 loss to Atlanta on Monday night, he hopes officials will not hold the guard's physical strength and quickness against him. "As much as he is in the lane and as physically gifted and as strong as he is, when he gets fouled, they should call it," Donovan said. "It shouldn't be just because he's bigger. ... There's times he's in there, and just because he's stronger and bounces off people and can get in there, (a foul) needs to be called." ... Pelicans coach Alvin Gentry said his team's five-game homestand, which opened Wednesday, is critical for a club mired 10 games below .500. "We talked about the importance of the next 10 days or so," Gentry said. "Probably the most important stretch we'll have all season."