Gentry gets tossed as Pelicans top Clippers
NEW ORLEANS -- Anthony Davis scored 20 points and rookie guard Buddy Hield added 17, including back-to-back 3-pointers, to lift the New Orleans Pelicans to a 102-98 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday night at the Smoothie King Center.
The Pelicans (13-21) won for fourth time in five games, and they did it without head coach Alvin Gentry, who was ejected after picking up two technical fouls in the first half. Assistant Darren Erman took over with 4:06 left in the half and the Pelicans trailing 45-39.
The Clippers (22-12) lost their fourth consecutive game despite getting 13 points and 25 rebounds by center DeAndre Jordan, who had a double-double in the first quarter. Austin Rivers added 22 points, and Chris Paul scored 21 points.
The Pelicans trailed 76-68 late in the third quarter, but New Orleans closed the period with a 9-0 run and then went on a 21-10 surge in the first seven minutes of the fourth quarter to take a 97-87 lead.
New Orleans still led 99-89, but the Clippers cut the deficit to 101-98 with a 9-2 run that included a 3-pointer by Rivers and a layup by Jamal Crawford with 35.5 seconds left. The Clippers had a chance to tie, but Marreese Speights missed a 3-pointer from the top of the key, and New Orleans grabbed the rebound.
Pelicans guard Langston Galloway made 1 of 2 free throws with 0.5 seconds left for the final margin.
Gentry got sent to the locker room by referee Lauren Holtkamp with 4:06 left in the second quarter for arguing a shooting foul against Hield, who hit Paul across the arms beyond the 3-point arc.
Gentry argued vociferously that Paul was dishing the ball off rather than shooting, but Holtkamp nailed the coach with a technical. When Gentry continued to argue, Holtkamp whistled him for another technical, resulting in an automatic ejection.
Paul made both technical free throws and then hit three more free throws from the original foul to put the Clippers up 45-30. The five-free-throw trip keyed a 16-10 Los Angeles spurt over the final four minutes of the period, and the Clippers led 56-49 at the half.
Jordan scored 10 points and grabbed 11 rebounds in the opening quarter. He had 12 points and 16 rebounds at the half.
Hield led the Pelicans with 11 first-half points, but Davis was just 2 of 7 from the field and scored only seven points.
NOTES: Clippers PG Chris Paul returned to action after missing the previous three games with a strained hamstring. ... Los Angeles SG J.J. Redick is still battling his sore hamstring and missed his second straight game. Clippers coach Doc Rivers aid Redick might be able to play Friday against Houston. ... New Orleans coach Alvin Gentry said he has spoken many times to F Anthony Davis about not getting frustrated by the Pelicans' losing record despite his stellar performances. "It doesn't matter what kind of numbers you put up, if you're not winning, it's not fun. If you could tell him he would have to cut down half his points and half his rebounds but our record would be reversed, he would do it in a New York second. He wants to win, and he's going to do everything he can to help us win."