Pelicans use balance to bop Magic 118-98
NEW ORLEANS -- Anthony Davis led six New Orleans double-figure scorers as the Pelicans defeated the Orlando Magic 118-98 on Wednesday night in the Smoothie King Center.
Davis, who left a 98-95 loss at Indiana on Monday in the third quarter with a sprained left thumb and a right hip contusion, scored a game-high 21 points.
Langston Galloway and Tyreke Evans came off the bench to score 18 each, Dante Cunningham had a season-high 14, Jrue Holiday added 14 and rookie Buddy Hield chipped in with 10 as New Orleans exceeded its season high for points in a regulation game.
Elfrid Payton and Aaron Gordon led the Magic with 14 points each, Jeff Green scored 13, Serge Ibaka had 11 and Nikola Vucevic and D.J. Augustin added 10 each.
Davis, who didn't score in the second quarter, scored four of the Pelicans' first seven points in the third quarter as they increased a 13-point halftime lead to 16.
The Magic scored the next eight points, but the Pelicans answered with the next six. Five Pelicans scored during a 14-9 run that left New Orleans with a 92-73 lead after three quarters.
Galloway made back-to-back 3-pointers as the lead quickly grew to 28 points at the outset of the fourth quarter.
The Magic scored nine consecutive points to take a 23-18 lead midway through a high-scoring first quarter.
Davis stopped the run with a dunk and he later scored New Orleans' final five points as it took a 32-29 lead after one quarter.
During the quarter break, Davis went to the locker room to have X-rays taken on his left hand, which were negative.
The Magic initially took advantage of Davis' absence, pulling within 43-41, but Hield, Evans and Galloway each made a 3-pointer as New Orleans built the margin to 54-41.
That was the score when Davis returned with 4:55 left in the second quarter.
After Davis' return, Orlando scored the next nine points, but New Orleans finished on an 11-2 run to take a 65-52 halftime lead.
Magic guard Jodie Meeks left the game in the second half and did not return because of a right thumb injury. X-rays were negative.
The Pelicans (17-26) host New Jersey on Friday. The Magic (17-27) host Milwaukee on Friday.
NOTES: G Evan Fournier, Orlando's leading scorer, missed his fourth consecutive game because of a sore right heel. ... The game tipped off the Pelicans' season-long six-game homestand. ... It also concluded a season-long six-game road trip for the Magic, who lost four of their first five games on the trip. ... ... Orlando entered the game having won the last four meetings in the series and was going for a season sweep. ... New Orleans general manager Dell Demps played for the Magic during the 1996-97 season. ... Pelicans G E'Twaun Moore was a member of the Magic from 2012 to 2014. ... Orlando G D.J. Augustin is a native of New Orleans and teammate Elfrid Payton is from Gretna, La., which is just across the Mississippi River from New Orleans.