Lopez, Bogdanovich propel Nets in rout of Pelicans
NEW ORLEANS -- Brook Lopez and Bojan Bogdanovich scored 23 points apiece as the Brooklyn Nets ended an 11-game losing streak by beating the New Orleans Pelicans 143-114 on Friday night in the Smoothie King Center.
Five teammates came off the bench to score in double figures for the Nets, who won for the first time since a 120-118 victory against Charlotte on Dec. 26.
Spencer Dinwiddie was a third Brooklyn starter to score in double figures, finishing with 10 points. Rookie Caris LeVert led the Nets' reserves with 17 points, Luis Scola scored 14 in eight fourth-quarter minutes, Quincy Acy and Rondae Hollis-Jefferson each had 12 and Randy Foye had 11. The Brooklyn bench outscored the New Orleans bench 73-47.
The Nets shot 57.8 percent (48-of-83) from the floor and 50 percent (15-of-30) on 3-pointers in their highest-scoring game of the season.
Anthony Davis led the Pelicans with 22 points despite sitting out the fourth quarter. Dante Cunningham scored 14, Terrence Jones came off the bench to score 13, Jrue Holiday had 12 and rookie Buddy Hield 11.
The Nets led by 12 at halftime and scored 10 points on their first four possessions of the third quarter to build the lead to 76-56.
The Pelicans got within 13, but Brooklyn expanded the lead to 26 on two occasions and had a 109-84 advantage after three quarters. It led by as many as 32 points in the fourth quarter.
Davis didn't have a field goal in the early going, but Cunningham made up for it with eight points and the score was tied at 13.
Holiday and E'Twaun Moore each made a 3-pointer and Davis scored seven straight New Orleans points as the Pelicans built a 30-21 lead.
Acy and LeVert both made a 3-pointer as Brooklyn cut the lead to 32-29 after the first quarter.
The Nets started the second quarter with a 22-8 run and took an 11-point lead midway through.
Davis scored eight points as New Orleans got within eight, but LeVert scored Brooklyn's last five points and the Nets took a 66-54 halftime lead.
The Pelicans are 17-27 and the Nets are 9-33.
NOTES: The Nets rested F Trevor Booker and G Sean Kilpatrick. ... Pelicans coach Alvin Gentry said F/C Anthony Davis, who was named a starter in the All-Star Game on Thursday, would be in line for a more prestigious award if his team was better than its standing of 10th in the Western Conference entering play Friday. "If our record were better there would be a lot of conversation about him having an MVP year because he has done everything possible for us," Gentry said. ... Brooklyn entered having won one of its 19 road games. ... New Orleans entered the game having won its last six games against the Nets, including a 104-95 triumph on Jan. 12. ... Brooklyn signed F Quincy Acy to a second 10-day contract Friday.