The Indiana Pacers ( 39 - 34 ) snagged a close 104 - 101 win over the Houston Rockets ( 36 - 38 ) on Sunday in an Easter afternoon matchup . The Pacers saw big scoring performances from top - notch scorers Paul George and Monta Ellis . The duo posted 25 and 23 respectively , with George also snatching 11 rebounds on the night . Rookie big man Myles Turner also showed off , coming up with 11 rebounds to go with 19 points on impressive 8 - for - 12 shooting . Indiana shot 47 percent as a squad , a respectable mark that was enough to lift them to narrow victory . The Pacers are now half a game ahead of the Pistons in the Eastern Conference playoff picture and look likely to reamin the seven seed heading into the postseason . Houston , meanwhile , is fighting to keep their playoff dreams alive . Last year 's second seed has sunk to a sub - .500 team this season , and will have a hard - fought battle with Utah and Dallas for the last two spots in the Western Conference playoffs . As always , star guard James Harden stuffed the stat sheet , scoring 34 points , dishing eight assists , and pulling down eight rebounds . However , the All-Star also turned the ball over five times , an issue he has had consistently throughout the season . At 339 turnovers , Harden already has the 13th - most turnovers ever in a single season and is steadily climbing that list . With eight games to go , the Houston star remains on pace to break the notorious mark of 366 set by Artis Gilmore back in 1978 . Houston Will Visit Cleveland on Tuesday , while Indiana will host Chicago .


The Chicago Bulls ( 37 - 37 ) defeated the Indiana Pacers ( 39 - 35 ) on Tuesday , 98 - 96 . Jimmy Butler has endured an injury - riddled second half of the season , and the ailments have admittedly affected his play . The stellar two - guard has experienced a recent general downturn in scoring , failing to hit the 20 - point mark in seven straight contests . However , with Chicago 's playoff hopes and the game potentially slipping away Tuesday , it was Butler that came through in the clutch . He drained a 10 - foot jump shoot with three seconds remaining to break a 96 - 96 deadlock . The Bulls then survived a C.J . Miles 29 - foot pullup jump shot at the buzzer that could n't find its target , sealing the victory . Chicago was paced by Nikola Mirotic 's outstanding effort off the bench , which consisted of 28 points , 10 rebounds , two assists and a steal over 37 minutes . His total included seven made three - pointers , and his extended playing time came as a result of a rib contusion suffered by Taj Gibson after only 10 minutes on the court . Butler followed with 14 points , four rebounds , three assists and two steals , which led the starters . Pau Gasol was next with 10 points , 11 rebounds , seven assists and four blocks . No other Bulls player managed to get into double - digit scoring , with Derrick Rose ( eight points , four assists and a rebound ) notably underperforming . The Bulls remain in fourth place in the Eastern Conference 's Central Division , and are currently two games back of the eighth - seeded Detroit Pistons . They head to Houston to take on the Rockets on Thursday . Indiana was paced by Paul George , who took advantage of the Bulls ' vulnerable defense versus small forwards to tally 20 points , nine rebounds , five assists , four steals and a block . Ian Mahinmi was right behind him with a third straight strong performance , compiling 18 points , seven rebounds , an assist and two blocks . Lavoy Allen paced the Pacers ' reserves with a modest line of nine points and six rebounds . The Pacers are currently in second place in the Eastern Conference 's Central Division , and slotted in the seventh seed in the conference as well . They 're home again against the Magic on Thursday .


The Orlando Magic ( 32 - 43 ) defeated the Indiana Pacers ( 39 - 36 ) 114 - 94 on Thursday . The contest featured the long - awaited return of Magic center Nikola Vucevic , who had missed all but three games during March with a groin injury . The standout big man came off the bench in his first game back but provided a starter 's stat line , compiling 24 points , six rebounds , an assist and a block to lead the Orlando reserves and also serve as the second - highest scorer on the team . Vucevic 's remarkable outing helped offset a dominant night from Paul George and secure the road victory for the Magic . Orlando was led by a standout effort from Evan Fournier , who contributed 25 points , an assist and two steals . Victor Oladipo was next among the starters with 18 points , seven rebounds , seven assists , two steals and a block . Elfrid Payton followed with 10 points , seven rebounds and five assists . Dewayne Dedmon ( eight points , six rebounds and an assist ) and Aaron Gordon ( six points , four rebounds , an assist , a steal and a block ) both turned in rather modest efforts . Besides Vucevic 's impressive outing off the bench , Andrew Nicholson also played well in a reserve role , totaling 11 points , five rebounds , three assists and a block . The Magic remain in last place in the Eastern Conference 's Southeast Division . They head to Milwaukee to face the Bucks on Friday . George 's stellar performance consisted of a game - high 27 points , eight rebounds , three assists and five steals . Monta Ellis was the only other Indiana starter with double - digit scoring , supplying 13 points , three rebounds , an assist and a block . Myles Turner ( eight points , eight rebounds two assists and a block ) and Ian Mahinmi ( six points , seven rebounds , three assists , two steals and a block ) filled out the stat sheet despite not providing spectacular numbers in any one category . Lavoy Allen paced the reserves with a double - double that featured 12 points , 11 rebounds , two assists and two steals . The Pacers remain in third place in the Eastern Conference 's Central Division , and are currently slotted in the eighth seed in the conference as well . They head to Philadelphia to face the Sixers on Saturday .


The Indiana Pacers ( 42 - 36 ) have nearly secured playoff berth after dismantling the Cleveland Cavaliers ( 56 - 23 ) on Wednesday , 123 - 109 . Cleveland star LeBron James rested during the contest . Indiana now simply needs a win or a Bulls loss to secure playoff berth . Superstar forward Paul George elevated his play for one of his biggest performances of the season , dropping in a massively efficient 29 points on the first - seeded Cavaliers . Backcourt star Monta Ellis , meanwhile , chipped in 13 points and dished out eight assists . As a team , Indiana simply shot the lights out , converting on 56 percent of shots from the field and draining 16 three - pointers . Indiana 's massive shooting night was bolstered in part by 21 points and six threes from C.J . Miles off the bench . Cleveland , meanwhile , failed to take the record for most consectuive games with 10 or more made three - pointers . With eight threes and 47 percent from the field , the team still shot respectably , but clearly suffered on the defensive end in LeBron 's absence . All-Star Kyrie Irving led the way with 26 points , but overall the team could not get it done against the playoff - hungry Pacers . The Cavs have a chance to formally eliminate the Bulls on Saturday . Indiana , meanwhile , will take the court on Friday in Toronto .


The Indiana Pacers ( 43 - 37 ) blew out the Brooklyn Nets ( 21 - 59 ) on Sunday , 129 - 105 . A win here would have guaranteed a a playoff spot for the Pacers and they made sure there was no doubt that would happen . The game was well out of hand early , as they led 39 - 19 after the first quarter , won the second quarter 30 - 22 and won the third quarter 35 to 31 . The 28 - point halftime lead was the Pacers high of the season and it shows how much motivation they had coming into this game . The defense was key , as they held the Nets to 39 percent shooting and forced them to commit 15 turnovers . The Indiana offense was n't shabby either , as they shot a cool 56 percent from the field and 41 percent from three - point range . This game meant very little for the Nets and they clearly did n't show up . Thomas Robinson has been the teams best player over recent weeks , but he left early due to a knee injury . Markel Brown stepped up off the bench though , as he amassed 18 points , 11 rebounds , four assists , six steals and three blocks . Donald Sloan contributed 19 points , three rebounds and five assists of his own off the bench as well . Sean Kilpatrick led the team with 26 points , as he also came off the bench . Up next for the Nets is a matchup with the Washington Wizards on Monday . Indiana wanted to make sure they 'd secure a spot in the postseason , as they put it on the Nets in this lopsided game . Myles Turner was the player of the game , as he tallied 28 points and 10 rebounds off the bench . George Hill led the starters with 18 points , while also providing five rebounds and four assists . Ty Lawson had one of his best games in a Pacer uniform , as he accumulated seven points , six rebounds and nine assists . On deck for the Pacers is a matchup with the New York Knicks on Tuesday .


The Indiana Pacers ( 44 - 37 ) took a half - game lead for seventh in the Eastern Conference after a 102 - 90 win over the New York Knicks ( 32 - 50 ) on Tuesday . Indiana shot 51 percent from the field on Tuesday , a trend that bodes well for the playoff - bound team . Superstar Paul George hit half his shots , going 6 - for - 12 en route to 19 points in 29 minutes . The forward tacked on four rebounds and six assists . Center Ian Mahinmi , meanwhile , had a respectable outing of 14 points and eight rebounds . Mahinmi has made a name for himself in the Pacers starting five this year , and is now high on many experts ' lists for both Most Improved Player and Defensive Player of the Year contention . Another promising sign for Indiana heading into the playoffs was the strong play of bench guard Ty Lawson . Lawson , a borderline All-Star for much of his career in Denver , has seen a rocky 2015 - 16 season both on and off the court . The point guard has dealt with multiple DUI charges and had a disappointing stint in Houston before being cut , eventually landing himself in a Pacers uniform . The acquisition paid dividends for Indiana on Tuesday , as Lawson scored nine points and dished out eight assists in 24 minutes of play . The Knicks , meanwhile , became the first team to see its season end following Tuesday 's loss . At 30 - 52 , the Knicks will miss the playoffs for the third straight season . On Tuesday , the team 's top two options , veteran superstar Carmelo Antony and rookie sensation Kristaps Porzingis , both sat . Forward Derrick Williams led the team with 21 points , while rookie point guard Jerian Grant put up a promising 18 points , six assists , and six rebounds . Overall , however , it was a quiet night for the Knicks on Tuesday , rounding out what has been a quiet year for basketball in the city that never sleeps . The Pacers will play their last regular season game on Wednesday in Milwaukee .


In this high scoring game the Golden State Warriors ( 30 ) came out on top against the New Orleans Pelicans ( 0 - 3 ) with a 134 - 120 victory . A fast paced high scoring game is exactly the style of ball that Golden State has thrived on and it was just that which led them to a smooth win over the Pelicans . The game was punctuated by a 28 point third quarter from the scoring machine Steph Curry . The Warriors were up to business as usual running and gunning their fast paced offence leading to some great opportunities at the rim and of course tons of good looks from beyond the arc . Curry shot a stellar 17 - 27 from the field , 8 - 14 from distance and a perfect 11 - 11 from the free throw line , totalling 53 points , all while dishing nine assists and he did it all in only 36 minutes . Curry reminds us just about every game that he is the real MVP . Klay Thompson had a calm 19 points on 50 percent shooting , while Draymond Green filled the stat sheet as usual with 21 points , six rebounds and four assists . As a team Golden State shot an impressive 54 percent from the field and 56 percent from long range . As for the Pelicans , who have not fared well so far this season , taking their third loss in a row , resulting in a 0 - 3 record , frustration seems to be mounting . Anthony Davis picked up a technical foul towards the end of the game as he thought he should have been heading to the line for a perceived foul against him . Despite not getting all the whistles he would have liked Davis had as good a game as you could ask of the young man , scoring 26 points on 8 - 17 shooting and hauling in a monstrous 15 rebounds . Davis had help from Jrue Holiday who has been easing back into form after recovering from injury throughout the off season . Holiday contributed 22 points on 8 - 19 shooting and dished six assists . Tony Douglas proved himself a good addition in his first game for New Orleans scoring 17 points , 3 rebounds and four assists . The Pelicans picked up Douglas after waiving Nate Robinson , in an effort to field a more two - way player . Next up for Golden State is a date with Memphis at home on Monday , while the Pelicans wait until Tuesday , when they will try to scrap out a win against the feisty Orlando Magic .


The Orlando Magic ( 1 - 3 ) defeated the New Orleans Pelicans ( 0 - 4 ) 103 - 94 on Tuesday . In a battle of winless teams , the Magic took down the Pelicans in a poorly played game . The two teams battled turnover problems and defensive struggles all game long , with poor offensive execution hurting both teams . The Pelicans defense was especially lackluster , as they allowed an ugly 56 points in the paint . They 'll need to sure up their defense if they want to get out of this deep hole they are digging . Orlando has been better than their 0 - 3 record would indicate coming into the game , as they lost the first three games by a combined nine points . The Magic were led by Evan Fournier in this game , as he tallied 30 points , five rebounds , four assists , and two steals across 42 minutes of play . Center Nikola Vucevic also had a nice game , recording 22 points and 13 rebounds in the victory . The Magic shot 12 - for - 12 from the free - throw line , and that 's a great sign after shooting just 59 percent from the charity stripe in their loss to the Bulls on Sunday . The Magic will look to build on this win in the final half of a back - to - back against the Houston Rockets ( 1 - 3 ) on Wednesday . The Pelicans ' struggles continued on Tuesday , and it can mostly be attributed to their defense . They have now allowed at least 100 points in every game and have regularly failed to protect the rim . Offensively , the Pelicans were led by Eric Gordon , who scored 21 points and recorded four assists in 38 minutes . Superstar Anthony Davis continued to struggle with his stroke though , as he went just 3 - for - 12 from the field to bring his field - goal percentage down below 40 percent on the season . The team has yet to find a replacement for the injured Tyreke Evans , and they 'll need Davis to play up to his All-Star standards if they want to win some games . The Pelicans will look to grab that first elusive win against the Atlanta Hawks ( 4 - 1 ) on Friday .


The Atlanta Hawks ( 6 - 1 ) outgunned the New Orleans Pelicans ( 0 - 6 ) in a high - scoring affair Friday , winning 121 - 115 . The Pelicans led 28 - 26 after one quarter , but could n't keep pace the rest of the way . Although they managed to tie it up in the fourth quarter at one point , it was n't enough , as the Hawks notched their sixth straight win . Anthony Davis did everything he could to keep his injury - riddled team from tallying another loss . Davis scored an incredible 43 points on 14 - of - 23 shooting , while making 14 - of - 16 free throws . Davis had 10 rebounds , three assists , four steals and three blocks , to go along with his ample scoring . Eric Gordon played well , shooting 8 - of - 15 and scoring 22 points . Ish Smith has been taking advantage of some extra minutes and contributed eight points , 11 assists , and four rebounds in 34 minutes off the bench . Ryan Anderson chipped in 10 points , five rebounds , four assists , and two blocks in 30 minutes off the bench . The Hawks have not missed a beat after last season 's playoff exit and are atop the East once again . Despite losing swingman DeMarre Carroll in the offseason , Kent Bazemore has since stepped in as starting small forward and has been fitting in just fine . Bazemore had 10 points , five rebounds , four assists , three steals , and one block Friday . Atlanta was led in scoring by Kyle Korver with 22 points and a 4 - of - 4 showing from deep , while Paul Millsap had 22 points to go with 11 rebounds . Jeff Teague led the team in assists with seven while scoring 19 points . The Hawks , just like last season , continued to move the ball very well and ended up with an impressive 30 team assists on 41 made field goals . The Hawks get right back to business Saturday , as the Washington Wizards come to town for a division battle . The Pelicans will also be right back in action Saturday when they visit the Dallas Mavericks .


The New Orleans Pelicans ( 1 - 6 ) blew out the Dallas Mavericks ( 3 - 4 ) 120 - 105 on Tuesday . The Pelicans picked up their first win of the season on Tuesday in brilliant fashion . The final score makes it look like a respectable loss , but the Pelicans were up by double - digits nearly the whole game . New Orleans shot 50 percent from the field and made 14 three - pointers en route to a win . Dallas made three big offseason signings and it has yet to work out for them . In this game specifically , Wesley Matthews , Chandler Parsons and Deron Williams combined for just 11 points , seven rebounds and five assists across 55 minutes of action . The team was led by its bench in this game , as they totaled 58 points in the defeat . The Mavericks got a nice performance from Charlie Villanueva off the bench as well , who amassed 15 points and nine rebounds across 26 minutes of play . The Mavericks were able to rest their starters quite a bit here and that could be beneficial when they will look to rebound in their next game against the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday in the second half of a back - to - back . The Pelicans got that first elusive win , and it came in relatively easy fashion . They had five players who scored at least 17 points with Ryan Anderson leading the bunch . Anderson put up 25 points and 11 rebounds while going 10 - for - 16 from the field . Ish Smith continued his good form as well , as he provided 17 points and 12 assists off the bench . Star Anthony Davis was forced out due to a hip issue and his status is unkown at this tome for the Pelican next game . This team is way too talented to get their first win on November 10 and hopefully this will be the start of a big run . They 'll look to start a winning - streak against the Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday in the second half of a back - to - back .


The Denver Nuggets ( 6 - 5 ) defeated the New Orleans Pelicans ( 1 - 10 ) 115 - 98 on Tuesday . In a game where small - ball was on display , the Nuggets prevailed with an impressive victory . Denver shot 53 percent from the field and hit 15 - of - 30 threes to go 50 percent from long distance . The shooting is no surprise though , as the Pelicans continue to prove they have one of the worst defenses in the NBA . Anthony Davis left this game in the first quarter because of a shoulder injury and did not return . The Nuggets also rebounded the Pelicans 43 - 33 in the win and scored over 30 points in three of four quarters . The Nuggets were blown out of the building by the Phoenix Suns in their most recent game , but played angry here . Denver was led by a fantastic performance from Danilo Gallinari , who scored a season - high 32 points to go along with eight rebounds and eight assists . They also got another great bench performance from Will Barton , who totaled 17 points and seven rebounds . Gary Harris also scored a career - high 16 points and provided four rebounds , three assists and two steals in the win . This was one of Denver 's best games of the season , as they recorded a impressive 27 assists in the win . Denver will have to travel to San Antonio on Wednesday in the second half of a back - to - back to take on the Spurs in what will surely be a tough task . The Pelicans lost Anthony Davis early in this game and could n't recover from that . They once again allowed 110 - plus points and are undoubtedly the worst defense in the NBA right now . The Pelicans were led by Ryan Anderson , who tallied 24 points and six rebounds while replacing Davis . The perimeter defense was the key to the loss though , as they allowed 15 three - pointers , with many of them being open shots . That 's been the problem with this team all year and they 'll need to fix that if they want to dig out of this deep hole they are digging themselves . If Davis is to miss significant time , this defense will only get worse . The scary thing for the Pelicans is that they have try to stop the unstoppable Russell Westbrook on Wednesday when they travel to Oklahoma City to take on the Thunder . That 's simply a recipe for a monster game from Westbrook once again .


The New Orleans Pelicans ( 2 - 11 ) defeated the San Antonio Spurs ( 9 - 3 ) 104 - 90 on Friday . The Pelicans pulled off what would easily be considered the season 's biggest upset to date , with forwards Anthony Davis and Ryan Anderson accounting for nearly half of New Orleans ' points . Davis made a strong return from his recent shoulder injury by posting his fifth double - double of the campaign , while Anderson managed a second consecutive 30 - point performance in just 33 minutes . The Spurs looked poised to dominate as expected in the early going , opening up the game with a quick 80 lead . LaMarcus Aldridge and Kawhi Leonard lead the way with 20 and 22 points , respectively , but no other San Antonio starter managed much of an impact . Tim Duncan notably struggled against a New Orleans defense that had generally been vulnerable against centers , collecting only six points , two assists , and a steal over 19 minutes . San Antonio fell to 9 - 3 but remains in first place in the Western Conference 's Southwest Division . They head home for a showdown versus the Grizzlies on Saturday . For the home team , Davis tallied 20 points and 18 rebounds in an intriguing matchup against LaMarcus Aldridge . Eric Gordon had less of an offensive role with Davis in the lineup , but still pitched in with 11 points , two assists , a rebound , and a pair of steals . In addition to Anderson 's outstanding efforts , Ish Smith also represented the Pelicans bench extremely well , tallying 17 points and 13 assists in 33 minutes . It marked the point guard 's third consecutive double - digit scoring night , as he continues to receive a considerable allotment of playing time even when Jrue Holiday is active due to the latter 's minutes cap . The Pelicans improved to 2 - 11 but remain in last place in the Western Conference 's Southwest Division . They remain home for a matchup versus Phoenix on Sunday .


The New Orleans Pelicans ( 3 - 11 ) defeated the Phoenix Suns ( 7 - 6 ) 122 - 116 on Sunday . This was an extremley high - scoring game and it was simply fun to watch , Both teams had well over 100 possessions in the game and the pace was at a ridiculously high level . There were also a ton of three - pointers taken , as both teams attempted a combined 66 threes . The biggest difference in the game was the shooting , as the Pelicans shot 46 percent while the Suns shot just 39 percent from the field . The Suns played good enough to win in this game , but they simply did n't shoot well enough to keep up with the Pelicans . Their defense was lacking as well , as they allowed twice as many paint points as they scored ( 44 - 22 ) . Eric Bledsoe put in another all - around great performance though , as he tallied 29 points , seven rebounds and six assists in the defeat . He did miss the majority of the third quarter for an unknown injury , but he was able to return for the final 12 minutes . An interesting development is that of Tyson Chandler 's playing time , as he saw just 16 minutes in the defeat . His minutes have been slowly dissipating as of late and it 's mainly due to the fact that the Suns prefer to play small - ball . It will be interesting to see how this Chandler experiment will work in Phoenix . The Suns will have to play again on Monday in the second half of a back - to - back , as they 'll have to travel to San Antonio to take on the Spurs . The Pelicans appear to be finally putting it all together and it 's likely as simple as health . Anthony Davis played a full complement of minutes here and had a fantastic game . Davis totaled 32 points , 19 rebounds , four blocks and two steals in the victory . The bench also continued its recent success , as Ish Smith and Ryan Anderson put in some fine performances . In fact , Anderson had 29 points and that 's his fourth consecutive 20 - point game , which is a fantastic sign considering he had just seven 20 - point outings all of last season . Smith flirted with a triple - double , as he collected 17 points , nine rebounds and eight assists off the bench . This is a very talented team and they are still feared no matter how bad their record looks . The Pelicans have now won two - straight and they 'll look to add to that winning streak on Wednesday in a rematch with these Suns .


The Memphis Grizzlies ( 10 - 8 ) defeated the New Orleans Pelicans ( 4 - 14 ) 113 - 104 on Tuesday night . In a battle of one of the worst offenses against one of the worst defenses , the bad offense prevailed . Memphis shot 48 percent from the field in this game , while attempting just 10 three - pointers . The big differences in the game were the free - throw shooting and rebounding . The Grizzlies went 25 - for - 26 from the free - throw line , while the Pelicans made the same amount in 33 attempts . Memphis also outrebounded New Orleans 49 - 37 , which is a good sign with their rebounding struggles this season . Memphis got a much needed win here against a struggling New Orleans team . What is even better about this result is that it may give their offense a much needed boost . Marc Gasol had a fantastic game on Tuesday , as he tallied 38 points , 13 rebounds , six assists and four blocks in the win . The bench was effective as well , as three players scored in double - figures . This is a team hitting its stride after a terrible start to the season and that 's a scary sight for the rest of the Western Conference . The Grizzlies will look to build off this win when they take on the San Antonio Spurs on Thursday . The Pelicans defense let them down once again , as they allowed another 110 - plus point game . The loss now makes them 1 - 10 on the road this season and it 's starting to look like a lost year for the playoff hopefuls . The Pelicans did get some nice performances in this game though . Anthony Davis set a season - high with nine blocks in the loss and also recorded a double - double . Tyreke Evans also made his season debut and played brilliantly , totaling 20 points , 10 assists and five rebounds in the defeat . Evans is a great talent and this team should be much better off with him in the lineup . It remains to be seen if he 'll play in New Orleans next game , as it 's the second half of a back - to - back against the Houston Rockets on Wednesday .


The New Orleans Pelicans ( 5 - 15 ) defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers ( 13 - 6 ) 114 - 108 in overtime on Friday . LeBron James scored 23 points in the 4th quarter , but the lone effort was not enough after Jrue Holiday nailed a three pointer with under 10 seconds left in regulation to force overtime . James finished with 37 points , seven rebounds and eight assists on 13 - of - 29 shooting , but was held scoreless in the overtime period . J.R. Smith opened the night hot from the 3 - point line , hitting three straight from deep , but was unable to continue the efficiency , as he finished with 18 points and four rebounds on 6 - of - 14 shooting . Kevin Love added 15 points and 10 rebounds , while Mozgov and Dellavedova contributed eight points each . Anthony Davis provided an all - around dominant performance in front of his hometown fans at the Smoothie King Center , and finished with 31 points and 12 rebounds on 13 - of - 22 shooting . Jrue Holiday contributed clutch baskets down the stretch and in overtime , as he finished with 13 points , seven rebounds and five assists in 25 minutes off the bench . Ryan Anderson , Tyreke Evans and Eric Gordon all finished in double figures to aid Anthony Davis in a strong win over last years Eastern Conference champions . The Cavaliers will visit the Miami Heat ( 11 - 6 ) on Saturday , while Pelicans host the Boston Celtics ( 11 - 8 ) on Monday .


The Boston Celtics took care of the New Orleans Pelicans 111 - 93 on Monday night . The game was tied at 25 - 25 after the first quarter , but it was never close after that . The difference in the game was as simple as shooting , as the Celtics shot 50 percent from the field , while the Pelicans shot just 41 percent . New Orleans came into this game with more talent and the Celtics came in with better teamwork and it 's clear that the teamwork prevailed here . The New Orleans starters really killed this team as they were outscored by the Celtics starter 70 - 27 in the loss . Boston continues to surprise fans with their efficient play . They won this game in relatively easy fashion thanks to a great team effort . Isaiah Thomas once again led the team with 22 points and five assists . Jared Sullinger did grab a season - high 20 rebounds in the win and that 's a great sign after his recent struggles . Kelly Olynyk also had a good game off the bench , as he tallied 22 points , three rebounds , three assists , two blocks and two steals in the victory . Boston will have a much better test when they host the Chicago Bulls on Wednesday in their next game . Anthony Davis scored 16 points , but aside from that , the rest of the starting - five was a nightmare on Monday . The other four starters combined for just 11 points and had a terrible plus - minus . Ryan Anderson had another nice game off the bench though , as he collected 18 points and nine rebounds in the loss . This is yet another 110 - plus points allowed and that 's been the issue all season long , as they rank dead - last in points allowed this season . New Orleans will have a few days off to think about this terrible performance , when they host the Washington Wizards on Friday in their next scheduled game .


The New Orleans Pelicans ( 6 - 16 ) defeated the Washington Wizards ( 9 - 12 ) 107 - 105 in a nail - biter on Friday . This was an exciting game that ultimately came down to the final shot . Gary Neal took the last shot at the buzzer to tie the game , but could n't quite come through for the Wizards . Both teams shot well , as they were both right around the 50 percent mark . The Pelicans outrebounded the Wizards 41 - 33 and that very well may have been the difference in the game The Wizards had to play this game with a multitude of injuries and that 's a bad recipe to win on the road . Drew Gooden , Nene Hilario and Kris Humphries all were ruled out well before the game , but the big surprise was the late scratch of Bradley Beal . He was inactive due to some leg soreness and that 's a major worry for Washington fans , as that 's the same leg he had a stress fracture on just last season . That means John Wall had to step up and he did just that . Wall tallied 26 points , 12 assists and seven rebounds in a tough loss . This 9 - 12 record is not what Wizards fans hoped for and they need to get healthy first if they want to get any better . They 'll travel to Dallas on Saturday to take on the Mavericks in the second half of a back - to - back . The Pelicans got a much needed win here , as the season has been slipping away since day one . This Pelicans roster was depleted just as much as Washington 's just last week , but most of those guys are back now . Most notably , Tyreke Evans is back and playing brilliantly . Evans contributed 27 points , seven rebounds , four assists and two steals to carry his team to a victory . Jrue Holiday , Anthony Davis , Eric Gordon and Evans carried the load , as they combined for 79 points in the win . The struggling defense still allowed 105 points , but that actually lowered their season average , amazingly . New Orleans will look to keep this momentum going on Saturday , when they take on the Chicago Bulls in the second half of a back - to - back set .


The New Orleans Pelicans ( 9 - 19 ) defeated the Portland Trail Blazers ( 11 - 20 ) 115 - 89 on Wednesday . The Blazers have now lost four consecutive games , with the last pair of defeats coming with Damian Lillard sidelined with plantar fasciitis . Backcourt mate C.J . McCollum valiantly returned from his own ailment ( two sprained ankles ) on Wednesday to attempt to provide some offensive punch in the All-Star point guard 's absence , but Portland fell woefully short overall , despite facing a Pelicans defense that came in yielding a league - worst 108 points per game . The Blazers have now failed to hit the century mark scoring - wise in both contests that Lillard has missed , underscoring how much the offensively - challenged team misses his 25 points and 7 assists per game . McCollum was able to muster 19 points , seven assists and five rebounds while serving as the point guard for the night in Lillard 's stead . Allen Crabbe ( 12 points ) and Al-Farouq Aminu ( 10 points ) joined him in tallying double - digit points but went a combined 8 for 23 from the field . Mason Plumlee managed a modest eight points but did contribute 12 rebounds , the fifth time in the last six games he 's hauled in double - digit boards . Meyers Leonard paced the Portland reserves with a productive 15 - point , five - rebound outing over 27 efficient minutes . While Portland did manage to outrebound New Orleans on the offensive glass by the significant margin of 22 to 8 , their general inability to do much with their second chances served as a reflection of their current scoring struggles . The Trail Blazers dropped to 11 - 20 and currently reside in the last place in the Western Conference 's Northwest Division . They head to Cleveland to take on the Cavs on Saturday . The home team was spearheaded by another monster double - double from All-Star Anthony Davis , who exploited the Trail Blazers ' vulnerabilities in the frontcourt . Davis managed 28 points , 12 rebounds , an assist , a steal and three blocks . Meanwhile , Tyreke Evans was right behind him with a performance that was just an assist and a couple of rebounds short of a triple - double , compiling 24 points , nine dimes and eight boards . Eric Gordon was the third starter in double - digits , pouring in 11 points , six assists and four rebounds . Jrue Holiday ( 19 points ) and Ryan Anderson ( 13 points ) supported their efforts with a pair of formidable contributions from the bench . The Pelicans upped their record to 9 - 19 but remain in last place in the Western Conference 's Southwest Division . They head to Miami to face the Heat in a Christmas Day showdown .


The New Orleans Pelicans ( 10 - 20 ) defeated the Houston Rockets ( 16 - 16 ) 110 - 108 on Saturday night in an exciting game . This looked like it would be one of the highest - scoring game of all - time in the first quarter , but it just turned into a fun game for fans . The teams combined for 74 points in the first quarter and the three - point shooting was impressive all night long . Houston went 15 - for - 33 while the Pelicans went 13 - for - 24 from long distance . These are two of the worst defensive teams in the NBA and that fact ended up prevailing once again on Saturday . The Rockets did a good job of staying in this game , but they did n't do enough to win . The starting backcourt was key on Saturday , as all three of them played well . James Harden was the best player once again , as he tallied 25 points , six rebounds and five assists in the loss . Trevor Ariza and Patrick Beverley also scored 16 points a piece in what was some of their best games of the season . The problem tonight was the defense once again , as they allowed 54 percent shooting from long distance and 50 percent from the field . The Rockets will look to bounce - back against the Atlanta Hawks on Tuesday . The Pelicans had a horrendous start to the season , but are slowly getting better and better . This was one of their best offensive games of the season , as six players scored a combined 87 points . Eric Gordon led the team with 26 points and went 10 - for - 12 from the field while dishing out five assists . Anthony Davis also had an impressive game , as he collected 24 points and 13 rebounds . Tyreke Evans had a horrible shooting night , but he still dished out a team - high 13 assists while controlling the offense and capping off the game with a steal . They 'll look to keep up this oform against the Orlando Magic on Monday in their next game .


The Los Angeles Clippers ( 21 - 13 ) held on for a road victory Thursday over the New Orleans Pelicans ( 10 - 22 ) at the Smoothie King Center , 95 - 89 . Despite one of Chris Paul 's worst shooting games as a professional — 3 - 18 , including 0 - 4 from three - point land — the Clippers held on and extended their winning streak to five games . After trailing for most of the first half , the Clippers took a 50 - 48 lead late in the second quarter and trailed only for 17 seconds in the second half as they managed to stave off a late but futile New Orleans run . J.J. Redick 's hot shooting night , including 9 - 15 from the field and 4 - 7 from three - point land , gave him 26 points to lead all scorers . Paul still scored nine points , grabbed five rebounds and dished out 12 assists despite his awful shooting night . DeAndre Jordan was a monster on the glass , as he grabbed 20 rebounds — including eight on the offensive end — and scored 11 points as he owned the paint in Blake Griffin 's absence . The Pelicans had six players finish in double figures , but Ryan Anderson was the only one to find his groove , as he led the club with 17 points on an efficient 7 - 11 shooting . Anthony Davis and Tyreke Evens scored 14 points each and Norris Cole scored 15 , but none managed to shoot 50 percent from the floor . The Pelicans shot 44 percent as a team and needed to be more accurate to overcome their rebounding disadvantage . The Clippers match up next with Philadelphia at home on Saturday . The Pelicans travel to Dallas for a Saturday date with the Mavericks .


The Dallas Mavericks ( 21 - 15 ) defeated the New Orleans Pelicans ( 11 - 23 ) 100 - 91 on Wednesday at the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans . Despite a close game throughout , the Mavericks ended up as the better shooters Wednesday , going 43 percent from the floor and 25 percent from the three - point line , while the Pelicans finished at 37 percent from the field and just 23 percent from deep . The Mavericks also dominated the boards , though , finishing with a 41 to 36 advantage . It was Raymond Felton who did the majority of the work for the Mavericks on Wednesday . Felton finished with a team - high of 22 points ( 6 - 14 FG , 3 - 6 3Pt , 7 - 7 FT ) , to go along with six assists and a pair of rebounds . His points total came just one point shy of a season - high for the 10th - year pro out of North Carolina . Chandler Parsons also put up some impressive numbers . He went off for 21 points ( 9 - 16 FG , 0 - 5 3Pt , 3 - 3 FT ) , while also adding eight rebounds and six assists . Parsons is averaging just 9 points , 3 rebounds , and 2 assists so far this season , so it was a step in the right direction for him . Notching a double - double was Dwight Powell , who came off the bench for 13 points ( 4 - 9 FG , 5 - 6 FT ) and 10 rebounds over 29 minuteus off the bench . For the Pelicans , superstar Anthony Davis did everything he could to keep the Pelicans alive . He went off for a game - high of 26 points ( 11 - 25 FG , 0 - 3 3Pt , 4 - 5 FT ) , to go along with 12 rebounds , seven assists and three blocked shots . Davis came just shy of a triple - double , but it was n't enough to propel the Pelicans to the victory . Tyreke Evans chipped in with 16 points ( 6 - 12 FG , 1 - 4 3Pt , 3 - 4 FT ) , nine rebounds and five assists over 35 minutes as well . The Mavericks ' next game will be on the road against the Milwaukee Bucks on Friday , while the Pelicans will take on the Pacers at home in New Oreleans at the Smoothie King Center on Friday .


The Indiana Pacers ( 21 - 15 ) picked up an interconference road win Friday night at Smoothie King Center as they downed the New Orleans Pelicans ( 11 - 24 ) , 91 - 86 . The Pacers endured a rare down night from star forward Paul George , who mustered just 13 points on a brutal 3 - 13 shooting performance , including 1 - 7 from three . Center Ian Mahinmi stepped up to the fill the void , as he scored 17 points , pulled down 10 rebounds and blocked four shots in just 24 minutes of action . It was a Mahinmi hook shot plus the foul that gave the Pacers an 84 - 82 lead with 4:46 remaining , and they would n't relinquish it . Indiana needed a mammoth defensive effort to overcome their poor offensive performance , as they shot just 5 - 21 from the three - point line and turned the ball over a staggering 24 times . They managed to stay in the game by grabbing 40 rebounds on the Pelicans ' 48 missed shots ( 83 defensive rebound rate ) and blocking seven shots . C.J . Miles 's performance off the bench - - 15 points on 6 - 12 shooting - - helped give the Pacers just enough offense to make the effort on the other end stick . That defensive effort was made easier when Pelicans star Anthony Davis was forced to leave the game after just three minutes when he suffered a lower back contusion after diving into the stands during an attempt at a rebound . Tyreke Evans stepped up to fill the void , as he scored 27 points on an efficient 10 - 19 shooting night . Ryan Anderson filled Davis 's big man shoes admirably , as he scored 21 points and grabbed six rebounds , but New Orleans shot just 37 percent as a team and did n't have enough firepower without its superstar . The Pacers have now won two straight and will look to make it three Sunday at Houston . New Orleans now owns a two game losing streak and will look to turn it around Sunday in Los Angeles .


The New Orleans Pelicans ( 13 - 26 ) defeated the Charlotte Hornets ( 18 - 21 ) 109 - 107 on Friday night at Smoothie King Center in New Orleans . This was a close game the whole way , going back and forth with 14 lead changes and 12 ties . After Kemba Walker tied it up at 107 with 2 seconds left , the Pelicans called time out to set themselves up with a side inbound . The ball was inbounded to Jrue Holiday who ran a quick pick and roll with Anthony Davis . Holiday threw a perfect alley - oop pass to Davis who converted the play and sealed the win for the Pelicans . The Pelicans snapped a three - game home losing streak and gave Charlotte its ninth straight road loss . New Orleans has now won both its games since Anthony Davis returned to the lineup last Wednesday . Davis contributed a solid 22 points ( 8 - 14 FG , 6 - 7 FT ) , five rebounds , four assists , two blocked shots and one steal . Ryan Anderson was the hero though , as he finished with a game - high 32 points , ( 12 - 19 FG , 6 - 8 3Pt , 2 - 2 FT ) and eight rebounds , in 28 minutes off the bench . Jrue Holiday chipped in 13 points ( 6 - 14 FG ) , 10 assists and six rebounds , in 27 minutes off the bench . Tyreke Evans was back in the lineup after missing games with a sore knee . He finished with 12 points and seven assists , in 26 minutes . The Hornets are now 4 - 14 on the road as their struggles continue . Kemba Walker did everything he could in this one , finishing with 25 points ( 9 - 17 FG , 5 - 7 3Pt ) , four assists and four rebounds , in 41 minutes . Nicolas Batum also poured in 25 ( 11 - 22 FG , 2 - 9 3Pt ) , along with eight assists and four rebounds , in 40 minutes . Frank Kaminsky had a good game with 18 points ( 7 - 9 FG , 2 - 2 3Pt ) and six rebounds , in 24 minutes off the bench . Charlotte still has a chance to turn things around as their strong start to the season gave them a bit of a cushion ; they are only 3 games out of eighth in the East . Next the Hornets host the Bucks on Saturday , which will be the second of a back to back for both teams . The Pelicans will visit Memphis to play the Grizzlies on Monday .


After allowing a massive 38 points in the first quarter , the New Orleans Pelicans ( 14 - 27 ) secured their third victory in four games with a 114 - 99 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves ( 13 - 30 ) . Superstar Anthony Davis dropped in a game - high 35 points , helping propel the Pelicans to victory . Davis has flown under the radar in the Pelicans ' disappointing season , despite his impressive averages of 23 points , 11 rebounds , and 3 blocks per game . `` The Brow `` currently sits at fourth in the league in double - doubles this season , and has been a major part of New Orlean 's increasing success as of late . Point guard Jrue Holiday also exploded off the bench in the win over Minnesota , delivering 19 points and nine assists in 27 minutes of action . The former All-Star has averaged 18 points and 10 assists over his last three games while turning the ball over just four times in total . Minnesota 's season has deteriorated rapidly , as the team has now lost seven straight on the road . Rookie sensation Karl-Anthony Towns continues to be a bright spot in the Timberwolves ' unpleasant season . Towns has posted rookie - best averages of 16 points and 10 rebounds per game , numbers which he added to in New Orleans . The rookie center tallied 20 points , 13 rebounds , a block and a steal in the loss to the Pelicans . Reigning Rookie of the Year Andrew Wiggins , meanwhile , led the team with 21 points and also grabbed three steals . The Timberwolves ' next matchup takes the team to Dallas , where they will face the Mavericks to round out a double - header on Monday . The Pelicans may see their luck tested , meanwhile , as they see the Pistons on Tuesday . Detroit is fresh off a blowout of the league - best Golden State Warriors .


The New Orleans Pelicans ( 15 - 27 ) earned their fourth win in five games on Thursday , defeating the Detroit Pistons ( 23 - 20 ) 115 - 99 . After sitting at fourteenth in the Western Conference for over a month , the Pelicans have been able to turn things around , and now sit just 4 games out from the eighth seed . With the win , New Orleans also improved to 10 - 9 at home on the season , placing them at above .500 at the Smoothie King Center for the first time in 2015 - 16 . Anthony Davis and Andre Drummond squared off in what proved to be a battle between big men on Thursday . Davis recorded a game - high 32 points , while Drummond poured in 19 points , pulled down 22 rebounds , and stole the ball four times . Despite Drummond 's high individual rebounding total , the two teams ended up dead even on the glass , with each squad grabbing 44 rebounds . Drummond also went 3 for 5 at the free - throw line just one day after setting the NBA record for missed free - throws after going 13 for 36 in Houston . Shooting guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope led the Pistons in scoring with 23 points in a game - high 41 minutes . The 22 - year - old ranks third in the league in minutes per game , and Thursday 's matchup saw no deviation from that trend . For New Orleans , meanwhile , shooting guard Tyreke Evans filled the stat sheet with a 22 - point , 10 - assist double - double . Evans also recorded four rebounds and two steals . Detroit will travel to Denver for a matchup against the Nuggets on Saturday . New Orleans will also play on Saturday , continuing the team 's homestead with a visit from the Milwaukee Bucks .


The New Orleans Pelicans ( 16 - 27 ) won for the fifth time in six games Saturday with a 116 - 99 victory against the Milwaukee Bucks ( 19 - 27 ) . New Orleans , last season 's Western Conference eighth seed , has been slowly climbing out of the bottom of the standings since the start of the New Year . The win over Milwaukee puts the Pelicans just three games behind the Sacramento Kings in the conference playoff race . Per usual , the Pels owed a large portion of their success on Saturday to the play of superstar Anthony Davis . The fourth - year power forward failed to repeat his starting All-Star honors this season , but has quietly been averaging a double - double with 23 points per game . Davis 's game was nothing short of the ordinary on Saturday , as he posted 22 points while pulling down seven rebounds , dishing out five assists , and blocking four shots . It was forward Ryan Anderson , however , who led the team in scoring with 23 points while coming off the bench . Anderson converted an impressive 6 of 11 shots from beyond the three - point line . The Bucks are now facing a two - game slide after finally seeing a three - game stretch of good luck . Milwaukee currently sits at last in the central division and thirteenth in the Eastern Conference , just one year after a surprising appearance in the playoffs . The Bucks held advantages in rebounding , field - goal shooting , and free - throw shooting over the Pelicans , but were still blown out in large part due to an 18 - 8 disadvantage in the turnover department . Perimeter defense also posed a problem for the Bucks , as New Orleans went an impressive 17 for 31 from beyond the arc . Milwaukee will have two days of rest before hosting the Orlando Magic on Tuesday . New Orleans , meanwhile , will continue their homestand on Monday as they face the Houston Rockets at Smoothie King Center .


The Houston Rockets ( 25 - 22 ) defeated the New Orleans Pelicans ( 16 - 28 ) 112 - 111 on Monday . In a testament to the collective improvement the Pelicans have shown since a 1 - 11 start , the team nearly pulled out a victory despite only getting 19 minutes out of All-Star Anthony Davis due to a concussion . With their main source of offense down , two of the most valuable bench players in the league stepped up to keep New Orleans within striking distance until the scoreboard showed triple zeros . Jrue Holiday equaled the combined scoring total of the starting five with a 32 - point tally , while Ryan Anderson contributed 22 points over the extra playing time he received in Davis ' stead . Despite the impressive performances , it was ironically a missed 33 - foot three - point jumper from Holiday as time expired that sealed the Pelicans ' fate on a night when their valiant effort fell just short . Houston shot 48 percent from the field , as well as 49 percent from beyond the arc . James Harden was an intergral contributor to both figures , tallying a near triple - double with 35 points , 11 rebounds , eight assists , a steal and a block . His scoring haul included three three - pointers . Trevor Ariza played an impressive all - around game , managing 31 points , five rebounds , three assists , a team - high three steals and a block . He also defended Davis well while the latter was on the floor . Patrick Beverley stuffed the stat sheet , registering 11 points , seven rebounds , three assists and a pair of steals . Clint Capela filled in for Dwight Howard for a third consecutive game , collecting 10 points and five rebounds . Marcus Thornton paced the Rockets ' reserves with 12 points , a pair of assists and a rebound . With the victory , Houston remains in fourth place in the Western Conference 's Southwest Division . They head to San Antonio to take on the Spurs in a Wednesday tilt . Holiday added nine assists , six rebounds and three steals to his team - high scoring total . Anderson hauled in nine rebounds and recorded one block to supplement his 22 points . Veteran Toney Douglas was the third Pelicans reserve to post double - digit scoring , and the third - highest scorer on the team as well , managing 18 points . He also added six assists , three rebounds , a steal and a block . Norris Cole spearheaded the starting five with 10 points , four rebounds and four assists , the only member of the first unit to reach double - digit points . Backcourt mate Tyreke Evans notably contributed only five points , two rebounds and two assists over a scant 16 minutes on the court , as Holiday 's success garnered him an abundant 36 minutes of floor time and kept Evans a spectator for extended stretches . With the loss , New Orleans remains in last place in the Western Conference 's Southwest Division . They 're at home again on Thursday to face off against the Sacramento Kings .


The New Orleans Pelicans ( 17 - 28 ) defeated the Sacramento Kings ( 20 - 26 ) 114 - 105 on Thursday night . New Orleans came into this game extremely shorthanded , but were still able to pull out an important win against a hot Kings team . The pace was incredible in this game , as the two teams combined for 187 shots . The Pelicans got off to a fast start and that really proved to be the difference , as they outscored the Kings 37 to 19 in the first quarter . Sacramento has been playing some of their best basketball of the season since the new year , but this does mark their third - straight loss . It was n't for the faults of DeMarcus Cousins or Rajon Rondo though , as they both had great games . Cousins finished with 26 points , 10 rebounds , six assists and five blocks , while Rondo tallied 17 points , 15 assists and six rebounds . Ben McLemore had one of his best games of the season as well , as he scored 26 points while hitting five three - pointers in the loss . Sacramento will look to bounce back on Saturday against the Memphis Grizzlies in their next game . New Orleans had to play this game without arguably their two best players , but this type of performance shows how talented their depth can be . Anthony Davis and Tyreke Evans both sat out with different ailments , but players like Ryan Anderson and Norris Cole stepped up in their absences . Anderson was the star of the game , as he scored 36 points while snatching down nine boards . Cole played a lot of point guard tonight and accumulated 17 points , 10 assists and seven rebounds in a great all - around performance . Jrue Holiday was no slouch either , as he amassed 25 points , five rebounds and eight assists off the bench . Up next for New Orleans is another winnable game against the Brooklyn Nets on Saturday .


The New Orleans Pelicans ( 18 - 28 ) defeated the Brooklyn Nets ( 12 - 35 ) 105 - 103 on Saturday thanks to Jrue Holiday 's late - second game - winner . This game had an exciting finish with both teams giving blows all the way down to the final whistle . Holiday hit a three - pointer with 10 seconds left to take a three - point lead , but Joe Johnson followed that with a game - tying three with six seconds left for the Nets . On the Pelicans ' next possession , Holiday fumbled the ball before regaining possession and hitting a wild fade away for the winning margin with one second left . The bench scoring was the big difference for New Orleans , as they got 55 bench points to the Nets 24 . Brooklyn did a great job of hanging around in this game , but just could n't prevail late . Brook Lopez carried the Nets , as he tallied 33 points , 10 rebounds , three steals and four blocks in the loss . Thaddeus Young also had a nice game , as he amassed 16 points , eight rebounds and four assists in the defeat . This gave them their 13th loss in their last 15 games and it does n't get much easier against the Detroit Pistons on Monday in their next game . This gives New Orleans seven wins in their last nine games and the `` must - win '' homestand is really helping this team back into the playoff hunt . Anthony Davis missed the last two games with a concussion , but played big here . While Davis started 0 - for - 9 from the field in the first half , he still finished with 20 points and 16 rebounds in 40 minutes of action . Holiday was great down the stretch , as he finished with 26 points and seven assists . Ryan Anderson also continued his recent hot stretch , as he accumulated 24 points , six rebounds and five assists in the win . Up next for New Orleans is the Memphis Grizzlies on Monday .


The Memphis Grizzlies ( 29 - 20 ) defeated the host New Orleans Pelicans ( 18 - 29 ) 110 - 95 , on Monday at Smoothie King Center in New Orleans . This was a tight game between two streaking teams that featured 14 lead changes and 11 ties . The Pelicans led 86 - 84 with seven minutes remaining in the fourth quarter but the Grizzlies turned it up at that point , out - scoring the Pelicans 24 - 11 the rest of the way . Vince Carter was a big part of that late surge by Memphis as he exploded for 11 of his 13 points in the final five minutes . With this win the Grizzlies are 8 - 1 in their last nine games and have won four straight , while the Pelicans finished their seven - game home stand with a 5 - 2 record . The Grizzlies ' bench contributed 48 points to the winning cause . Jeff Green led the team in scoring , with 24 points ( 8 - 13 FG , 3 - 4 3Pt , 5 - 5 FT ) , along with seven rebounds , in 33 minutes off the bench . Zach Randolph tallied a double - double with 22 points ( 10 - 15 FG , 2 - 3 FT ) and 12 rebounds , in 32 minutes . Mike Conley also notched a double - double , with 17 points ( 5 - 7 FG , 1 - 2 3Pt , 6 - 6 FT ) and 10 assists , along with four rebounds , in 28 minutes . The Grizzlies shot 60 percent from the field and 56 percent from long range , including 5 - 6 from deep in the fourth quarter to run away with this one . The Pelicans were missing Tyreke Evans ( knee ) for the third straight game . Norris Cole did a good job starting in Evans ' place , as he finished with 23 points ( 9 - 15 FG , 3 - 3 3Pt , 2 - 2 FT ) , six assists and three rebounds , in 37 minutes . Anthony Davis tallied 23 points ( 10 - 20 FG , 1 - 2 3Pt , 2 - 3 FT ) in 37 minutes as well . He also chipped in nine rebounds , three assists , one steal and one block . No one else scored in double digits for the Pelicans as they saw their win streak stopped short at two games . Next the Pelicans will visit San Antonio for a Wednesday night contest . The Grizzlies will have a few days off before visiting New York to face the Knicks on Friday


The Los Angeles Lakers ( 11 - 41 ) defeated the New Orleans Pelicans ( 18 - 31 ) 99 - 96 on Thursday . Throughout the course of this , his final season , 20 - year - veteran Kobe Bryant has certainly had his ups and downs . He 's gone through long stretches where he 's struggled with his shot , and due to his generally unremarkable numbers , his election to the All-Star team has been derided by some as a somewhat undeserved distinction . However , over the last three contests , Bryant has turned back the clock and resembled the legendary figure that has earned the many accolades he 's received throughout his retirement tour . His remarkable run continued Thursday , with the 37 - year - old registering a team - high 27 points , and adding 12 boards , two assists and two steals in leading Los Angeles to only their fifth road victory of the season . The output followed a season - high 38 - point outburst against the Timberwolves on Tuesday , and a 23 - point effort in just 23 minutes against the Hornets last Sunday . The steady Jordan Clarkson followed Bryant 's performance with 18 points , five rebounds and two assists of his own . Julius Randle had a tough assignment against Anthony Davis , but did contribute 11 points , eight rebounds and three assists as the only other Lakers starter to post double - digit scoring . D'Angelo Russell stepped in off the bench to pace the reserves with 13 points , three rebounds and three assists , while Nick Young provided 11 points , four rebounds , an assist and a steal . The Lakers remain in last place in the Western Conference 's Pacific Division . They head to San Antonio to take on the Spurs in a Saturday night showdown . Anthony Davis unsurprisingly dominated a vulernable Lakers frontcourt throughout the night , tallying 39 points , 11 rebounds , a steal and a block . Bryce Dejean-Jones , who has been a revelation during Eric Gordon 's absence due to a finger injury , pitched in with 17 points , nine rebounds , an assist and a pair of steals . His contributions were particularly relevant on a night when backcourt mate Norris Cole could only manage two points , two assists and two steals , and during which Davis was the only other starter to post double - digit points . Jrue Holiday was outstanding off the bench , supplying a near double - double in 34 minutes of action with 19 points , nine assists , a steal and a block . However , he missed an opportunity to send the game into overtime when he misfired on a 25 - foot three - point jumper at the buzzer . Ryan Anderson was n't far behind with a productive effort of his own , totaling 17 points and four rebounds . The Pelicans remain in last place in the Western Conference 's Southwest Division . They head to Cleveland to take on the Cavaliers on Saturday night .


The New Orleans Pelicans ( 20 - 32 ) defeated the Utah Jazz ( 26 - 26 ) 100 - 96 on Wednesday . The form of these two teams would have indicated a different result , but the Pelicans got a much needed win to keep slim hopes alive for the playoffs . The Pelicans outscored the Jazz 29 - 19 in the fourth quarter for a comeback win . The turnovers were the key difference , as Utah committed 17 turnovers to the Pelicans nine . This loss cracked a seven - game winning streak for the Jazz , so losing in the second end of a back - to - back is nothing to be upset about . Derrick Favors was fantastic , as he amassed 29 points and six rebounds in the loss . Gordon Hayward got off to a terrible start , but finished strong by tallying 21 points , four rebounds and four assists in the defeat . Rudy Gobert finished with 12 points and 14 rebounds en route to a double - double as well . Utah 's next game wo n't be until the 18th , when they play the Washington Wizards after tea All-Star break . Only two Pelicans players scored more than 11 points , but they still managed to walk away with a huge win . Jrue Holiday was easily the player of the game , as he tallied 21 points , six rebounds and nine assists off the bench . Anthony Davis was the only other notable stat line , as he accumulated 19 points , four rebounds , and five assists while battling foul trouble in the victory . New Orleans has one final game before the All-Star break , as they travel to play the Oklahoma City Thunder on Thursday .


The New Orleans Pelicans ( 21 - 33 ) defeated the visiting Philadelphia 76ers ( 8 - 46 ) 121 - 114 , on Friday night at Smoothie King Center . The Pelicans led the whole way in this game , despite a ferocious run by the 76ers , which cut a 22 - point lead to a one - point lead early in the fourth quarter . The Pelicans responded by rebuilding their lead to 10 with four minutes to go and hanging on the rest of the way . Both teams shot over 50 percent from the field , over 40 percent from long - range and over 80 percent from the foul line . With this win the Pelicans home record improves to 15 - 12 . Anthony Davis led the way for New Orleans with 34 points ( 9 - 22 FG , 0 - 2 3Pt , 16 - 20 FT ) , seven rebounds , two steals and two blocks , in 38 minutes . Davis scored 18 of his points in the first quarter , giving his team the boost they needed to stay on top . Jrue Holiday was huge in 33 minutes off the bench , logging a double - double with 24 points ( 8 - 17 FG , 1 - 4 3Pt , 7 - 8 FT ) and 12 assists , along with four steals and three rebounds . Ryan Anderson was even more potent with his scoring off the bench , as he chipped in 26 points ( 9 - 15 FG , 4 - 6 3Pt , 4 - 4 FT ) , in 27 minutes . The 76ers had seven players contribute double digits in the points column , a stat which the struggling squad can find comfort in . Nerlens Noel was the anchor as he tallied 24 points ( 10 - 15 FG , 4 - 5 FT ) , nine rebounds , four assists , two steals and one blocked shot , in 36 minutes . Ish Smith finished with 12 points , seven assists , four steals and three rebounds , in 31 minutes , while Jahlil Okafor tallied 14 points and five rebounds , before fouling out . Philly gave up 20 turnovers , despite playing a good game in many other ways . The 76ers will now head to Dallas to face the Mavericks on Sunday . The Pelicans will go head to head with the Pistons , in Detroit on Sunday .


The New Orleans Pelicans ( 23 - 34 ) defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder ( 41 - 17 ) 123 - 119 on Thursday . Not many people would have expected the shorthanded Pelicans to win a game over the Thunder , but they did just that on Thursday . The key for New Orleans was their lights - out shooting , as they shot 52 percent from the field , 94 percent from the free - throw line and 60 percent from three - point range . The bench differential was huge as well , with the Pelicans bench scoring 60 points to the Thunder 's 20 . The one criticism with Oklahoma City is that they are a two - man team and that became the issue on Thursday . Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook both put up monster lines , but it was n't enough to win . Durant finished with 32 points , 14 rebounds and seven assists , while Westbrook tallied 44 points , nine assists and four rebounds . Only one other player scored in double - digits , as Serge Ibaka scored 15 in the loss . Up next for Oklahoma City is a showcase game against the Golden State Warriors on Saturday . New Orleans came into this game as a six - point underdog and rode their bench to a win . Ryan Anderson scored 26 points off the bench , with Jrue Holiday providing 22 points and nine assists of his own . Anthony Davis led the team with 30 points and also swatted away four shots in the win . Norris Cole put in a all - around great performance , as he accumulated 21 points , six rebounds and eight assists in the victory . The Pelicans will look to build on this win on Saturday against the Minnesota Timberwolves in their next game .


The Minnesota Timberwolves ( 19 - 40 ) defeated the New Orleans Pelicans ( 23 - 35 ) 112 - 110 , on Saturday at Smoothie King Center . Anthony Davis , one of the league 's hottest players lately , had to leave the floor after injuring his foot in the pre - game warm up and did not return . With Davis then missing from the line - up and Omer Asik still out , the Pelicans had to look down their bench , while sharpshooter Ryan Anderson filled in as starter . Despite missing their all - star , the Pelicans held the lead for most of the game but the tides turned as the Timberwolves took the lead with 2:40 left , 104 - 103 . Once the Timberwolves got on top , they hung on to steal the win in New Orleans , behind Karl-Anthony Towns ' team - high 30 points . The youngsters had huge games for Minnesota . Karl-Anthony Towns was a beast as he tallied a team - high 30 points ( 13 - 20 FG , 0 - 1 3Pt , 4 - 8 FT ) , along with 15 rebounds , four assists , two steals and one block , in 35 minutes . Zach LaVine chipped in 25 points ( 11 - 17 FG , 2 - 4 3Pt , 1 - 1 FT ) and five rebounds , in 35 minutes , while Ricky Rubio dished 10 assists , along with is nine points , in 35 minutes . Andrew Wiggins struggled from the field but made up for it from the free throw line , as he added 20 points ( 5 - 15 FG , 0 - 3 3Pt , 10 - 10 FT ) , including two clutch free throws with three seconds left that ultimately won the game . The Timberwolves shot 50 percent from the field and only attempted 15 three - points , of which five were successful . New Orleans came into this game winners of five of their last seven and with the good news that Eric Gordon would be returning to the line - up after missing 16 games , but things took a turn for the worst when Anthony Davis injured his foot in pre - game warm up . Ryan Anderson stepped it up as he scored 13 points in his first 13 minutes on the floor and finished with 31 points ( 10 - 18 FG , 3 - 7 3Pt , 8 - 9 FT ) , 14 rebounds , and two blocked shots , in 40 minutes , while Eric Gordon provided another bright spot for the Pelicans as he totaled 31 points ( 9 - 17 FG , 4 - 9 3Pt , 9 - 10 FT ) , three rebounds , three steals and two assists , in 34 minutes . Jrue Holiday added 20 points ( 8 - 13 FG , 1 - 3 3Pt , 3 - 3 FT ) and eight assists , in 35 minutes off the bench . The Pelicans will have a few days off before playing in Houston next Wednesday , giving Davis some time to perhaps recover . The Timberwolves will wind - up their current three - game road trip with a game in Dallas on Sunday .


The San Antonio Spurs ( 52 - 9 ) won a back - and - forth game over the New Orleans Pelicans ( 23 - 37 ) Thursday night at Smoothie King Center , 94 - 86 . The game was tight throughout , as neither team managed to build up a double - digit lead at any point in the game . The Pelicans , who earned a one - point halftime lead , led for the first nine minutes of the fourth quarter . But the Spurs exploded in the game 's final minutes , as they ended the game on a an 18 - 5 run and scored on every single one of their final eight possessions before running the clock out to end the game . Kawhi Leonard led all scorers with 30 points , bolstered by six made three - pointers , and added 11 rebounds , three assists , two blocks and two steals . Lamarcus Aldridge scored 26 points ( 11 - 19 FG ) and added eight rebounds and a block . The Spurs offense was crisp as usual , as the Spurs assisted on 27 of their 36 made field goals ( 75 percent ) and turned the ball over just 11 times . Eric Gordon scored 23 points ( 9 - 19 FG , 3 - 6 3PT ) to lead the Pelicans . Anthony Davis notched his third double - double in the past five games with 17 points ( 7 - 12 FG , 3 - 3 FT ) and 13 rebounds and added two blocks , two steals and an assist . The Pelicans shot just 8 - 24 ( 33 percent ) from three and had 10 of their 65 two - point shots ( 15 percent ) blocked as they could n't put up enough points to pull away from the Spurs . The Pelicans host the Jazz on Saturday . The Spurs return home Saturday to face the Kings .


The Utah Jazz ( 29 - 33 ) defeated the New Orleans Pelicans ( 23 - 38 ) 106 - 94 on Saturday . Utah 's formidable frontcourt duo of Rudy Gobert and Derrick Favors had shown some vulnerability lately , as some opposing big men had been able to generate productive nights against them . Saturday , they faced a formidable challenge in the form of one Anthony Davis , who represented a considerable threat despite being hobbled by a sprained toe in recent days . The towering tandem answered the bell however , hauling in a whopping 29 rebounds between them . The Jazz 's dominance on the glass was team - wide , as they outrebounded New Orleans on the night by a margin of 53 - 32 . Utah 's stalwart defense also largely stymied the Pelicans overall , with only Davis and Jrue Holiday able to amass double - digit scoring . Favors ' 28 - point , 11 - rebound double - double led the way for the visitors , and he added three assists , a steal and six rejections . Gordon Hayward was right behind him with 24 points , five rebounds , four assists and a steal . Shelvin Mack and Rodney Hood followed with a pair of 11 - point efforts . The former complemented his scoring total with four assists , three rebounds and a steal , while the latter pitched in four rebounds , three assists and a steal as well . Trevor Booker led the reserves with 11 points , eight boards and two assists . Utah remains in third place in the Western Conference 's Northwest Division , and is currently one - and - a - half games behind the eighth - seeded Houston Rockets . They 're headed back home to face the Rockets in a key matchup on Wednesday . Davis ' 29 points paced the Pelicans , and he was the only member of the starting five able to tally double - digit scoring . He also managed 11 rebounds , two assists , a steal and two blocks . Holiday pitched in his 22 points off the bench , and he also dished out seven assists and hauled in two boards . Eric Gordon , Norris Cole , Omer Asik and Dante Cunningham , the remaining members of the first unit , could only total 19 points , nine rebounds and 11 assists between them . The Pelicans are in last place in the Western Conference 's Southwest Division , and a full seven games behind the eighth - seeded Rockets . They remain home to face the Sacramento Kings in a Monday night tussle .


The New Orleans Pelicans ( 24 - 38 ) defeated the Sacramento Kings ( 25 - 37 ) 115 - 112 , Monday night at Smoothie King Center . This was a hard - fought battle between two floundering western squads . Sacramento started out strong but New Orleans battled back from a 17 - point deficit in the third quarter to eventually tie the game at 89 with 8:40 left in the fourth . New Orleans then continued the comeback with a 15 - 4 run in the last four minutes , capped off with a three by Dante Cunningham and clutch foul - line jumper from Jrue Holiday . The 17 - point difference that the Pelicans overcame to snap their four - game losing streak was the largest comeback they have completed all season . New Orleans has now won its last five contests against the Kings . Anthony Davis had his hands full doing battle against DeMarcus Cousins , but still found time to drop 31 points ( 13 - 21 FG , 1 - 3 3Pt , 4 - 9 FT ) , along with 10 rebounds and three steals , in 38 minutes on the floor . In the absence of Eric Gordon who is out with a broken finger , Jrue Holiday got the start at point guard . Holiday finished with an impressive 20 points and 10 assists , as well as four rebounds , four steals and one blocked shot , in 35 minutes , while Norris Cole chipped in 23 points , along with seven rebounds , six assists and three steals , in 40 minutes . In spite of the loss , DeMarcus Cousins put up a monstrous 40 points ( 16 - 29 FG , 0 - 3 3Pt , 8 - 9 FT ) and 16 rebounds , as well as four assists and four steals , in 41 minutes . Rudy Gay and Rajon Rondo each contributed their own double - double ; Rondo with 18 points and 10 assists and Gay with 18 points and 10 rebounds . The Kings shot a solid 49 percent from the field but it was not enough to compensate for their 24 turnovers , as the Pelicans sent them packing . Next , the Kings will host the Cavaliers on Wednesday . The Pelicans begin a five - game road trip in Charlotte on Wednesday .


The Portland Trail Blazers ( 36 - 34 ) defeated the New Orleans Pelicans ( 25 - 43 ) 117 - 112 on Friday . A wild back - and - forth battle featured plenty of offensive fireworks , most coming from the ususal suspects on either squad . Portland 's dynamic duo of Damian Lillard and C.J . McCollum put together a pair of 30 - point - plus performances , while Jrue Holiday bounced back from a pair of lackluster games to hit that number as well . The fourth member of the 30 - point club was a Pelicans power forward , but not the one most likely to achieve the mark . It was notably Ryan Anderson , and not Anthony Davis , that accomplished the feat , in an outstanding 37 minutes off the bench . As has happened on multiple occasions this season , Davis was forced to exit the game early with an injury , suffering a left knee ailment that prevented him from taking the floor in the second half . Despite having held a lead as large as 20 points and not having to face Davis over the final two quarters , the Trail Blazers were forced to fight until the final whistle , as the Pelicans mounted a furious comeback . Holiday 's clutch 26 - foot three - pointer with four seconds remaining kept things interesting until the very end , and it was n't until McCollum drained two subsequent free throws with one second remaining that Portland was able to breathe easy . Lillard 's 33 points paced the visitors , and he added eight rebounds , six assists and a block . McCollum followed closely behind with 30 points , six assists and three rebounds . Mason Plumlee was next among the starters with 11 points , six rebounds and four assists . Gerald Henderson paced the reserves with 19 points , six rebounds and a steal . Ed Davis was productive in a reserve role as well , posting a 10 - point , 10 - rebound double - double . He added a pair of blocks and a steal . The Trail Blazers remain in second place in the Western Conference 's Northwest Division , and are currently in the sixth seed in the conference as well . They head to Dallas to face off with the Mavericks on Sunday . Holiday paced New Orleans with 30 points , six assists , two rebounds and two steals . Davis managed 19 points and a rebound in only 14 minutes before exiting with his injury . Toney Douglas was productive in another start , totaling 12 points , six assists , a rebound and two steals . Anderson paced the reserves with his 30 - point scoring total , and added seven rebounds , three assists and a block . New Orleans remains in last place in the Western Conference 's Southwest Division and is 10 games behind the eighth - seeded Dallas Mavericks . They 're home against the Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday .


The New Orleans Pelicans ( 26 - 43 ) defeated the Los Angeles Clippers ( 43 - 26 ) 109 - 105 on Sunday . The Pelicans led 102 - 88 with two minutes left and barely held on for a much needed win . The key for New Orleans was the rebounding , as they brought down 54 boards to the Clippers 35 . That marks the 10tth - straight game that the Clippers have been outrebounded , with nine of those being by at least 12 boards . The Pelicans shot 49 percent from the field , while holding Los Angeles to just 40 percent in their victory . The Clippers continue to struggle and the return of Blake Griffin is becoming more envious every day . This marks their fourth loss in their last five games and their sixth loss in their last eight . Chris Paul had yet another superb outing though , as he tallied 24 points , 13 assists , six rebounds and four assists . J.J. Redick scored 24 of his own on 9 - for - 11 shooting . Up next for the Clippers is a rivalry match against the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday , so the tough times look likely to continue . New Orleans has had to play many games without Anthony Davis , but this may have been their best performance . They also played without Ryan Anderson and Tyreke Evans , so it was a true team effort . All five starters scored at least 14 points , with Jrue Holiday leading the team while also contributing eight assists . Omer Asik got the start and double - doubled , in a 15 - point , 14 - rebound effort . Toney Douglas flirted with a triple - double as well , as he accumulated 15 points , seven rebounds and nine assists . New Orleans will look to build off this win on Tuesday against the Miami Heat .


The Miami Heat ( 41 - 29 ) took down the ailing New Orleans Pelicans ( 26 - 43 ) at Smoothie King Center on Tuesday , winning 113 - 99 . It was a big night for Miami 's veteran backcourt , as guards Dwyane Wade and Goran Dragic combined for 46 points . Wade led the team in scoring while also pulling down seven rebounds and committing just one turnover in 31 minutes of played . Dragic , meanwhile , added an impressive eight rebounds and five assists on top of his 21 points . The true star , however , was bench big man Hassan Whiteside , who delivered a massive 24 - point , 14 - rebound double - double while also swatting three shots . Miami has continued to climb in the standings despite the absence of All-Star Chris Bosh . The Heat have ascended to third in the East while their star struggles with recurring blood clots . New Orleans , meanwhile , has been dealings with injury issues of its own . The struggling Pelicans took a major blow earlier this weak when it was announced that star forward Anthony Davis would miss the remainder of the 2015 - 16 season . A battered Pelicans team took the floor on Tuesday , with Dante Cunningham getting the nod at power forward . It was a tough night all - around , as the team shot just 39 percent . The injured squad did find a leader in point guard Jrue Holiday , who scored 24 points while recording seven assists and four steals . The Heat will go on to visit San Antonio on Wednesday , while New Orleans will travel to Indiana on Thursday .


The powerhouse Toronto Raptors ( 49 - 23 ) made a mockery of the host New Orleans Pelicans ( 26 - 46 ) on Saturday night , winnning 115 - 91 . With the win , Toronto is now just one game away from the first 50 - win season in franchise history . The red - hot Raptors have held fast at second in the Eastern Conference , remaining just two games behind LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers . The Raps gave the rest of the league a reminder of their contender status on Saturday , absolutely eviscerating the shorthanded Pelicans . While star point guard Kyle Lowry went just 3 - for - 13 from the field on Saturday , Lowry 's fellow All-Star and backcourt partner in crime DeMar DeRozan picked up the slack . `` The Quadruple Capital `` shot an impressive 9 - for - 11 from the field en route to a team - high 23 points . It was n't just the stars that shone in New Orleans , however , as the frontcourt of Luis Scola and Jonas Valanciunas contributed heavily to the win . Scola shot exclusively from behind the three - point line , going an impressive 4 - for - 5 . Valanciunas , meanwhile , pulled down nine boards and blocked a whopping five shots . With just 10 games remaining , the Raptors are poised to demolish their franchise high in wins and to be in play for the top spot in the conference . The Pelicans , meanwhile , remain decimated by injuries , with the latest and greatest of them all sidelining superstar Anthony Davis for the remainder of the season . Not a single member of the Pelicans original starting five suited up on Saturday , as each of them was dealing with various injuries . A brutally weakend starting lineup took the floor in New Orleans , with career journeyman Alonzo Gee logging a team - high 41 minutes . As a whole , the team turned the ball over just seven times , an impressive feat against the stingy Toronto defense . Nevertheless , the team shot just 27 percent from deep and seemingly allowed everything on defense , as Toronto converted 53 percent of its shots . The Raptors will host the Thunder on Monday in a battle of two of the league 's top teams . The Pelicans , meanwhile , will see a less grueling matchup as they start next week off with a home game against the struggling Knicks .


The New Orleans Pelicans ( 27 - 46 ) defeated visiting New York Knicks ( 30 - 45 ) 99 - 91 , Monday evening at Smoothie King Center . This win marks the Pelicans first of the season when scoring less than 100 points . Prior to this contest the Pelicans were the only team without a win when scoring below 100 points , with a record of 0 - 33 in those games . This was a tight contest that was tied at 85 with 2:59 left but the Pelicans pulled away in the last few minutes to snap a three - game losing streak . Jrue Holiday left the game late in the fourth quarter after taking a hit to the face . The short - handed Pelicans had five players score in double digits , as guys stepped up to earn their 19th win at home . Jrue Holiday led the way with 22 points , six rebounds , six assists and four steals , in 34 minutes . Luke Babbitt was efficient in 24 minutes , with 14 points on 4 - 6 shooting from the field , including 2 - 3 from long range and 4 - 4 from the foul line . Toney Douglas chipped in 16 points , five rebounds and two assists , in 24 minutes off the bench . The Pelicans shot 8 - 19 from three - point range and 27 - 37 from the foul line . The Knicks struggled as they shot only 40 percent from the field . Carmelo Anthony shot 9 - 22 on his way to 22 points , along with six assists and five rebounds , in 36 minutes . Kristaps Porzingis had a solid outing as he added 16 points , 10 rebounds , three blocked shots , two steals and two assists , in 35 minutes , while Robin Lopez chipped in 17 points and five rebounds . New York has now lost two in a row . Next , the Knicks will visit Dallas for a contest on Wednesday . The Pelicans have a date in San Antonio on Wednesday .


The New Orleans Pelicans ( 28 - 47 ) defeated the Denver Nuggets ( 32 - 44 ) 101 - 95 on Thursday . Denver came into this game as a rare road favorite and could n't muster up enough for a win . The key for New Orleans was their rebounding , as they brought down 51 boards to the Nuggets 40 . The Pelicans also shot well from long distance , as they went 13 - for - 29 in their win . The Nuggets have been playing better ball recently , but this loss guaranteed that they 'd miss the playoffs yet again . Darrell Arthur was great off the bench in this loss though , as he scored 24 points and grabbed nine rebounds . Kenneth Faried recorded his 22nd double - double , as he tallied 10 points and 12 rebounds . On deck for the Nuggets is a matchup with the Sacramento Kings on Saturday . The Pelicans are extremely shorthanded right now , so this was a true team win . Toney Douglas was the leader , as he totaled 20 points and 10 assists in the victory . Luke Babbitt led the team with 22 points , while also grabbing 10 rebounds . Tim Frazier was a great spark off the bench , as he accumulated 17 points , five rebounds and eight assists . The Pelicans next game wo n't be until Sunday , when they face the Brooklyn Nets on the road .


The New Orleans Pelicans ( 30 - 49 ) defeated the visiting Los Angeles Lakers ( 16 - 63 ) 110 - 102 , Friday night at Smoothie King Center . The Lakers road - losing streak was extended to 11 games , as Alexis Ajinca and the Pelicans spoiled Kobe Bryant 's last visit to New Orleans . Ajinca recorded career - highs in rebounding and scoring as he led his team to their 21st home win . Ajinca finished with 28 points ( 12 - 17 FG , 4 - 4 FT ) and 15 rebounds , along with two assists , two blocked shots and one steal , in 37 minutes . Toney Douglas was solid as he tallied 20 points , six rebounds , four assists and one steal , in 33 minutes , while Dante Cunningham added 19 points , three assists and one rebound , in 34 minutes . Tim Frazier dished 12 assists , one shy of his career - high , along with seven points , in 26 minutes off the bench . The Pelicans shot 53 percent from the field , 45 percent from long range and assisted on 29 - of - 42 field goals , en route to the win . Jordan Clarkson and D'Angelo Russell combined for 58 points , to provide the Lakers with a little bit of a bright spot in what has thus far been a very tough season . Clarkson finished with 26 points ( 10 - 15 FG , 5 - 8 3Pt , 1 - 2 FT ) , while Russell added 32 points ( 9 - 16 FG , 3 - 6 FT , 11 - 13 FT ) . Kobe chipped in 14 points , four assists , three rebounds and one steal , in 22 minutes . The Lakers shot 42 percent from the field , while assisting on 18 - of - 34 field goals . Next , the Lakers will head to Houston to face the Rockets on Sunday . The Pelicans will be right back in action as they host the Suns on Saturday .


The Phoenix Suns ( 22 - 58 ) defeated the host New Orleans ( 30 - 50 ) 121 - 100 , Saturday evening at Smoothie King Center . This was the fourth game in five nights for the Pelicans , who were coming off a win on Friday night behind a career night from Alexis Ajinca . The Suns are one team who has been suffering more than the Pelicans this season but managed to pull off a win in New Orleans to avoid coming one step closer to 60 losses . The Suns have two games left in the season and must win one of them in order to avoid their first 60 - loss season . Archie Goodwin led the way for the Suns , with 24 points ( 7 - 11 FG , 3 - 5 3Pt , 7 - 9 FT ) , three assists and three rebounds , in 25 minutes off the bench . However , Goodwin left the game late in the fourth quarter after rolling his ankle . Mirza Teletovic provided a second punch off the bench , with 22 points ( 8 - 14 FG , 4 - 8 3Pt , 2 - 3 , FT ) , along with five rebounds and four assists , in 29 minutes . Alex Len logged a double - double with 10 points and 11 rebounds , in 25 minutes . The Suns shot 52 percent from the field , 40 percent from long range and did an excellent job rebounding against the depleted Pelicans . Alexis Ajinca was quiet in this one , after recording career - highs in points and rebounds on Friday . Toney Douglas was the high - point man for the Pelicans , as he finished with 23 points ( 8 - 14 FG , 3 - 6 3Pt , 4 - 4 FT ) , along with five assists , two rebounds and one steal , in 30 minutes . Luke Babbitt had a solid game , with 17 points , nine rebounds and two assists , in 34 minutes off the bench , while Tim Frazier filled the stat sheet with 11 points , eight rebounds , seven assists and one steal , in 31 minutes off the bench . Next , the Pelicans will host the Bulls on Monday , in what will be their last home game of the season . The Suns head home to host the Kings on Monday .


The Chicago Bulls ( 41 - 40 ) defeated the New Orleans Pelicans ( 30 - 51 ) 121 - 116 on Monday . With both of these teams playing for nothing , defense became an option rather than a necessity . Both teams shot over 50 percent , with the Bulls shooting 57 percent . Chicago turned it on in the second half , as they outscored the Pelicans by 14 points over the final 24 minutes . The list of players who sat out in this game looks like an All-Star roster , so it 's no surprise both of these teams missed out in the playoffs . The Bulls playoffs hopes ended just last week , but they showed some resiliency here with this win . Jimmy Butler was the player of the game , as he tallied 23 points and 11 assists . Nikola Mirotic also played well , as he totaled 20 points , four rebounds and three assists . The Bulls final game will be on Wednesday against the Philadelphia 76ers . The season has been over for New Orleans for some time now , but these youngsters continue to develop and play good ball . James Ennis was fantastic , as scored a game - high 29 points and also provided five rebounds and four assists . Tim Frazier continued his great form off the bench , as he accumulated 20 points , 11 assists and six rebounds of his own . Toney Douglas also scored 21 in the loss . New Orleans will finish out the season on Wednesday against the Minnesota Timberwolves .


The Detroit Pistons ( 20 ) won their second game in a row to start the regular season , defeating the Utah Jazz ( 0 - 1 ) 92 - 87 on Wednesday . The meeting stayed close wire - to - wire , and the Pistons held just a five - point lead at the start of the fourth quarter . Following a Gordon Hayward layup that put the Jazz up 87 - 86 with just 23 seconds left in the game , Detroit was able to counter quickly , as Reggie Jackson made a layup of his own with 17 seconds left that put the Pistons up for good . A pair of free throws from both Jackson and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope ultimately sealed the deal for the home team in Auburn Hills . For the second game in a row to start the season , Andre Drummond led the way for the Pistons , recording a double - double of 18 points ( 5 - 11 FG , 8 - 11 FT ) and 10 rebounds on top of two blocks in 36 minutes . Drummond has recorded a total of 36 points and 29 rebounds to start the season and has clearly established himself as the focal point down low for this Pistons team following the departure of Greg Monroe . Reggie Jackson led all Pistons scorers Wednesday night , scoring 19 points ( 7 - 14 FG , 1 - 3 3Pt , 4 - 7 FT ) on top of four assists in 31 minutes . Caldwell-Pope ( 16 ) and Marcus Morris ( 14 ) were the other two Detroit starters to score in double figures , while rookie Stanley Johnson added 11 points and five rebounds of his own in 20 minutes off the bench . For the Jazz , Derrick Favors got off to a very strong start to the season and lead the way in the losing effort , scoring a game - high 26 points ( 10 - 15 FG , 6 - 8 FT ) and six rebounds in 35 minutes . Alec Burks served as a solid contributor off the bench , scoring 18 points ( 6 - 14 FG , 6 - 7 FT ) and grabbing six rebounds in 26 minutes . Rodney Hood , who started in favor of Burks at shooting guard , scored just 12 points ( 6 - 15 FG , 0 - 7 3Pt ) in 29 minutes , but managed to dish out a team - high six assists and grab four rebounds . Gordon Hayward rounds out the Utah players in double figures , scoring 13 points ( 5 - 11 FG ) in 35 minutes , while Rudy Gobert remained active on the boards and on defense , recording a team - high 12 rebounds and three blocks while managing just six points . Up next , the Pistons will stay at home to take on the Bulls Friday , while the Jazz will head to Philadelphia Friday to take on the 76ers .


The Detroit Pistons ( 30 ) defeated the Chicago Bulls ( 2 - 1 ) 98 - 94 in overtime Friday . Both teams saw several established starters struggle mightily with their shots , and relied heavily on a narrow core of their starters for the bulk of the scoring as a result . The Bulls ' Derrick Rose was actually held scoreless until the fourth quarter , and finished with only eight points . The Pistons ' Kentavious Caldwell-Pope was similarly frustrated on offense , totaling only six points on 2 - for - 12 shooting . The Bulls were the beneficiaries of a third straight strong performance from power forward Nikola Mirotic , who tallied 22 points , including another three buckets from beyond the arc . Jimmy Butler paced the Bulls with a double - double that featured 23 points and 11 boards . Pau Gasol was the other main contributor on the night , posting a double - double of his own with 16 points and 12 rebounds . With three starters scoring 20 points or more and a trademark double - double from Andre Drummond , the Pistons were eventually able to pull away from the Bulls in the extra period . Drummond notched 20 points and complemented it with 11 rebounds , while Marcus Morris poured in a game - high 26 points on outstanding 67 percent shooting ( 10 - for - 15 ) from the field . Reggie Jackson posted his best performance of the young season as well , chipping in 22 points , seven assists , and seven boards . The loss dropped the Bulls to 2 - 1 and into second place behind the Pistons in the Eastern Conference 's Central Division . They head home to face the Orlando Magic on Sunday . The win raised the Pistons record to a perfect 30 and keeps them in first place in the Eastern Conference 's Central Division . They now enjoy a three - day break before their next contest , a home tilt against the Pacers next Tuesday .


The Indiana Pacers ( 1 - 3 ) came away with their first victory of the season in Tuesday 's trip to the Palace of Auburn Hills , knocking off the previously undefeated Detroit Pistons ( 3 - 1 ) , 94 - 82 . The Pacers rode the strength of a 220 run in the second quarter to the win , which came after starting center Ian Mahinmi departed the game with a back injury . The frontcourt reserve trio of Jordan Hill , Myles Turner , and Lavoy Allen covered well for Mahinmi 's absence , combining for 20 points , 16 rebounds , and four blocks over 60 minutes . They were n't the only contributors off the Indiana bench , which outscored its Detroit counterparts by a 43 - 2 margin . Backup guard Rodney Stuckey led the charge with 23 points against his former team . Paul George chipped in 16 points to go along with seven rebounds , five assists , and two steals . On the Detroit side , taking care of the ball proved to be a major issue . The Pistons finished with 23 turnovers against just 14 assists , with point guard Reggie Jackson ( six turnovers ) the most egregious offender . Andre Drummond also turned the ball over on four occasions , but more than made up for it with a super - size double - double of 25 points ( 12 - for - 17 shooting ) and a career - high 29 rebounds . He 's now averaging a Chamberlain-esque 20 boards over the Pistons ' four games . Indiana will head back home for a matchup with the Boston Celtics on Wednesday , while Detroit gets a two - day break before heading out to Phoenix for a game Friday against the Suns .


The Detroit Pistons ( 6 - 5 ) defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers ( 8 - 3 ) 104 - 99 on Tuesday . At this rate , anything less than a monster double - double will be a disappointment for Andre Drummond . The Pistons ' superstar center tallied his 11th straight performance with double - digit points and boards , meaning he 's achieved the feat in each of Detroit 's contests this season . He contributed a team - high 25 points and 18 rebounds Tuesday to spearhead an impressive victory , which featured Detroit rallying after entering the fourth quarter trailing 81 - 75 . The Cavs were led by LeBron James , who contributed a game - high 30 points . The remaining four starters accounted for virtually the rest of the Cleveland offense , as the bench could only pitch in 10 points overall . Kevin Love backed up James ' effort with a 19 - point , nine - rebound outing , while J.R. Smith and Mo Williams notably pitched in 15 points apiece . Cleveland fell to 8 - 3 but remains in first place in the Eastern Conference 's Central Division . They head home to face the Bucks on Thursday . Drummond was n't the only Piston lighting up the scoreboard Tuesday , as Reggie Jackson bounced back from a tough outing Sunday versus the Lakers by contributing a double - double of his own . The Detroit point guard poured in 23 points while handing out 12 assists , several to teammate Ersan Ilyasova , who posted a season high 20 points of his own . The streaky Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and the dependable Marcus Morris made it a perfect five - for - five in double - digit scoring for the Pistons starters , with 13 and 14 points , respectively . The Pistons improved to 6 - 5 and reside in third place in the Eastern Conference 's Central Division . They now travel to Minnesota for a Friday date with the Timberwolves .