The Indiana Pacers ( 30 - 34 ) defeated the Milwaukee Bucks ( 34 - 31 ) ,109 - 103 , on Thursday at Bankers Life Fieldhouse . In a matchup between the East 's sixth and seventh seeds , Milwaukee and Indiana went back and forth all the way through overtime , but the Pacers outlasted the Bucks . Milwaukee went on an 11 - 2 run to cut the Pacers ' lead from 10 to one midway through the fourth quarter . From there , Milwaukee had an answer every time Indiana tried to pull away . Ersan Ilyasova had his 11th point of the fourth quarter to tie it at 96 , but could n't convert the second free throw to give Milwaukee the lead . Luis Scola was huge off the bench with 17 points and 15 rebounds , including a jumper that helped spark a 90 Pacers run in overtime . Indiana has taken two out of three in the season series with Milwaukee . They will meet for the final time in the regular season in two weeks . Milwaukee faltered in overtime to drop the second half of a back - to - back set . Michael Carter-Williams had his best game as a member of the Bucks with 28 points , 12 rebounds , and two steals . O.J Mayo and Jerryd Bayless were both sidelined for this contest , which allowed Tyler Ennis to play 15 minutes , although he only managed six points and four assists in that span . Milwaukee returns to action Saturday in Memphis . The Pacers have now won a season - high seven games in a row and nine of their last ten . Roy Hibbert was sidelined with an elbow injury , but Ian Mahinmi filled in admirably as the rim protector . Mahinmi finished with 10 boards and four blocks in 29 minutes before fouling out in overtime . Rodney Stuckey continued his scoring tear with a team - high 23 points in 37 minutes off the bench . The Pacers resume play Saturday when they host the Celtics .


The Boston Celtics ( 29 - 36 ) snapped the Indiana Pacers ' ( 30 - 35 ) seven - game winning streak , extending their own streak to four wins in the 93 - 89 victory . Wearing their St. Patrick 's Day sleeved jerseys , the Celtics held the Pacers to 40 percent shooting and pulled to within a half game of the eight seed in the East Even though Evan Turner was unable to replicate his 30 - point outing from Friday , Tyler Zeller used his speed against Roy Hibbert to compile 18 points and seven rebounds . Coach Bradley Stevens earned his first win in the arena he called home as the coach of the Butler Bulldogs . Avery Bradley , Brandon Bass , and Jae Crowder all added 16 points . The Celtics out - assisted the Pacers , 28 - 16 , and held them to 37 first - half points . Isaiah Thomas missed his third straight game due to back and elbow soreness . The Pacers allowed a team to shoot better than 40 percent for the first time in eight games . Also , it 's the first time all season they lost when George Hill led in scoring , registering 30 points , eight assists , five rebounds , one steal and two three - pointers in 35 minutes . Their bench , which had been instrumental in their recent success , was limited to 30 points . The loss gives them a one - game advantage over the Miami Heat and Boston Celtics , both teams just outside the playoff picture . The Celtics will attempt to win their fifth straight game Monday when they face the Philadelphia 76ers at home . The Pacers conclude a four - game homestand Monday against the Toronto Raptors .


The Toronto Raptors ( 40 - 27 ) defeated the Indiana Pacers ( 30 - 36 ) 117 - 98 on Monday in Indianapolis . The Raptors were led by their All-Star point guard , Kyle Lowry , who recorded a triple - double of 20 points on 7 - of - 13 shooting , 11 rebounds and 10 assists in 38 minutes . He also had three steals . It was Lou Williams , however , who led the team in scoring , putting up an efficient 24 points on 8 - of - 17 shooting in just 23 minutes . DeMar DeRozan was not far behind , scoring 22 points on 6 - of - 19 shooting in 37 minutes . Jonas Valanciunas recorded his first double - double in six games , recording 14 points on 7 - of - 12 shooting and 12 rebounds in 26 minutes . Valanciunas ' partner in the front court , Amir Williams , also had a solid night , posting 11 points and nine rebounds in 19 minutes . Terrence Ross left the game with back spasms after just 21 minutes on the court . For Toronto , the win brings them within 3 games of the Cavaliers for second place in the Eastern Conference standings with just 15 games left on the schedule . The Pacers were led in the losing effort by starting point guard George Hill . Hill scored 23 points on 9 - of - 15 shooting in 34 minutes , while the effort was his second game in a row scoring 20 - plus points . Four of the five Indiana starters scored in double figures , with Roy Hibbert ( 17 ) , C.J . Miles ( 12 ) and Solomon Hill ( 11 ) rounding out the four . Rodney Stuckey also continued his strong play as of late , scoring 20 points on 9 - of - 16 shooting off the bench . Stuckey has scored 20 - plus points in three of his last four games now . Despite recording 21 assists to just four turnovers , the Pacers still fell short , and the loss leaves them tied with the Hornets for the eigth seed in the East , with Miami just a half game behind them . Up next , the Raptors will head home Wednesday to take on the Timberwolves , while Indiana will travel to Chicago and go up against the Bulls on Wednesday .


One night after engaging in a triple - overtime game that lasted just under three hours , the Brooklyn Nets defeated the Indiana Pacers in regulation , 123 - 111 . The Nets were the sixth team to win a game the second night of a back - to - back after playing multiple overtimes the night before . Rodney Stuckey exited early due to a sore left calf , playing just 13 minutes in the first half . The Nets pulled to within one game of the eight seed in the Eastern Conference with their second straight win . However , they 're still behind the Pacers and Charlotte Hornets in the standings , both teams on the outside looking in . As a team , the Nets shot 61 percent and scored 123 points one night after scoring 129 points in triple - overtime . Brook Lopez has hit a new gear this month , both on the defensive end and boards . He scored 26 points , grabbed four rebounds , and blocked four shots in 31 minutes . Bojan Bogdanovic supplied 21 points off the bench for the second time in four games . The Pacers lost their fifth straight game , falling half a game behind the Boston Celtics for the final spot in the playoffs . They shot 50 percent from the field but only made 8 - of - 23 three - pointers and allowed a season - high 123 points . The loss snapped a streak of five straight wins over the Nets . Paul George did n't play , but his return appears imminent . George Hill fouled out but not before providing 18 points , nine assists and four rebounds in 32 minutes . Six Pacers , including all the starters , scored in double figures . David West scored 13 points and played 28 minutes after exiting Friday 's game early due to an illness . The Nets take on the eight seeded Boston Celtics on Monday in a battle that will have heavy playoff implications . The Pacers conclude a two - game homestand when they play the Houston Rockets on Monday .


The Houston Rockets ( 47 - 23 ) defeated the Indiana Pacers ( 30 - 40 ) 110 - 100 on Monday at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis . After winning seven games in a row during the start of March and pushing themselves into the seventh seed in the Eastern Conference standings , the Pacers have now turned completely in the opposite direction and have gone on to lose six straight games . The loss does n't take them out of the playoff race though , as they sit just a game back from the Charlotte Hornets for the eighth and final projected playoff seed in the East . The Rockets , on the other hand , were on a poor streak of their own , as they were losers of four straight . The win gets them back on the right track though , as they still hold a two - game lead over the Portland Trail Blazers for the third projected playoff seed in the Western Conference . The Rockets shot fairly well in this game , going 48 percent from the field and 54 percent from the three - point line . James Harden was nearly unstoppable , as he went off for a game - high of 44 points ( 10 - 21 FG , 3 - 8 3Pt , 21 - 22 FT ) , to go along with four rebounds , seven assists and two steals . He continues to make his push for the league MVP , as this was the second time in three games that he 's posted over 40 points . During that three - game stretch , Harden has averaged an impressive 37 points , 5 rebounds and 5 assists . Donatas Motiejunas also played a big factor in the win , going 6 - for - 9 from the field and 1 - for - 2 from the three - point line to score 17 points . It was his third time shooting over 60 percent from the field during the last four games , as his shot is clearly dialed in at the moment . The Rockets also saw some solid contributions from their bench , with both Josh Smith and Corey Brewer reaching double figures in points . Smith finished with 18 points ( 7 - 14 FG , 4 - 6 3Pt ) and five rebounds , while Brewer had 11 points ( 2 - 6 FG , 1 - 2 3Pt ) and two rebounds . Also , Patrick Beverley had to leave the game with a wrist injury after just 20 minutes and was n't able to return , so it 's questionable how severe his injury could be . C.J . Watson had a big performance off the bench for the Pacers . He went 7 - for - 10 from the field and 4 - for - 5 from the three - point line to score 23 points , while also adding five assists over 30 minutes . After going 0 - for - 6 from beyond the arc during Saturday 's game against the Brooklyn Nets , Watson was able to turn things back around and get pointed in the right direction Monday . George Hill also played well despite suffering the loss . He led the starters with 20 points ( 9 - 15 FG , 2 - 6 3Pt , 0 - 1 FT ) , to go along with six rebounds , three assists , three steals and three blocked shots , as he did a little bit of everything for the Pacers . He 's shot over 50 percent in each of his last three games , a stretch where he 's currently averaging 21 points as the scoring leader for this team . Notching his first double - double in six games was Roy Hibbert , who posted 18 points ( 8 - 12 FG , 2 - 2 FT ) and 10 rebounds in 32 minutes . David West also reached double - digit points with 10 ( 4 - 13 FG , 2 - 4 FT ) of his own , despite struggling from the field . The Rockets ' next game will be on the road against the New Orleans Pelicans on Wednesday , while the Pacers will travel to Washington to play the Wizards on Wednesday .


The Pacers ( 31 - 41 ) edged out the Mavericks ( 45 - 28 ) 104 - 99 at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on Sunday . It was a tight contest from start to finish . After three quarters of play , the Mavericks had a one - point lead . With around five minutes remaining , the Pacers ' George Hill hit two successive three - pointers that gave Indiana a six - point lead and probably decided the game . The Pacers ' C.J . Miles was a sharpshooter Sunday night . He had 28 points , going 9 - for - 12 from the field and 5 - for - 6 from three - point range . Miles has been hot lately , putting up 26 points on Thursday against the Bucks . Hill finished with 14 points ( 6 - 12 FG , 2 - 5 3Pt ) , four rebounds , five assists and one block in 36 minutes . Roy Hibbert had 14 points ( 5 - 10 FG ) , seven rebounds , two assists and one block in 25 minutes . Chandler Parsons led the Mavericks in scoring with 27 points ( 11 - 20 FG , 2 - 4 3Pt ) , to go with 10 rebounds , one assist and one block in 37 minutes . Dirk Nowitzki had 19 points ( 7 - 13 , 1 - 1 3Pt ) and five rebounds in 34 minutes . Rajon Rondo contributed 17 points ( 8 - 14 FG ) , seven rebounds , 10 assists , two steals and one block in 38 minutes . Coming down to the wire , the Mavericks are seventh in the Western Conference , 5 games ahead of eighth place Oklahoma City . The Pacers are tied with the Celtics for ninth in the Eastern Conference . They 're only a half - game behind the eighth place Nets , so Sunday 's victory was crucial . With Sunday 's game in the books , the Pacers have completed the season series sweep of the Mavericks , 20 .


The Indiana Pacers ( 33 - 43 ) throttled the Charlotte Hornets ( 32 - 43 ) 93 - 74 on Friday at Bankers Life Fieldhouse . This game was a must - win for both teams as Charlotte and Indiana are battling for one of the final playoff spots in the Eastern Conference . While Indiana was n't exactly overwhelming on the offensive end , Charlotte was dreadful . The Hornets shot 30 percent from the floor for much of the game , but were able to bump that number up to 35 percent when the game was already well out of hand . With the win , the Pacers locked up the head - to - head tiebreaker over the Hornets , which could be the deciding factor for the eighth spot in the East . Charlotte was already missing Cody Zeller and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist coming into this contest , and Al Jefferson missed the second half with continued knee soreness . The dearth of depth was ultimately too much to overcome for the Hornets , and their usual scorers did not come close to their usual offensive production . Kemba Walker was held to six points on 1 - of - 9 shooting and Mo Williams had nine points on 4 - of - 11 shooting . The Hornets will look to bounce back Saturday against the 76ers before a crucial matchup with the Heat on Tuesday . Indiana was able to pull away in the second and third quarters by playing a suffocating brand of defense . The Pacers allowed just 22 points over those two quarters , while pouring in 48 points themselves . Rodney Stuckey and C.J Watson provided solid scoring numbers off the bench , combining for 28 points . The Pacers leap - frogged the Hornets in the standings , but remain 2 games behind the Celtics and Heat and two games behind the Nets . Indiana only plays one of those teams , Miami , down the stretch . That matchup is on the docket for Sunday in Indiana .


The Indiana Pacers ( 34 - 43 ) defeated the Miami Heat ( 34 - 43 ) 112 - 89 on Sunday at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis . With both teams just barely on the outside looking in for the final spot in the Eastern Conference playoff race and less than 10 games left in the regular season , this marked another extremely important outing . The Pacers were able to come out victorious though , pulling even with the Heat in the standings and pushing themselves within striking distance at just one game back from the Boston Celtics for the eighth and final projected playoff seed . In order to seal the win , the Pacers used a superior rebounding performance , out - rebounding the Heat 55 - 37 . After missing eight months with a broken leg , Paul George made his highly anticipated return to the court Sunday , playing in a limited 15 minutes of action . He was still quite productive despite the minutes restriction , going 5 - for - 12 from the field and 3 - for - 6 from the three - point line to score 13 points . With the playoffs potentially in the future , it was a good sign for the Pacers , as they will need the former all - star 's playmaing abilities during this final stretch of the season . Along with George , Luis Scola also put in a strong performance off the bench . In just 18 minutes , he was able to finish with a double - double , recording a team - high of 23 points ( 10 - 15 FG , 3 - 3 FT ) , to go along with 12 rebounds . After shooting less than 30 percent from the floor in each of his last two games , he was able to get dialed back in Sunday and help the Pacers come out on top . Solomon Hill led the starters offensively , posting 19 points ( 6 - 10 FG , 3 - 5 3Pt , 4 - 4 FT ) and six rebounds . C.J . Miles chipped in with 17 points ( 6 - 13 FG , 5 - 10 3Pt ) and two assists as well . While the Heat struggled to keep up with the Pacers in this one , Dwyane Wade still played well and continued his stellar season , recording a game - high of 27 points ( 11 - 21 FG , 0 - 2 3Pt , 5 - 7 FT ) , while also adding three assists . He 's combined to shoot 22 - of - 39 from the field over his last two games while scoring 61 points , as his shot looks to be locked in . On the season , he 's pushed his averages to 22 points , 4 rebounds and 5 assists per game . Goran Dragic also had some success against this Pacer 's team during the loss . He went 6 - for - 10 from the field and 1 - for - 2 from beyond the arc to score 15 points , to go along with five assists . The Heat 's backcourt is going to be heavily relied upon to help get this team into the playoffs , so both Wade and Dragic will need to step their game up even further in the near future . Coming off the bench , James Ennis added 17 points ( 6 - 11 FG , 1 - 4 3Pt , 4 - 4 FT ) and five rebounds in 28 minutes . The Pacers ' next game will be on the road against the New York Knicks on Wednesday , while the Heat will be at home against the Charlotte Hornets on Tuesday .


The Indiana Pacers ( 37 - 43 ) defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder ( 43 - 37 ) 116 - 104 on Sunday at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis . While Russell Westbrook did everything he could to bring the Thunder back in this game , he just did n't get enough help in the end , as the Thunder took the loss . This was a tough defeat for the Thunder , as it pushes them to a half - game back from the New Orleans Pelicans for the final projected playoff spot in the West . The Pelicans play the Houston Rockets on Sunday as well , so they could extend their lead to a full game . The Pacers , on the other hand , remain alive in the East with their fifth straight win . They 're now even with the Brooklyn Nets for the final playoff spot in the East , although the Nets hold the tie breaker over them , so they 'll likely need to win their last two games in order to pass up the Nets . It was C.J . Miles who came up with the huge night on Sunday . He went 9 - for - 14 from the field and 6 - for - 8 from the three - point line to score a team - high of 30 points , while also posting 10 rebounds . It was his second impressive performance in a row , as he 's combined for 54 points and 15 rebounds over his last two games . The 10 rebounds were a new season - high , with the double - double marking his first of the season . Notching a double - double of his own was Roy Hibbert , who finished with 17 points ( 7 - 12 FG , 3 - 4 FT ) , 10 rebounds and two blocked shots . The double - double was his third in a row , a stretch where he 's averaging 13 points and 11 rebounds per game . Including some clutch buckets during the final few minutes of the game , George Hill added 19 points ( 6 - 10 FG , 2 - 3 3Pt , 5 - 7 FT ) and seven assists over 40 minutes . He shot just 2 - of - 6 from the field in Friday 's game against the Pistons , so the guard was able to get pointed back in the right direction Sunday . Westbrook did everything he could to try and pick up the win for the Thunder . Westbrook took nearly half of the teams ' total shot attempts in this one , recording a ridiculous 43 field goal attempts , while converting on 21 of them . He finished with a monster line of 54 points ( 21 - 43 FG , 5 - 15 3Pt , 7 - 11 FT ) , nine rebounds and eight assists over 40 minutes , but he just did n't get enough help from his teammates to convert those impressive numbers into a win . Westbrook has combined for 81 points over his last two games alone . Dion Waiters and Enes Kanter were the only other two Thunder players to reach double figures in points . Waiters posted 16 points ( 7 - 16 FG , 2 - 5 3Pt , 0 - 4 FT ) and two rebounds , while Kanter recorded 13 points ( 5 - 11 FG , 1 - 1 3Pt , 2 - 3 FT ) , five rebounds and a block . The Thunder received only 14 points from their bench . The Pacers ' next game will be at home against the Washington Wizards on Tuesday , while the Thunder will be at home against the Portland Trail Blazers on Monday .


The Indiana Pacers ( 38 - 43 ) kept their playoff hopes alive Tuesday with a 99 - 95 double - overtime victory over the the Washington Wizards ( 46 - 35 ) at Bankers Life Fieldhouse . The Pacers were in a must - win situation Tuesday after recent skids by the Heat and Nets vaulted them temporarily into the eighth seed in the East . Both teams got off to frigid starts on the offensive end , highlighted by an 0 - for - 9 stretch by the Pacers in the second quarter . Neither team reached the 50 - point mark until the 4:20 mark in the third quarter when John Wall found Marcin Gortat for an easy layup . The teams went back - and - forth throughout the fourth quarter , but a missed John Wall floater at the buzzer sent the game into overtime . One overtime was n't enough to decide the outcome , however , as the Pacers and Wizards mustered just four points apiece in the first extra period . Indiana 's George Hill clutch three - pointer in the second OT gave the Pacers a five point lead with under 30 seconds remaining to help seal the victory . The Pacers are in position to clinch the East 's final playoff spot with a win Wednesday against the Grizzlies or a Nets loss . Washington entered Tuesday with the fifth seed in hand , but decided to play its starters against a playoff caliber team . Nene Hill was sidelined with an ankle injury , which moved veteran Drew Gooden into the starting lineup . Five different Wizards logged over 40 minutes of playing time , led by Marcin Gortat and John Wall with 44 minutes . Wall finished with 16 points on 7 - of - 23 shooting and added 11 assists while Gortat posted 19 points and 10 rebounds . Washington will finish wrap up the regular season Wednesday in Cleveland . Indiana lost seven out of eight in late March to temporarily fall out of a playoff spot , but its current six - game win streak has given it control of its playoff destiny . George Hill finished just shy of a triple - double with 24 points , 10 assists , and nine rebounds . C.J Miles followed his 30 - point outing Sunday with a 25 point performance and he also grabbed eight rebounds . Paul George exceeded his minutes restriction , finishing with 10 points in 18 minutes on the floor . Indiana 's win eliminated Miami from playoff contention , but a matchup with Memphis on Wednesday will be no easy task for the Pacers just one night after a double - overtime victory .


The New Orleans Pelicans ( 10 ) defeated the Orlando Magic ( 0 - 1 ) in convincing fashion 101 - 84 at the Smoothie King Center Tuesday in New Orleans . Anthony Davis took the reins for the Pelicans and came one block shy of posting the first triple - double of the season . In 36 minutes of game action , Davis finished with 26 points ( 10 - 22 FG ) , 17 rebounds , two assists , three steals , and nine blocks . To go along with Davis ' huge day , Ryan Anderson played extremely well off the bench scoring 22 points and adding nine rebounds . Omer Asik got his first double - double of the season , scoring 14 points and pulling in 17 rebounds . The Magic struggled due to injuries that kept a large portion of their lineup out of the game . Victor Oladipo is expected to miss most of the first month of the season recovering from surgery to fix a facial fracture , and Channing Frye was unavailable as he continues to work his way back from an MCL sprain in his knee . Frye was a game - time decision Tuesday , meaning he is likely to return to action soon . Lottery pick Elfrid Payton had a somewhat of a disappointing regular season debut , as he only scored four points . On a positive note , he did have seven assists and only two turnovers . Tobias Harris and Nikola Vucevic were the two bright spots for the Magic . Harris finished with 25 points and eight boards , while Vucevic ended with 15 points and 23 rebounds . The Magic 's other lottery pick , Aaron Gordon finished with 11 points ( 5 - 8 FG ) in 28 minutes off the bench . The Magic 's next game comes against the Washington Wizards at home Thursday , while the Pelicans will take on the Dallas Mavericks at home Saturday .


The Dallas Mavericks ( 2 - 1 ) defeated the New Orleans Pelicans ( 1 - 1 ) 109 - 104 on Saturday . Chandler Parsons lead the way for the Mavericks , scoring a team - high 20 points in 34 minutes . Dirk Nowitzki came up big down the stretch and finished with 17 points in 30 minutes . Raymond Felton remains sidelined with a high ankle sprain and is expected to miss at least another week . Anthony Davis continues to show that he may not have any peers . He finished with 31 points and 15 rebounds in 43 minutes , and it appears the Pelicans are going to hitch their ride to the workman - like superstar this season in their bid to become a part of the playoff conversation in the stacked Western Conference . After playing just 27 minutes in the Pelicans ' season opener , starting point guard Jrue Holiday played 37 minutes Saturday and finished with 24 points and six assists . The Pelicans gave all but nine of their minutes to just seven players , using a shorter rotation than what coach Monty Williams generally has used in the past . The Mavericks ' next game is at home Monday against the Boston Celtics . The Pelicans ' next game is on the road Monday against the Memphis Grizzlies .


The New Orleans Pelicans ( 2 - 2 ) defeated the Charlotte Hornets ( 1 - 3 ) 100 - 91 on Tuesday at the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans . Having six players reach double - digit scoring and out - rebounding the Hornets 47 to 34 , the Pelicans were able to grab a bounce - back victory after taking a loss to the Memphis Grizzlies on Monday , and they pulled themselves to an even 2 - 2 on the season . With Michael Kidd-Gilchrist sitting out with a chest injury , the Hornets inserted Gerald Henderson into the starting lineup . In 31 minutes , he contributed six points and two steals . Lance Stephenson also struggled to find his offensive game Tuesday , as he shot only 1 - for - 6 from the field and finished with two points and seven rebounds . Despite the hype coming into the season , Stephenson has been relatively disapointing and is averaging only 6 points on the season . Al Jefferson reached the 20 - point plateau for the second straight game . He finished with 20 points and five rebounds in 32 minutes . Coming off the bench , Gary Neal shot 9 - for - 15 from the field and 2 - for - 4 from beyond the three - point line to score 21 points , while also adding six rebounds . Kemba Walker had a relatively quiet night but still produced 11 points and three assists . Anthony Davis recorded his third double - double in four games this year , scoring 24 points and pulling in 13 rebounds . Teams have struggled to find an answer for the young forward as he 's now averaging 24 points and 13 rebounds on the year . Point guard Jrue Holiday came one assist shy of his own double - double and finished with 16 points and nine assists . Other than Davis , Tyreke Evans and Omer Asik both had double - doubles . Evans contributed 16 points and 10 rebounds , while Asik had 10 points and 11 rebounds . Providing a spark off the bench , Ryan Anderson went 7 - for - 12 from the field and 2 - for - 6 from the three - point line to add 16 points to the Pelicans ' total . He 'll continue to be relied upon as the most reliable source of points off the bench this season . The Hornets ' next game will be at home against the Miami Heat on Wednesday , while the Pelicans will go on the road to San Antonio and play the Spurs on Saturday .


The New Orleans Pelicans ( 4 - 3 ) defeated the Los Angeles Lakers ( 1 - 7 ) 109 - 102 on Wednesday at the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans . The Pelicans were able to out - shoot the Lakers in this one , as they shot 55 percent from the field and 42 percent from the three - point line compared to the Lakers ' 42 percent from the field and 33 percent from behind the arc . Despite committing five more turnovers , the Pelicans were stil able to out - rebound the Lakers 44 - 38 , helping to push them to the victory . Like he 's done so many times this season , Anthony Davis took the lead for the Pelicans . He contributed a team - high 25 points ( 12 - 16 FG , 1 - 4 FT ) and 12 rebounds , giving Davis his sixth double - double in seven games . He also had a game - high six blocks as well . Tyreke Evans had a solid offensive showing , going 8 - for - 16 from the field and 2 - for - 2 from the three - point line to score 19 points , while also handing out 11 assists . This was Evans ' third double - double on the season . Ryan Anderson also had his second straight game getting hot off the bench as he chipped in 17 points , after scoring 32 on Monday . The Lakers had all five starters reach double figures , while the bench had only 18 points as a whole . Kobe Bryant got off another 28 shots Wednesday , converting on 10 of them . He also went 5 - for - 11 from beyond the arc , finishing with 33 points and five assists . Jordan Hill missed his second straight double - double by two rebounds as he scored 10 points and added eight rebounds . Carlos Boozer was the other high scorer for the Lakers . He had 16 points in 33 minutes . Boozer is now averaging 13 points and 6 rebounds on the year . The Pelicans ' next game will be at home against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday , while the Lakers will be at home Friday against the San Antonio Spurs .


The New Orleans Pelicans ( 5 - 3 ) defeated the Minnesota Timberwolves ( 2 - 6 ) 139 - 91 on Friday . Minnesota was playing without two of their veteran starters . Ricky Rubio will be out another 6 - 7 weeks with a serverely sprained left ankle , and Thaddeus Young is away from the team indefinitely to be with his family following the passing of his mother . Rookie Zach LaVine has been handed the starting point guard duties with Rubio out . LaVine started his third straight game and put up 13 points in 31 mintues . He did n't record a single assist in the game as the Timberwolves shot just 40 percent as a team . They 'll continue their two - game road trip in Dallas on Saturday when they face the Mavericks . The Pelicans seem to be coming into their own this season now that they have the healthy roster they thought they were going to have last season . Jrue Holiday scored a team - high 24 points in 28 minutes , converting all but one of his field goal attempts as the Pelicans finished the game shooting 67 percent from the field . Coach Monty Williams was on the coaching hot seat coming into the season , but with Anthony Davis having the Pelicans looking like a playoff team , everyone should be smiling in New Orleans . They have two days off before embarking on a four - game road trip that begins in Portland on Monday against the Trail Blazers .


The Sacramento Kings ( 9 - 5 ) defeated the New Orleans Pelicans ( 7 - 6 ) 99 - 89 on Tuesday at the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans . Despite going into the half even at 49 points apiece , the Kings were able to out - score the Pelicans 50 - 40 in the second half to notch their third victory in as many games . The Kings were able to shoot 48 percent from the field and 36 percent from the three - point line to give them the advantage over the Pelicans , who shot 42 percent from the floor and only 18 percent from beyond the arc . Leading the Kings to the victory was the duo of DeMarcus Cousins and Omri Casspi . Cousins scored 22 points ( 8 - 18 FG , 6 - 6 FT ) , and grabbed 12 rebounds , giving him his seventh straight double - double and eleventh on the year . Casspi was in the starting lineup for the first time this season with Rudy Gay sitting out with an Achilles injury . He shot 9 - for - 14 from the field and 1 - for - 2 from the three - point line to score 22 points in 36 minutes . He 's only averaging 7 points in 18 minutes per game this season , so the boost in playing time allowed him to surprise many with the dominant performance . Ramon Sessions was also a replacement in the starting lineup , as Darren Collison was out with a quad injury . Sessions also took advantage of the start and recorded 15 points and six assists . Coming off the bench , Ray McCallum had 12 points ( 4 - 7 FG , 0 - 3 3Pt , 4 - 4 FT ) in 19 minutes . For the Pelicans , Anthony Davis was n't his normal self tonight . He struggled to post the monster line he 's become accustomed to this season , as he shot only 4 - for - 12 from the field to finish with 14 points and nine rebounds . His output was well below his season averages of 26 points and 11 rebounds . Tyreke Evans played well on the other hand . He scored 22 points ( 10 - 17 FG , 0 - 3 3Pt , 2 - 4 FT ) and added seven rebounds and five assists . The 22 points matched a season - high for Evans . Ryan Anderson was really the only other big contributor in the loss . He shot 7 - for - 14 from the field and 3 - for - 7 from beyond the arc to score 20 points . It was n't enough of a boost to beat a tough Sacramento team though . The Kings ' next game will be on the road against the Houston Rockets on Wednesday , while the Pelicans will travel to Atlanta to play the Hawks on Friday .


The New Orleans Pelicans ( 8 - 8 ) defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder ( 5 - 13 ) 112 - 104 Tuesday at the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans . The Pelicans had a big first half in this one , out - scoring the Thunder 69 - 52 . Despite a second half attempt at a comeback , the Pelicans were able to hold their ground and spoil the return of Kevin Durant , who played in his first game of the season after sitting out with an injury for the beginning of the year . Although he was n't able to bring the Thunder a win , Kevin Durant came back and did n't show much rust at all , even after missing so many games . He shot 9 - for - 18 from the field and 3 - for - 8 from the three - point line to score 27 points in 29 minutes . He also got to the line seven times and converted on six of those attempts . The Thunder 's other superstar , Russell Westbrook , did n't have his best shoting performance . He went 6 - for - 20 from the floor and 1 - for - 4 from beyond the arc to score 21 points . Westbrook recorded six rebounds and seven assists , but had an uncharacteristic seven turnovers as well . The other three members of the Thunder 's starting lineup combined for only eight points , which will make it tough for any team to get a win . Reggie Jackson and Jeremy Lamb did have solid games off the bench though , with 17 and 15 points respectively . The Pelicans were led by Anthony Davis , who had 25 points , 10 rebounds and four blocks . He was able to get to the line a wopping 16 times , but converted on only nine of those attempts . The double - double was also his fourth in the last five games . Ryan Anderson had a double - double of his own off the bench . He finished with 23 points and 11 rebounds , with the rebounding total being a season - high for the forward . Tyreke Evans led all scorers in this game with 30 points . He was able to get off 24 shots , while converting on 14 of them . It was a season - high for Evans , after coming off a four - point performance on Saturday . The fourth Pelican to reach double figures was Jrue Holiday . Holiday had a great game and finished with 16 points and 10 assists . He made it a point to get everyone involved in this one . The Pelicans ' next game will be on the road against the Golden State Warriors on Thursday , while the Thunder will travel to Philadelphia to play the 76ers on Friday .


The New Orleans Pelicans ( 10 - 10 ) defeated the New York Knicks ( 4 - 19 ) 104 - 93 on Tuesday at the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans . The Pelicans had only a two - point lead heading into halftime , but were able to out - score the Knicks 50 - 41 in the second half , allowing them to coast to a victory in front of their home crowd . The Pelicans secured a heavy rebounding advantage , as they out - rebounded the Knicks 43 - 30 , only furthering the advantage to the Pelicans in this one . While Anthony Davis is usually relied upon to guide the Pelicans , it was Tyreke Evans who took the lead on Tuesday . Evans shot a fantastic 11 - for - 15 from the field and 1 - for - 2 from the three - point line to score a game - high of 27 points , while also handing out six assists . It was nice bounce back game for him after shooting only 33 percent against the Lakers on Sunday . While Davis did n't have the most points , he still contributed 18 points ( 6 - 14 FG , 6 - 9 FT ) , eight rebounds and three blocks . While his totals were well below his season averages of 25 points and 11 assists , it was still enough to get the Pelicans a victory . Omer Asik chipped in with 16 points and 14 rebounds , giving him his fifth game in a row with at least 10 rebounds . It was also his fifth double - double of the year . Jrue Holiday was the only other Pelican to reach double figures in points , as he finished with 13 points ( 6 - 10 FG , 0 - 1 3Pt , 1 - 1 FT ) , seven assists and six rebounds . As has been the case over the last few weeks , the Knicks received most of their production from Carmelo Anthony and Amare Stoudemire . Stoudemire led all scorers with 26 points ( 11 - 18 FG , 4 - 6 FT ) , while also grabbing five rebounds . It was a season high for Stoudemire , who 's only reached the 20 - point mark one other time this season . Anthony on the other hand shot 6 - for - 11 from the field and 2 - for - 4 from the three - point line to score 17 points and added eight rebounds . He did n't get nearly as many shots off as he has most of the season so far , so it resulted in scoring less than his season average of 23 points per game . With the other starters struggling to make an impact , the only other player to reach double figures was Jason Smith , who came off the bench to score 17 points ( 6 - 18 FG , 2 - 6 3Pt , 3 - 4 FT ) . He 's now combined for 37 points in the last two games , as he 's been a big factor off the bench for the Knicks . The Pelicans next game will be on the road against the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday , while the Knicks will travel to San Antonio to play the Spurs on Wednesday .


The New Orleans Pelicans ( 11 - 11 ) defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers ( 13 - 9 ) 119 - 114 on Friday . New Orleans has won three of their last four games , but there was a bitter taste with Friday 's win as Anthony Davis suffered a chest injury that limited him to just seven minutes of action . The extent of the injury was not known immediately following the game . Ryan Anderson earned 41 minutes of run in Davis ' absence and tied his career - high with eight made three - pointers to finish with 30 points . Tyreke Evans took on a lot of the load as well , putting up a team - high 31 points to go with 10 assists . The Pelicans will have another tough test Sunday when they host the Golden State Warriors . Cleveland has dropped two straight games after having won their previous eight . LeBron James returned to the lineup after sitting out Thursday 's loss to rest his knee . James tried to force the win Friday , scoring a game - high 41 points , but the Cavaliers simply could n't stop the Pelicans on offense allowing them to shoot 56 percent from the field . Dion Waiters left the game with abdominal pain and was taken to the Ochsner Medical Center for evaluation . The Cavaliers will host the Charlotte Hornets on Monday .


The Golden State Warriors ( 21 - 2 ) defeated the New Orleans Pelicans ( 11 - 12 ) 128 - 122 in overtime on Sunday . Golden State has won 16 straight games , and they continue to win despite playing the last three games without starting center Andrew Bogut , whom remains questionable going into this week 's games with knee tendinitis and an illness . Stephen Curry carried the Warriors with 34 point Sunday , while three of their bench players finished in double figures to help make up for some of the lack of scoring out of the team 's starters . Golden State shot 51 percent from the field and 46 percent from beyond the arc to seal the win . The Warriors will wrap up their three - game road trip in a battle of titans on Tuesday when they visit Memphis to take on the Grizzlies . New Orleans lost Anthony Davis to a chest injury in Friday 's game against the Cleveland Cavaliers but were still able to come away with a 119 - 114 win on the back of Tyreke Evans ' 31 points . With Davis out again Sunday , Evans once again stepped up , putting up 34 points and eight rebounds in 41 minutes . Jrue Holiday also scored 30 points and was a pest on defense with five steals . Ryan Anderson filled in as the starting power forward and finished with 15 points . The Pelicans have won three of their last five games , and more importantly , they 've been more competitive over the last week against elite teams thanks to the addition of Dante Cunningham as a defensive player off their bench at small forward . Their next game is at home Tuesday against the Utah Jazz .


The New Orleans Pelicans ( 12 - 12 ) defeated the Utah Jazz ( 6 - 19 ) 119 - 111 on Tuesday . New Orleans got their All-Star back Tuesday with Anthony Davis returning to the lineup after missing most of the previous two games . Davis was sitting out with a chest contusion suffered in the first half of Friday 's 119 - 114 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers . He was outfitted with a protective vest and finished with 31 points and nine rebounds in 35 minutes . Despite moving back to a bench role , Ryan Anderson put up 28 points in 27 minutes . Utah has lost three straight games , and in their last two games , they were playing without Derrick Favors , whom remains sidelined with a sprained ankle . Rudy Gobert has filled in as the starting center in Favors ' absence , and on Tuesday , Gobert put up nine rebounds and three blocks in 33 minutes . Enes Kanter led the way for the Jazz , putting up 39 points in 36 minutes . Dante Exum scored a career - high 12 points off the bench . New Orleans will go on the road to Houston to take on the Rockets on Thursday . The Jazz will continue their road trip in Miami on Wednesday against the Heat .


The Portland Trail Blazers ( 22 - 6 ) defeated the New Orleans Pelicans ( 13 - 13 ) 114 - 88 on Saturday . Portland extended their win streak to five games with the victory . Nicolas Batum ( wrist/knee ) returned to the starting lineup after sitting out the team 's last game . He played a team - high 30 minutes , illustrating that he appears to be healthy enough to continue playing going forward . Portland shot 53 percent from the field and held the Pelicans to 35 percent shooting from the field . The Trail Blazers will continue their road trip in Houston against the Rockets on Monday . New Orleans saw their two - game win streak come to an end with the loss . Nearly all of the Pelicans ' key players struggled to finish on offense . MVP candidate Anthony Davis shot just 3 - of - 14 from the field to post seven points . While the production came in garbage time , Austin Rivers took advantage of his extra minutes and attacked the wrack , earning 12 trips to the foul line and converting 11 of them to help him finish with 21 points in 33 minutes off the bench . Tyreke Evans ( knee ) returned from a one - game absence but was largely ineffective in 23 minutes . The Pelicans will go on the road for the second game of a back - to - back set on Sunday , facing the Oklahoma City Thunder .


The New Orleans Pelicans ( 15 - 14 ) defeated the San Antonio Spurs ( 18 - 13 ) 97 - 90 on Friday . New Orleans has won four of their last six . While they are currently fighting for one of the last playoff spots in the Western Conference , the Pelicans are still finding out how to win every night . They have the talent to beat the best teams in the West , but the Pelicans lack the experience and chemistry to play as consistently from game to game as the top eight teams in the conference . Anthony Davis and Ryan Anderson both put up a game - high 22 points . Davis also posted 12 rebounds and five blocks in 38 minutes , while Anderson also posted seven rebounds and two three - pointers in 33 minutes off the bench . New Orleans will have another tough matchup Saturday when they travel to Chicago to take on the Bulls . San Antonio has been trying to navigate one of the more treacherous parts of their schedule while resting players nightly to try and make sure they 're healthy when the real games begin in the playoffs . As a result , they 've lost six of their last seven games . Tony Parker returned for the last two games but did not play Friday , and it 's unlcear whether he was simply being rested on the second game of a back - to - back set or if he aggravated his hamstring injury . Cory Joseph earned the start in his place . Kawhi Leonard ( hand ) continues to sit out indefinitely , giving Kyle Anderson another spot start at small forward . After sitting out Thursday 's game with an illness , Boris Diaw was available to play Friday . He put up 10 points and six rebounds in 25 minutes off the bench . The Spurs gave up 20 easy points off of 17 turnovers , pointing to their greatest weakness Friday and the likely reason why they lost the game . San Antonio will host the Houston Rockets on Sunday .


The Pelicans improved to 16 - 15 on the season Tuesday night by knocking off the Suns by a score of 110 - 106 . Anthony Davis was dominant yet again as he nearly posted a 20 - 20 performance . He ended up with 19 points on 7 - of - 15 shooting and added 18 rebounds to cement his fourth double - double in five games . The Suns ( 18 - 15 ) had their six - game winning streak snapped . They shot well from the floor with a 48 percent mark , but were out - rebounded by a count of 49 - 38 . Phoenix has one more chance to end 2014 on a high note as they take on the Thunder in Oklahoma City on New Year 's Eve . The Pelicans benefited from Davis ' big night , but Tyreke Evans was key down the stretch for New Orleans . Evans had ten points in the fourth quarter to help seal the victory for the Pelicans . New Orleans also has a quick turnaround as they travel to San Antonio to take on the Spurs on Wednesday night .


The New Orleans Pelicans ( 17 - 16 ) defeated the Houston Rockets ( 24 - 10 ) 111 - 83 on Friday at the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans . The Pelicans really dominated all aspects of this game . To begin with , they were the superior shooters , going 53 percent from the field and 47 percent from the three - point line compared to the Rockets who went 40 percent from the floor and only 21 percent from beyond the arc . The Pelicans also established a hefty rebounding advantage , finishing with 49 compared to the 38 recorded by the Rockets . The Pelicans also got to the free throw line nine more times , converting on 16 - of - 20 at the line . While hard to believe , Anthony Davis was n't a huge factor in the Pelicans ' victory . He finished with only seven points and eight rebounds . Instead , the Pelicans received most of their production from Tyreke Evans and Ryan Anderson . Evans had a very impressive night , going 10 - for - 15 from the field to score 21 points , while also adding five assists and four rebounds . Over his last four games , he 's now averaging 22 points , as he 's had the hot hand of late . Anderson on the other hand came off the bench to shoot 9 - for - 14 from the field and 3 - for - 6 from beyond the arc while scoring 22 points in 24 minutes . With that performance , Anderson continues to prove himself as one of the most consistent sixth men in the league . Also coming off the bench , both Dante Cunningham and Jimmer Fredette had 13 and 10 points respectively . For the Rockets , neither James Harden , nor Trevor Ariza had their usual output . Harden had only 11 points ( 5 - 13 FG , 1 - 6 3Pt ) and three assists , marking his worst game offensively since mid - November . Considering he 's averaging 27 points per game this year , it was a very dissapointing day for Rockets ' fans . Ariza on the other hand shot only 1 - for - 5 from the field and 0 - for - 2 from the three - point line to finish with a meager two points . With both Harden and Ariza struggling , the Rockets just did n't have their usual offensive burst . Dwight Howard and Corey Brewer led the team in points with 12 points each . The only other Rocket to reach double figures was Donatas Motiejunas , who contributed 10 points and six rebounds . The Pelicans ' next game will be at home against the Washington Wizards on Monday , while the Rockets will be at home against the Miami Heat on Saturday .


The Washington Wizards ( 23 - 11 ) defeated the New Orleans Pelicans ( 17 - 17 ) 92 - 85 on Monday . Washington stopped the bleeding from their three - game losing streak with the win and ended their five - game West Conference road trip on a high note . John Wall paced the Wizards with a double - double of 15 points and 12 assists . While they shot a respectable 48 percent from the field , the Wizards allowed the Pelicans to stay in the game by giving up 19 easy points off of 12 turnovers . Washington will return home to host the New York Knicks on Wednesday . New Orleans has been trading wins for loses from game to game , going 6 - 5 over their last 11 games . After missing the last 21 games rehabbing a shoulder injury , Eric Gordon was cleared to return to action and was immediately placed back into the starting lineup at shooting guard . Tyreke Evans was questionable to play with an illness , but he fought through and began the game playing off the bench before moving back into the starting lineup at halftime . Gordon finished with six points , four rebounds and five assists in 33 minutes , continuing to play the passive game he adopted coming into the season . Evans tied Anthony Davis for the team - high in points with 21 and also collected seven rebounds and four assists . New Orleans will go on the road Wednesday to play the Charlotte Hornets .


The Pelicans ( 18 - 18 ) knocked off the Grizzlies ( 25 - 11 ) 106 - 95 in New Orleans on Friday . New Orleans jumped out to a 31 - 19 advantage after the first quarter and never looked back , as the lead did not dip below seven points in the second half . The victory was key for a Pelicans team fighting to stay in playoff contention after dropping two straight to Washington and Charlotte . On a relatively quiet night for Anthony Davis – 20 points , nine rebounds – the Pelicans got contributions off the bench from Tyreke Evans and Ryan Anderson . Evans finished with 23 points , 10 rebounds and five assists , while Anderson added 20 points , including four three - pointers , to go with six rebounds . Jrue Holiday led all scorers with 23 points in 36 minutes . The Pelicans shot 46 percent from the floor and knocked down 10 - of - 20 three - point attempts . Memphis , which has now dropped two straight and three of its last four , shot 44 percent from the floor , converting only 6 - of - 17 attempts from beyond the arc . Marc Gasol and Mike Conley led the way with 19 points apiece , and Zach Randolph , who returned from injury after missing nine games , was the only other Grizzlies player in double - figures , finishing with 11 points and 11 boards in 31 minutes . Up next , Memphis returns home to host the Suns on Sunday . New Orleans , meanwhile , heads north to Boston to take on the Celtics on Monday night .


The New Orleans Pelicans ( 21 - 21 ) defeated the Los Angeles Lakers ( 12 - 31 ) 96 - 80 on Wednesday at the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans . While this game was very close at the half , the Pelicans went off in the second half , out - scoring the Lakers 53 - 36 to take the 16 - point victory in front of their home crowd Wednesday . The Pelicans shot much better in this game , going 46 percent from the field , while the Lakers went just 36 percent . The Pelicans also out - rebounded the Lakers 45 - 41 , giving them even more of an advantage . After missing three games with a sprained toe , Anthony Davis returned to the starting lineup and found himself having a very big game . He led all scorers in this matchup , finishing with 29 points ( 11 - 18 FG , 7 - 8 FT ) , eight rebounds , three steals and four blocked shots in 36 minutes . In the three games he 's played the Lakers this year , he 's now averaging an impressive 26 points per game against them . With Jrue Holiday out for likely the next two - to - four weeks , Tyreke Evans continued to take his spot in the starting lineup . Coming into this game , Evans had averaged 19 points and 6 assists during the four games that Holiday had missed . He only added to those totals Wednesday , finishing with 19 points ( 8 - 19 FG , 1 - 4 3Pt , 2 - 3 FT ) and four assists . Notching his first double - double of the season , Eric Gordon recorded 17 points ( 7 - 13 FG , 1 - 4 3Pt , 2 - 2 FT ) and 10 assists . He was finding his teammates at a very high rate all night . The only other Pelican to reach double figures in points was Quincy Pondexter , who scored 12 points ( 4 - 10 FG , 0 - 3 3Pt , 4 - 4 FT ) in 26 minutes off the bench . Kobe Bryant returned for the Lakers Wednesday after being rested for the two previous games . He went 6 - for - 14 from the field and 1 - for - 5 from the three - point line to score 14 points , while also adding seven rebounds in 29 minutes . He 's averaging just over 20 field goal attempts per game this season , so he did n't get off as many shots as he 's used to . Jordan Hill notched a double - double with 15 points ( 7 - 14 FG , 1 - 2 FT ) and 13 rebounds . It was his second over his last three games , pushing his season averages to 12 points and 8 rebounds per game . After not getting much more help from the other starters , the Lakers needed a little boost from their bench . Wayne Ellington was really the only one to provide any , going 3 - for - 4 from the field and 2 - for - 2 from the three - point line to score 12 points in 18 minutes . The Pelicans ' next game will be on the road against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday , while the Lakers will travel to San Antonio to play the Spurs on Friday .


The New Orleans Pelicans ( 23 - 21 ) defeated the Dallas Mavericks ( 30 - 15 ) 109 - 106 on Sunday at the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans . Fighting to get back into the playoff hunt in the stacked Western Conference , the Pelicans have started to hit their stride , notching their third straight victory in a row . They used their superior shooting in this game , going 51 percent from the field and 47 percent from the three - point line , while the Mavericks went 48 percent from the floor and just 38 percent from beyond the arc . The Pelicans saw huge days from both Anthony Davis and Tyreke Evans . Davis finished with 28 points ( 8 - 18 FG , 12 - 14 FT ) , 10 rebounds and five steals , notching his third double - double over his last four games . He 's currently having a very strong stretch of games , averaging 28 points and 10 rebounds over his last five . Ever since taking over for Jrue Holiday as the starting point guard , Evans has been very impressive . On Sunday he recorded 24 points ( 11 - 19 FG , 1 - 3 3Pt , 1 - 1 FT ) and 12 assists , giving him his sixth double - double of the year . Over his last five games Evans has averaged 22 points , helping to take the pressure off of Davis , who is the biggest scoring threat on their roster . The Pelicans also had some strong contributions off thier bench . Ryan Anderson went 6 - for - 10 from the field and 2 - for - 3 from the three - point line to score 18 points , while also adding five rebounds . Quincy Pondexter had the other solid performance off the bench , recording 14 points ( 4 - 10 FG , 2 - 6 3Pt , 4 - 6 FT ) and five rebounds in 28 minutes . The Mavericks were led by the duo of Dirk Nowitzki and Monta Ellis . Ellis went 16 - for - 27 from the field and 4 - for - 9 from the three - point line to record a game - high of 36 points , while also addding five rebounds . He came just shy of matching a season - high in points , but boosted his season scoring average to 20 points per game . Nowitzki on the other hand finished with 24 points ( 8 - 19 FG , 2 - 8 3Pt , 6 - 8 FT ) and six rebounds . It was his second straight night with 23 points , as he 's a combined 18 - of - 34 from the field over the last two games . Rajon Rondo had solid showing Sunday , going 7 - for - 10 from the field and 2 - for - 2 from beyond the arc to score 17 points . He also came just shy of a double - double with nine rebounds to go along with it . It was one of his better games for the Mavericks this season , but it was n't enough to get them the victory . Coming off the bench , Dwight Powell added 10 points and six assists . The Pelicans ' next game will be at home against the Philadelphia 76ers on Monday , while the Mavericks will be at home against the Memphis Grizzlies on Tuesday .


The New Orleans Pelicans ( 24 - 21 ) defeated the Philadelphia 76ers ( 8 - 37 ) 99 - 74 on Monday at the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans . The Pelicans got started quickly in this game , out - scoring the Sixers 30 - 19 in the first quarter alone . The Pelicans were the superior shooters , going 45 percent from the field and 44 percent from the three - point line , while the Sixers shot just 35 percent from the floor and a meager 13 percent from beyond the arc . The Pelicans also did it on the glass though , securing a 52 - 38 rebounding advantage . The Pelicans were led by Anthony Davis , who continued his strong stretch of games and finished with 32 points ( 12 - 19 FG , 8 - 8 FT ) , 10 rebounds , three steals and four blocked shots . It was his third straight double - double , as he 's averaged 27 points and 11 rebounds over that span of games . Coming off the bench , Ryan Anderson stayed a consistent part of the Pelicans ' offense . He went 7 - for - 14 from the field and 4 - for - 5 from the three - point line to score 19 points , while also adding seven rebounds and three steals . He 's combined for 37 points and 12 rebounds over his last two games , while his three steals matched a season - high . Tyreke Evans finally slowed down offensively though , recording only six points in 28 minutes . He did post 12 assists for the second straight night though , as he 's been focusing on getting his teammates opportunities . Eric Gordon chipped in with 13 points ( 5 - 9 FG , 2 - 5 3Pt , 1 - 1 FT ) and five assists as well . The Sixers ' biggest contributor came from their bench Monday . That was rookie K.J . McDaniels , who went 5 - for - 8 from the field and 1 - for - 1 from the three - point line to score 16 points in 27 minutes . Despite averaging only 9 points per game so far this season , he 's now recorded 12 or more points in three out of his last four games , so he 's starting to get in a rhythm . With Michael Carter-Williams sitting out because of an illness , Larry Drew got the start at point guard . He really struggled in his 31 minutes of playing time , finishing with only four points ( 2 - 9 FG , 0 - 4 3Pt ) and five rebounds . Both Henry Sims and Luc Mbah A Moute reached double figures as well . Sims had 14 points ( 4 - 9 FG , 6 - 8 FT ) and three rebounds , while Mbah A Moute had 14 points ( 6 - 13 FG , 0 - 1 3Pt , 2 - 3 FT ) and three rebounds of his own . The Pelicans ' next game will be at home against the Denver Nuggets on Wednesday , while the Sixers will be at home against the Detroit Pistons on Wednesday .


The Denver Nuggets ( 19 - 27 ) defeated the New Orleans Pelicans ( 24 - 22 ) 93 - 85 on Wednesday at the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans . The Nuggets shot much better than the Pelicans in this game , going 46 percent from the field and an impressive 59 percent from the three - point line , while the Pelicans shot 39 percent from the floor and just 20 percent from beyond the arc . The Pelicans out - rebounded the Nuggets 48 - 39 , but it was n't enough to overcome a poor overall shooting performance , as they dropped a tough loss at home . Arron Afflalo got hot from the floor for the Nuggets , going 7 - for - 13 from the field and 4 - for - 7 from the three - point line to score a team - high of 20 points . It was his second solid game in a row , combining for 38 points and 10 assists over that span . Jusuf Nurkic came just shy of a double - double , finishing with 15 points ( 7 - 9 FG , 1 - 2 FT ) , nine rebounds and two blocked shots . He has n't been doing much scoring for the Nuggets so far this season , as he 's averaging only 7 points per game on the year , so the 15 points were a nice surprise . In 32 minutes , Kenneth Faried reached double figures as well , scoring 14 points ( 6 - 11 FG , 2 - 3 FT ) , while also adding seven rebounds , two steals and a blocked shot . It marked his second straight night with 14 points , pushing his season average to 12 points per game . Ty Lawson really struggled offensively , scoring only five points ( 2 - 12 FG , 1 - 2 3Pt ) , but also recorded 13 assists , as he found his teammates at a high rate . Tyreke Evans and Anthony Davis were the most successful players for the Pelicans despite the loss . Evans posted 25 points ( 11 - 22 FG , 1 - 4 3Pt , 2 - 3 FT ) , six rebounds and a steal , while Davis recorded 24 points ( 8 - 15 FG , 8 - 10 FT ) , 12 rebounds and two blocked shots . Davis has recorded four double - doubles in a row , averaging 26 points and 11 rebounds over that span of games . Davis had to leave the game late in the third quarter with a groin injury , but came back in the fourth and did n't seem to have any issues with it following that . Evans posted only six points in Monday 's game against the Philadelphia 76ers , so it was good to see him get back on track with a very solid 25 - point game . Both Eric Gordon and Ryan Anderson reached double figures in points as well . Gordon had 11 points ( 4 - 15 FG , 2 - 6 3Pt , 1 - 2 FT ) , six rebounds and six assists , while Anderson posted 11 points ( 3 - 10 FG , 0 - 3 3Pt , 5 - 5 FT ) and seven rebounds . The Nuggets ' next game will be on the road against the Memphis Grizzlies on Thursday , while the Pelicans will be at home against the Los Angeles Clippers on Friday .


The New Orleans Pelicans ( 25 - 22 ) defeated the Los Angeles Clippers ( 32 - 15 ) 108 - 103 on Friday . New Orleans did n't let the absence of Anthony Davis ( adductor ) slow them down . They 've won five of their last six games , and Eric Gordon stepped up Friday , putting up a game - high 28 points in 38 minutes . As has happened often when Davis is out of the lineup , Alexis Ajinca had a nice game off the bench , putting up 17 points and nine rebounds in 24 minutes , and Ryan Anderson moved into the starting lineup to put up 24 points and nine rebounds . The Pelicans are two games out of the final playoff spot in the West , just behind the Phoenix Suns . Los Angeles saw their six - game winning streak come to an end . Six players scored in double digits , and J.J. Redick returned from a one - game absence due to back spasms to put up 12 points and four assists in 28 minutes , but it was n't enough to hold back the Pelicans . With Redick back in action , Jamal Crawford returned to a bench role and put up 15 points and one rebound in 28 minutes . Chris Paul approached a double - double and put on display his All-Star pedigree with a team - high 24 points , eight rebounds and seven assists in 38 minutes . The Clippers are tied with the Portland Trail Blazers for fifth place in the Western Conference standings , six games behind the conference - leading Golden State Warriors . The Pelicans will host the Atlanta Hawks on Monday . The Clippers are in the midst of an eight - game road trip that will see them play the San Antonio Spurs on Saturday .


The New Orleans Pelicans ( 26 - 22 ) defeated the Atlanta Hawks ( 40 - 9 ) 115 - 110 on Monday at the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans . Looking to extend their winning streak to 20 games Monday , the Hawks came out of this game dissapointed , as the Pelicans stepped up and took an impressive 15 - point victory . The Pelicans shot pretty well , going 50 percent from the field and 39 percent from the three - point line , while the Hawks went 45 percent from the floor and 32 percent from beyond the arc . The Pelicans were also able to finish with a 52 - 32 rebounding advantage , giving them a huge upperhand and contributing even further to the win . As he 's done all season long , Anthony Davis continued to show himself as one of the best players in the league . In 34 minutes , he finished with 29 points ( 12 - 23 FG , 5 - 7 FT ) , 13 rebounds and and two blocked shots . It was his fifth double - double in a row , a stretch where he 's averaged 27 points , 11 rebounds and two blocks per game . Eric Gordon had a really strong showing as well , going 7 - for - 11 from the field and 4 - for - 6 from the three - point line to score 20 points , while also adding seven assists in 28 minutes . It was his second impressive game in a row , as he 's combined for 48 points and 14 assists over those two matchups . Recording a double - double of his own , Tyreke Evans added 15 points ( 7 - 14 FG , 1 - 2 3Pt ) , five rebounds and 12 assists . He 's recorded exactly 12 assists in four out of his last five games . The Pelicans had a huge effort off the bench as well . Ryan Anderson recorded 15 points ( 5 - 10 FG , 1 - 4 3Pt , 4 - 4 FT ) and six rebounds , while Jimmer Fredette added 10 points ( 3 - 6 FG , 2 - 5 3Pt , 2 - 2 FT ) and three assists . The Hawks saw their biggest contribution from Jeff Teague , who had a team - high of 21 points ( 8 - 17 FG , 1 - 2 3Pt , 4 - 5 FT ) , while also adding seven assists . He had an ugly showing in Saturday 's game against Philadelphia , where he went just 3 - of - 12 from the field , so it was good to see him hit his shot more consistently Monday . Paul Millsap also did as much as he could to keep the Hawks alive , finishing with 15 points ( 5 - 14 FG , 0 - 3 3Pt , 5 - 6 FT ) , six rebounds and two blocked shots . He 's now averaging 17 points and eight rebounds per game so far this season . Kent Bazemore continued to start at small forward with DeMare Carroll playing limited action off the bench due to general soreness in his body . Bazemore finished with nine points ( 4 - 9 FG , 0 - 2 3Pt , 1 - 3 FT ) and three rebounds in 26 minutes . Both Kyle Korver and Dennis Schroder reached double figures as well , scoring 12 and 10 points respectively . The Pelicans ' next game will be at home against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday , while the Hawks will be at home against the Washington Wizards on Wednesday .


The Oklahoma City Thunder ( 25 - 24 ) defeated the New Orleans Pelicans ( 26 - 23 ) 102 - 91 on Wednesday at the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans . The Thunder shot much better than the Pelicans in this game , going 53 percent from the field and 33 percent from the three - point line , while the Pelicans went just 39 percent from the floor and a meager 28 percent from beyond the arc . While the Thunder were down 57 - 51 at half , they had a huge second half where they out - scored the Pelicans 51 - 34 , allowing them to steal a victory over the Pelicans . It was a big win , as they will be fighting against the Pelicans to secure one of the last spots in the Western Conference playoffs moving forward . With Kevin Durant still sitting out with a toe injury , Russell Westbrook again took it on himself to do the bulk of the work offensively for the Thunder . Westbrook went 18 - for - 31 from the field and 2 - for - 6 from the three - point line to score a game - high of 45 points , while also adding six rebounds and six assists . It was his second 40 - point outing in his last four games , a stretch where he 's averaging 31 points , 7 rebounds and 7 assists per game . Serge Ibaka had a big game defensively , as he posted seven blocks , to go along with 13 points ( 6 - 9 FG , 1 - 2 3Pt ) and six rebounds . Over his last two games , he 's combined for 29 points , 14 rebounds and 10 blocks . Dion Waiters was in the starting lineup again with Durant out . He finished with 12 points ( 6 - 14 FG , 0 - 2 3Pt , 0 - 2 FT ) , six rebounds and two steals in 33 minutes . The only other Thunder player to reach double figures was Anthony Morrow , who had 14 points ( 6 - 11 FG , 2 - 4 3Pt ) and four rebounds off the bench . The Pelicans got most of their production from Anthony Davis , who posted 23 points ( 9 - 21 FG , 5 - 6 FT ) and eight rebounds in 39 minutes . He 's continued to stay dominant over his last four games , averaging 27 points , 11 rebounds and 2 blocks over that stretch . Giving Davis the most help was Ryan Anderson , who came off the bench to score 19 points ( 7 - 17 FG , 3 - 8 3Pt , 2 - 2 FT ) , to go along with five rebounds and two steals in 28 minutes . He 's been the most reliable player off the bench for the Pelicans this season , so it was good to see him have another positive showing Wednesday . Despite shooting quite poorly , Tyreke Evans came close to a triple - double , finishing with 11 points ( 5 - 20 FG , 1 - 5 3Pt ) , seven rebounds and seven assists . Quincy Pondexter reached double figures as well and posted 10 points ( 4 - 8 FG , 2 - 5 3Pt ) and seven rebounds off the bench . These two teams will play each other again on Friday in Oklahoma .


The Chicago Bulls ( 31 - 20 ) defeated the New Orleans Pelicans ( 27 - 24 ) , 107 - 72 . Anthony Davis suffered a right shoulder contusion after landing awkwardly following a dunk attempt . X-rays were negative . The game was played in just under two hours . Tony Snell scored a season - high 19 points , and rookie Doug McDermott provided nine points in four minutes . Joakim Noah did n't record an assist , but Pau Gasol compiled his league - leading 32nd double - double , finishing with 20 points , 15 rebounds , four assists , and three blocks in just 28 minutes . Kirk Hinrich exited early due to turf toe , lasting 15 minutes . The Pelicans scored a season - low 72 points , shot 24 percent from downtown and 57 percent from the free - throw line . Tyreke Evans extended his streak of at least one three - pointer to 12 consecutive games . Toney Douglas played his first game with the Pelicans since signing Wednesday , scoring five points and registering three assists in 16 minutes . The Bulls conclude a six - game road trip in Orlando on Sunday night . The Pelicans host the Utah Jazz on Monday .


The Utah Jazz ( 19 - 33 ) defeated the New Orleans Pelicans ( 27 - 25 ) 100 - 96 on Monday at the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans . While going into halftime down 52 - 42 , the Jazz looked to be in for a long game . They came out firing in the third quarter though , where they out - scored the Pelicans 29 - 15 , giving them enough of an advantage to steal a four - point victory on the road against a very tough team . The Jazz were also able to force the Pelicans into 15 turnovers , while committing only 11 of their own , which also may have helped make the difference Monday . Gordon Hayward was unstoppable in this one , going 10 - for - 22 from the field and 3 - for - 5 from the three - point line to finish with 32 points , while also adding seven rebounds , eight assists and two steals . He 's played extremely well over his last two games , combining for 62 points , nine rebounds , 11 assists and four steals over that span . Derrick Favors also did his part and finished with 18 points ( 8 - 16 FG , 2 - 4 FT ) , seven rebounds and two blocked shots . Over his last three games he 's averaging 19 points and seven rebounds , as he 's really stepped it up for the Jazz lately . Notching a double - double , center Enes Kanter posted 14 points ( 6 - 12 FG , 2 - 2 FT ) and 11 rebounds in 28 minutes . It marked his third double - double over his last four games . Coming off the bench , Steve Novak added an efficient 12 points ( 4 - 5 3Pt ) in 12 minutes . Doing everything he could to keep the Pelicans in this game , Eric Gordon finished with 31 points ( 9 - 14 FG , 7 - 8 3Pt , 6 - 6 FT ) , three assists and two steals . It was a new season - high in points for him and also a nice bounce back game after posting just three points in Saturday 's game against the Bulls . Tyreke Evans also had a solid showing and recorded 18 points ( 7 - 17 FG , 2 - 4 3Pt , 2 - 2 FT ) , seven rebounds and 10 assists . With Anthony Davis sitting out due to a shoulder injury , the Pelicans ' backcourt tried to make up for his scoring , but they did n't get enough production elsewhere to keep up . The only other player to reach double figures in points was Luke Babbitt , who came off the bench and contributed a season - high of 15 points ( 6 - 14 FG , 2 - 5 3Pt , 1 - 1 FT ) and six rebounds in 26 minutes . The Jazz 's next game will be on the road against the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday , while the Pelicans will be at home against the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday .


The Indiana Pacers ( 21 - 33 ) cruised to an 106 - 93 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans ( 27 - 26 ) on Wednesday at the Smoothie King Center . The Pelicans sorely missed Anthony Davis once again as they did n't have a single player score more than 15 points . The Pacers were led by George Hill , who finished with 17 points and nine assists over 29 minutes of action . Indiana scored their seventh win against Western Conference competition Wednesday and enters the All-Star break in decent position in the Eastern Conference playoff race . The Pacers have now won four of their last five games . They will return to action Feb. 20 against the 76ers in Philadelphia . New Orleans has been decimated by injuries of late . Anthony Davis missed his second straight game Wednesday , and his absence was apparent . Eric Gordon and Tyreke Evans combined for 5 - for - 20 shooting to finish with just 14 points between them . The Pelicans will return to action Feb. 20 against the Magic .


The New Orleans Pelicans ( 29 - 27 ) beat the Toronto Raptors ( 37 - 19 ) 100 - 97 on Monday . The Pelicans learned Sunday that they will be without superstar forward Anthony Davis for a week or two , while he deals with a nagging shoulder injury . On Monday , Dante Cunningham got the start at power forward in place of Davis . Cunningham played 31 minutes , recording five points and six rebounds . New Orleans got big performances off the bench from Luke Babbitt and Alexis Ajinca . They combined for 34 points on 14 - of - 20 shooting from the floor and 17 rebounds . Recent addition Norris Cole had 15 points and six assists off the bench as well . Tyreke Evans put up his third double - double over his last five games , during which he 's averaging 13 points , 9 assists and 5 rebounds . The Raptors have dropped two straight to follow up a four - game win streak and are now 4 - 4 in the month of February . Jonas Valanciunas put up 17 points and 14 rebounds in Monday 's loss . Toronto was led in scoring by All-Star point guard Kyle Lowry with 22 points to go along with three steals . Louis Williams also played 25 minutes Monday , as he 's been bothered by an ankle injury and missed the Raptors previous game Saturday against the Rockets , a 98 - 76 loss . Toronto still holds the second - best overall record in the Eastern Conference . The Raptors will head to Dallas to face the Mavericks on Tuesday . The Pelicans will host the Brooklyn Nets on Wednesday .


The New Orleans Pelicans ( 30 - 27 ) defeated the Brooklyn Nets ( 23 - 32 ) 102 - 96 on Wednesday at the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans . Despite finishing with just a six - point victory , the Pelicans were much better with their shooting percentages . They went 51 percent from the field and 44 percent from the three - point line , while the Nets went 42 percent from the floor and 33 percent from deep . What really kept the Nets in this game was their ability to force the Pelicans into turnovers , as the Pelicans had 20 turnovers compared to just 12 from the Nets . This was a big win for the Pelicans , as they continue to trail the Thunder for the final projected playoff spot in the Western Conference standings . Seemingly coming out of nowhere , Quincy Pondexter was a huge reason the Pelicans were able to grab a win , despite missing both Anthony Davis and Ryan Anderson . He went 9 - for - 13 from the field and 4 - for - 8 from the three - point line to finish with a game - high of 25 points , to go along with five rebounds . It was a new season - high for Pondexter in just his fourth start of the year , as it was his first time breaking the 20 - point mark . Tyreke Evans also had a strong showing , posting 15 points ( 5 - 13 FG , 1 - 4 3Pt , 4 - 6 FT ) , 11 assists and two blocked shots . It was his third double - double over his last four games , a stretch where he 's averaged 14 points and 10 assists . As long as Davis is out , Evans should continue to be the go - to player on offense . Notching a double - double of his own , Omer Asik recorded 12 points ( 5 - 6 FG , 2 - 2 FT ) and 13 rebounds . He 's combined for 26 points and 24 rebounds over his last two games . Both Norris Cole and Alexis Ajinca reached double figures in points off the bench , with 11 and 10 points respectively . The Nets saw their most production from Joe Johnson , who went 9 - for - 17 from the field and 3 - for - 5 from the three - point line to score 21 points , while adding 10 rebounds as well . He 's played well of late , averaging 19 points and eight rebounds over his last three games . A big reason for the Nets keeping this game close was their bench though , who combined to score 49 of the teams 96 points . Thaddeus Young was one of those players , as he went off for 19 points ( 8 - 12 FG , 1 - 1 3Pt , 2 - 4 FT ) and five rebounds . Over his last two outings with the Nets , he 's combined for 34 points and 10 rebounds , as he looks to be getting more and more comfortable with his new team . Brook Lopez and Jarrett Jack were the other two bench contributors . Lopez had 15 points ( 7 - 14 FG , 1 - 1 FT ) , seven rebounds and four blocked shots , while Jack posted 15 points ( 5 - 12 FG , 1 - 3 3Pt , 4 - 4 FT ) and three assists . The Pelicans ' next game will be at home against the Miami Heat on Friday , while the Nets will travel to Houston to play the Rockets on Friday .


The New Orleans Pelicans ( 31 - 27 ) beat the Miami Heat ( 25 - 32 ) 104 - 102 on Friday . Alexis Ajinca has put together a nice three - game stretch , averaging 17 points , 7 rebounds and 2 blocks in 23 minutes a game over that span . He recorded 24 points , eight rebounds and three blocks against the Heat . He led all bench players in those three categories . Tyreke Evans has been dealing with a sore left foot but was able to play and start . He recorded 19 points and 11 assists in 33 minutes . Dante Cunningham has been starting at power forward for the Pelicans while Anthony Davis is out with a shoulder injury . Cunningham had a 10 - point , 10 - rebound double - double performance . New Orleans is now 20 - 10 at home this season and have won four straight games overall . The Miami Heat beat the Magic in overtime in miraculous fashion on Wednesday . They came back from a seven - point deficit with under a minute remaining to send the game into overtime and handled the Magic in the final five minutes . This time it was the Heat trying to keep their opponent from attaining a comeback victory . They led by nine heading into the fourth quarter , but could n't hold on as Ajinca and Evans led the Pelicans to victory in the final period . Michael Beasley was signed to a 10 - day contract and was made available to play in New Orleans . He played 10 minutes and scored seven points on 3 - of - 7 shooting from the field . The Heat will host the Eastern Conference leading Atlanta Hawks on Saturday . The Pelicans will head to the Pepsi Center to take on the Denver Nuggets on Sunday .


The New Orleans Pelicans ( 33 - 28 ) made the most of Anthony Davis ' return Wednesay with an 88 - 85 victory over the Detroit Pistons ( 23 - 37 ) at the Smoothie King Center . Anthony Davis had been out since Feb. 21 after re - injuring his shoulder against Miami , but came back in a big way Wednesday . Davis made his presence felt with 39 points , 13 rebounds , and a remarkable eight blocks . The Pistons made a late run , tying the game at 81 with just over a minute to go , but Anthony Davis and Tyreke Evans made the difference for the Pelicans . New Orleans had a great run in Davis ' absence , winning five out of six games without its young super star . The Pelicans continue to battle for the eighth seed in the West , with the Thunder and Suns all vying for that final spot . Alexis Ajinca had his second - straight double - double off the bench Wednesday with 10 points and 11 rebounds . The Pelicans will return to action Friday when they host the Celtics . Detroit was coming off extended rest Wednesday , having last played Saturday against Washington . The rest did n't translate to a favorable result , however , as the Pistons dropped their fourth straigh game . The current losing streak makes Detroit 's playoff chances tenable at best as Indiana , Brooklyn , and Boston are all ahead of the Pistons . The Pistons will look to snap their losing skid Friday in Houston .


The Boston Celtics ( 25 - 35 ) defeated the New Orleans Pelicans ( 33 - 29 ) 104 - 98 on Friday . Isaiah Thomas relished his bench role with the Phoenix Suns , and he continues to embrace it as member of the Boston Celtics . Thomas dropped 27 points in 29 minutes against the Pelicans in New Orleans . He helped his team to a 3 - 2 record over their last five games , averaging 21 points and 5 assists in that time . Jae Crowder was placed into the starting lineup due to the injury to Avery Bradley 's elbow . Crowder finished with 11 points , nine rebounds and four steals in 37 minutes , and gave his team immense energy without committing a foul . The Celtics are still just a few games out of the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference . Anthony Davis does it all for his team , and that trend continued Friday with him recording 29 points , 14 points , two assists and one steal in 42 minutes . He also added to his all - time franchise record with three blocked shots . Eric Gordon did his best to help out Davis but his 20 points were n't enough to defend their home court against the Celtics . New Orlean 's point guards Tyreke Evans and Norris Cole combined for 12 turnovers , which proved to be very costly in the end . The Pelicans are the first team on the outside looking in at the Western Conference playoff picture . New Orleans will host the Memphis Grizzlies on Saturday and the Celtics will take on the Orlando Magic on Sunday .


The New Orleans Pelicans ( 34 - 29 ) defeated the Memphis Grizzlies ( 44 - 18 ) 95 - 89 on Saturday at the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans . Coming into this game sitting just one game back from the Oklahoma City Thunder for the final projected playoff seed in the Western Conference standings , the Pelicans pulled off a big win Saturday , bringing themselves to within a half game of the Thunder . Despite being down 50 - 38 at half , the Pelicans took off in the third quarter , out - scoring the Grizzlies 33 - 17 to help set themselves up for the six - point victory in front of their home crowd . The Pelicans were the superior shooters in this game , going 48 percent from the field , while the Grizzlies finished at just 43 percent . The Pelicans were led by the duo of Anthony Davis and Tyreke Evans in this one . Evans went 10 - for - 16 from the field and 3 - for - 8 from the three - point line to finish with a team - high of 26 points , to go along with seven rebounds and three steals . He struggled to just 11 points on Friday against the Boston Celtics , so it was good to see him rebound with a big performance . Davis , on the other hand , finished with 23 points ( 11 - 21 FG , 1 - 1 FT ) , 10 rebounds and five blocked shots in 40 minutes . After missing five games in a row with a shoulder injury , the Pelicans are loving what they 're seeing from their superstar , as he 's averaged 30 points , 12 rebounds and 5 blocks in the three games since his return . He 's pushed his season averages to 24 points and 10 rebounds on the year . Eric Gordon also played a factor in the win , as he posted 16 points ( 4 - 6 FG , 3 - 5 3Pt , 5 - 5 FT ) and six assists in 35 minutes . He 's played well of late as well , combining for 36 points and eight assists over his last two games . For the Grizzlies , Jeff Green did the bulk of the work offensively . He went 8 - for - 18 from the field , but 0 - for - 3 from the three - point line to record 20 points , while adding four rebounds and three assists as well . He had shot less than 30 percent in two out of his last three games coming into Saturday , so it was good to see him get things turned around and have a productive showing from the field in this matchup . Mike Conley also had a strong showing , finishing with 17 points ( 5 - 9 FG , 3 - 6 3Pt , 4 - 4 FT ) , four rebounds and three assists of his own over 30 minutes . He 's been quite inconsistent with his scoring lately , but he was able to put up some decent numbers Saturday . With both Zach Randolph and Marc Gasol combining for just 15 points between the two , Beno Udrih was the only other Grizzlies ' player in double figures for points . In just 15 minutes off the bench , he posted 11 points ( 4 - 6 FG , 3 - 3 FT ) and four rebounds . With a few of their stars struggling in this one , the Grizzlies just were n't able to overcome the Pelicans ' strong play . The Pelicans ' next game will be on the road against the Milwaukee Bucks on Monday , while the Grizzlies will travel to Chicago to play the Bulls on Monday .


The Denver Nuggets ( 26 - 41 ) defeated the New Orleans Pelicans ( 36 - 30 ) 118 - 111 on Sunday at the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans . With 12 seconds left in the game , Anthony Davis came up clutch for the Pelicans , hitting a jumper to put them up by two . On the next possession down , Kenneth Faried matched Davis and converted on a layup to tie the game up with just four seconds left in regulation . Davis then had a chance to win it at the buzzer , but his shot was long and rattled out of the hoop . In overtime , the Pelicans again had a three - point lead with just under 10 seconds left . Will Barton was the savior this time around and tied the game with a huge three - pointer for the Nuggets on the next possession , forcing it into a second overtime . The Pelicans struggled offensively in the second overtime , with Tyreke Evans scoring their only two points , and they went on to take a seven - point loss . This was a tough loss for the Pelicans , who are in a fierce battle for the eighth and final playoff seed in the Western Conference standings . They now sit a full game back from Oklahoma City for that eighth seed , so they 'll need bounce back with a win on Tuesday . Despite taking the loss , Davis continued to play extremely well , as he finished with a game - high of 36 points ( 16 - 28 FG , 0 - 1 3Pt , 4 - 6 FT ) to go along with 14 rebounds , seven assists and nine blocked shots . He did a little bit of everything in this game , nearly recording a quadruple - double by the end . Davis recorded his fifth double - double of his last six games , a six - game stretch where he 's averaged 31 points , 11 rebounds and 5 blocks . Evans came just short of a triple - double of his own and posted 25 points ( 11 - 20 FG , 1 - 3 3Pt , 2 - 4 FT ) , nine rebounds and 10 assists . He 's shot extremely well of late , finishing 55 percent or higher from the field in each of his last three games . Along with making a game - tying bucket at the end of regulation , Faried also posted 20 points ( 7 - 17 FG , 0 - 2 3Pt , 6 - 6 FT ) and 10 rebounds in the win . With Jusuf Nurkic returning to the starting lineup at center , Faried was able to move back to his natural power forward position . The Nuggets also saw a strong bench effort , with both Barton and Jameer Nelson reaching double figures . Barton recorded 25 points ( 10 - 16 FG , 3 - 6 3Pt , 2 - 2 FT ) and nine rebounds in 47 minutes while Nelson posted 18 points ( 7 - 16 FG , 4 - 8 3Pt ) and six assists in 38 minutes . Since joining the Nuggets at the trade deadline , he 's averaged 14 points , 5 rebounds , 2 assists and 1 steals over 13 games . Ty Lawson chipped in with 19 points ( 9 - 18 FG , 1 - 5 3Pt ) and nine assists in his return to action after sitting out the Nuggets ' last game with an illness . The Pelicans ' next game will be at home against the Milwaukee Bucks on Tuesday , while the Nuggets will travel to Memphis to play the Grizzlies on Monday .


The New Orleans Pelicans ( 37 - 30 ) escaped with an 85 - 84 win over the Milwaukee Bucks ( 34 - 33 ) . Ersan Ilyasova missed a wide - open , game - winning three - pointer at the buzzer . The Pelicans claimed the eight seed in the Western Conference , holding the tiebreaker over the Oklahoma City Thunder , who possess the same record . This was the last time the Pelicans face an Eastern Conference squad , increasing difficulty of retaining that playoff spot . Anthony Davis left briefly in the fourth quarter with an apparent leg injury . He returned moments later after receiving treatment on the sideline . In 42 minutes , Davis finished with 20 points , 12 rebounds , four assists , three blocks and one steal . Tyreke Evans scored 10 of his 12 points in the first quarter , combined with 10 rebounds , six assists and one steal in 37 minutes . Quincy Pondexter provided 18 points and five three - pointers . The Bucks lost their third straight and eight of their last ten . They maintain a three and a half game lead over the Indiana Pacers and Miami Heat for the six seed . Michael Carter-Williams shot 2 - of - 12 in his return to the lineup after missing one game due to an ankle injury . Jerryd Bayless played 34 minutes off the bench following three missed games with his own ankle injury , supplying 14 points , eight rebounds and five assists . Jared Dudley ( back ) and O.J . Mayo ( hamstring ) did n't play the first night of a back - to - back , and Miles Plumlee received a DNP-CD as coach Jason Kidd preferred his eight - man rotation . John Henson recorded four of the Bucks ' 12 blocks . The Pelicans begin a three - game road trip Thursday against the Phoenix Suns . The Bucks quickly turn around Wednesday with a home game against the San Antonio Spurs before going back on the road .


The Houston Rockets ( 48 - 23 ) beat the New Orleans Pelicans ( 37 - 34 ) 95 - 93 on Wednesday . Dwight Howard made his return to the Rockets lineup after missing 25 games to injury . The Rockets planned to play him just 16 minutes against the Pelicans and they did just that , as he finished with four points and seven rebounds in 16 minutes . Most Valuable Player award candidate James Harden continued his dominant season , as he recorded 25 points , 10 assists and six rebounds . His speciality is getting to the free throw line , but he went just 6 - for - 9 from the charity stripe in New Orleans . Breakout superstar Anthony Davis had 24 points , 14 rebounds , three steals and three blocks in 44 minutes , as he attempted to help his team improve their playoff chances . Tyreke Evans ' ankle has been bothering him lately and forced him to miss Sunday 's game , a 107 - 100 loss to the Clippers . Evans was able to play Wednesday and he dropped 28 points , seven assists , two steals and one block in 38 minutes on the Rockets . The Pelicans shortened their bench to just three players , Dante Cunningham , Alexis Ajinca and Norris Cole . They combined for 19 points , nine rebounds and each recorded two assists . New Orleans has lost four straight and will host the Sacramento Kings on Friday . The Rockets will welcome the Minnesota Timberwolves to town on Friday


The New Orleans Pelicans ( 38 - 34 ) kept their playoff hopes alive with a 102 - 88 win over the Sacramento Kings ( 26 - 46 ) . They 're three games behind the Oklahoma City Thunder for the eighth spot in the Western Conference . Conventional wisdom says Anthony Davis has to make the playoffs in order to become an MVP candidate . He did his best against the Kings , tallying 24 points , nine rebounds , six blocks , two assists , and one steal in 41 minutes . It 's the seventh time he 's registered at least 24 points , nine boards , and six blocks in a game this season ; no other players has even done it once . Former King Tyreke Evans added team - highs of 25 points and 10 assists in 33 minutes . Omer Asik corralled 12 rebounds but only attempted two shots in 36 minutes . Eric Gordon was limited to 20 minutes and four points , failing to grab a rebound or hit a three - pointer for the second consecutive game . DeMarcus Cousins picked up his 12th technical foul . He also accounted for 44 percent of the Kings points and 54 percent of their rebounds , accumulating 39 points , 20 rebounds , three blocks , two assists , and one steal in 41 minutes . It 's his 44th double - double this season , second only to Pau Gasol of the Chicago Bulls . Sophomores Ray McCallum and Ben McLemore combined for nine points on 3 - of - 13 shooting in 64 minutes . Rudy Gay and Omri Casspi joined Cousins as the only other players to reach double - digit scoring , providing 18 and 10 respectively . The Pelicans conclude a three - game homestand Sunday against the Minnesota Timberwolves . The Kings play their third straight road game then they face the Memphis Grizzlies on Monday .


The New Orleans Pelicans ( 39 - 34 ) defeated the Minnesota Timberwolves ( 16 - 57 ) , 110 - 88 , on Sunday at the Smoothie King Center . New Orleans needed to take advantage of Sunday 's favorable matchup in order to keep its playoff hopes alive , and that 's exactly what it did . The short - handed Timberwolves simply did n't have enough talent available to hang with the Pelicans . Anthony Davis turned in another strong outing with 28 points , nine rebounds , and five assists over 37 minutes . The Pelicans are now two games behind the Thunder for the final playoff spot in the West . Minnesota was already missing Kevin Martin , Kevin Garnett , Nikola Pekovic , and Ricky Rubio for this game , and things got worse when Gorgui Dieng had to leave the game with a facial contusion . Dieng was held scoreless in nine minutes before exiting the contest . Robbie Hummel returned from a 29 - game absence due to a broken hand and finished with six points in 18 minutes off the bench . The Timberwolves will look to end their three game losing streak Monday when they host the Jazz . New Orleans took care of business Sunday , but a tough stretch awaits it starting Saturday . The Pelicans will start a three game road trip Wednesday against the Lakers and will then take on the Kings on Friday . From there , the Pelicans play the Trail Blazers , Warriors , Grizzlies , and Suns in a crucial stretch . Sunday 's game was a solid all - around effort by the Pelicans , who shot 57 percent from the floor and will look to continue that sort of efficiency Wednesday against the Lakers .


The New Orleans Pelicans ( 42 - 35 ) defeated the Golden State Warriors ( 63 - 15 ) 103 - 100 on Tuesday at the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans . The end of this game came down to free throws for the Pelicans , as Tyreke Evans made 1 - of - 2 attempts with 17 seconds left to put them up one , while Anthony Davis hit 2 - of - 2 with just under 10 seconds left in the game to put them up three . Stephen Curry had a shot to tie it at the buzzer , but he missed and gave the Pelicans a huge win . With the victory , the Pelicans overtook the Oklahoma City Thunder for the eighth and final projected playoff seed in the West . The Thunder took a tough loss to the Spurs on Tuesday as well , so the Pelicans now hold a half game lead over the Thunder with just five games left on their schedule . It was the frontcourt duo of Anthony Davis and Quincy Pondexter that pushed the Pelicans to the key victory . Davis finished with 29 points ( 10 - 21 FG , 0 - 2 3Pt , 9 - 12 FT ) , 10 rebounds and four blocked shots , while Pondexter had 20 points , shooting 6 - for - 7 from the field and 4 - for - 4 from the three - point line . Davis has really stepped up ever since the middle of March in order to get this team in position for a playoff berth in the loaded Western Conference . Over his last 10 games , he 's averaging 25 points , 9 rebounds and 3 blocks , so it 's not surprising how well he played again in this one . This marked just the second time all season that Pondexter reached the 20 - point mark , so it came at the right time for the Pelicans during their intense battle with the Thunder for that final playoff spot . Tyreke Evans did a little bit of everything as well . He finished with 12 points ( 4 - 8 FG , 4 - 5 FT ) , six rebounds , nine assists and four steals , so despite scoring less than his season average , it was still a very productive showing for the guard . Draymond Green and Stephen Curry did their best to keep the Warriors in position to grab the win . Curry finished with 25 points ( 9 - 18 FG , 5 - 8 3Pt , 2 - 2 FT ) , six rebounds and nine assists , while Green added 24 points ( 10 - 18 FG , 3 - 7 3Pt , 1 - 2 FT ) and 14 rebounds . Curry missed a few big shots late in the game , but he still surpassed the 20 - point mark for the ninth time over his last 10 outings . Green was really struggling of late , combining to go just 4 - for - 18 from the field and 1 - for - 6 from the three - point line in his two previous games , so it was a step in the right direction for him , pushing his season averages to 12 points and eight rebounds on the season . The surprise of the night was Klay Thompson , who just could n't get his shot to fall . He went just 2 - for - 10 from the field and 1 - for - 5 from deep to score seven points , marking his second poor performance in a row . He shot just 3 - of - 11 from the field in Sunday 's game against the Spurs , so he needs to get locked back in before the playoffs start next week . The Pelicans ' next game will be on the road against the Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday , while the Warriors will be at home against the Portland Trail Blazers on Thursday .