NBA notebook: Monroe signs with Celtics; Bulls trade Mirotic to Pelicans

UNB! Sports Staff Report

Greg Monroe will sign a one-year, $5 million deal with the Bostpn Celtics, league sources tell ESPN.

The New Orleans Pelicans could only offer Monroe $2.2 million. They also offered Monroe the chance to be the starting center, but Monroe will join the Celtics with fewer assurances on playing time.

Bulls trade Mirotic to Pelicans

According to ESPN, the Chicago Bulls traded Nikola Mirotic to the Pelicans on Thursday.

New Orleans is planning to guarantee the $12.5M salary of Mirotic in the 2018-19 season.

In return, the Bulls acquire Omer Asik, Tony Allen, Jameer Nelson, and a 2018 first-rounder with "minima" protections.

Sources also told ESPN that the Bulls may waive Allen. They may keep Nelson, according to report after a previous one that said the Bulls wouldn't. 

Evans, Gasol lead Grizzlies over Pelicans 105-102

By CLAY BAILEY
Associated Press

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) -- After a poor defensive performance in the first quarter, the Memphis Grizzlies turned up the pressure all the way until the last minute.

The Grizzlies held New Orleans to a mere nine points in the third period and then forced a key turnover by DeMarcus Cousins in the final seven seconds to help them defeat the Pelicans 105-102 on Wednesday night.

With New Orleans trailing 103-102, Cousins headed to the middle of the lane, but had the ball knocked away by Marc Gasol. Tyreke Evans, who was fouled immediately after the turnover - the Pelicans' 12th of the game - converted a pair of free throws with 5.9 seconds left.

"It was a risky play," Gasol said of helping defensively on Cousins. "Once I saw him put the head down and not really seeing it, I saw a chance and took a gamble and it paid off."

After Evans' foul shots, the Pelicans had a chance for a tie, but E'Twaun Moore's 3-point attempt from the left wing bounced off the front of the rim.

"You've got to live with it," said Moore. "That didn't go in. You've got to go to the next time. That's all."

Evans scored 28 points, while Gasol finished with 21 points and 10 rebounds for Memphis. JaMychal Green contributed 20 points and 14 rebounds - one off his season high in both categories.

Cousins had 29 points and eight rebounds. Moore finished with 16 points and Rajon Rondo scored 14.

Cousins was 2 of 10 from the field entering the fourth, but scored 14 points in the final quarter. He had four 3-pointers in the fourth, including a trio of 3s as the Pelicans overcame an 11-point deficit.

"Basically, had some open shots," Cousins said. "Found shots in the flow of the game."

After leading 61-60 at halftime, the Pelicans ran into offensive problems in the third quarter when they scored nine points - a season low for any quarter. They made only four of their 17 shots and missed all four free throw attempts.

"Bad quarter. Terrible quarter," Cousins said.

That allowed Memphis, which scored just 17 points in the period, to take a 77-70 lead heading to the fourth.

"Obviously, we struggled in the third quarter," Pelicans coach Alvin Gentry said. "We struggled to make a shot. I thought our defense was great in the third quarter. But when you give up 17 points and score nine, that was a major problem in the second half."

TIP-INS

Pelicans: F Anthony Davis did not play after injuring his right ankle Monday against the Pistons. ... New Orleans signed G DeAndre Liggins to a 10-day contract. The addition of Liggins gives New Orleans five former Kentucky Wildcats on its roster. ... Cousins has reached double figures in every Pelicans game this season. ... New Orleans was hindered by making only 23 of 34 free throws and going 5 of 8 in the fourth.

Grizzlies: Memphis had not played since Friday. The four-day span was the longest break of the season outside of the All-Star break. ... G Andrew Harrison, who missed the last game with a left shoulder injury, returned against New Orleans and started. He finished with 11 points. ... Gasol hit all five of his shots in the first half.

LAST SHOT

With his team trailing 105-102, Moore's last-second 3-point attempt from about 27 feet out was an open look, especially for a guy who hits 45.6 percent of his shots from beyond the arc, fifth-best in the league. "It was a great shot," Gentry said. "We're not going to get a better shot than that."

NO FOUL

The last New Orleans possession began with 5.9 seconds left, and interim Memphis coach J.B. Bickerstaff said things moved too fast to foul. "The way (the Pelicans) push it, sometimes it's a little dangerous," he explained. "Sometimes it's hard to wrap him up." As for Moore ending up with a good look, Bickerstaff said: "We trusted in our defense. (We) over-helped a little bit, which created a wide-open look."

UP NEXT

Pelicans: Host the Portland Trail Blazers on Friday.

Grizzlies: Travel to Denver to face the Nuggets on Friday.

Cousins powers Pelicans past Bucks

NEW ORLEANS -- DeMarcus Cousins plays basketball in bold, broad strokes, perhaps because subtlety in the NBA usually is reserved for chumps.

The maddeningly talented New Orleans Pelicans center showed his entire yin-and-yang arsenal Wednesday night in a 115-108 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks at the Smoothie King Center.

He scored a team-high 26 points -- including a 3-pointer from the left wing that sealed the game with 22 seconds left -- grabbed 13 rebounds, dished out seven assists and, not surprisingly, committed nine turnovers.

After finishing one turnover shy of a triple-double, Cousins said decision-making is something he is trying to work on. Cousins was a big reason the Pelicans were able to overcome 21 turnovers against Milwaukee, almost half of which he committed.

"I'm the main culprit of that," said Cousins, who is averaging 5.1 turnovers a game, most in the league next to Russell Westbrook's 4.7. "It just shows how good we could be if we just cut down half our turnovers. Just got to take care of the ball better, make better decisions. I definitely have to make better decisions with the ball. I take full responsibility for the high amount of turnovers."

With the bad comes a lot of good.

Cousins scored nine points in the final 8:12, a key reason the Pelicans (15-14) outscored the Bucks 28-14 in the final 10 minutes to win going away.

Cousins made another key play when he rebounded a missed 3-point attempt by teammate Jameer Nelson and one-handed the ball for a tomahawk dunk, putting the Pelicans up 106-101 with 4:20 left.

"I saw that Jameer was going to miss," Cousins said while laughing. "Something just told me to keep going. When it left his hand, it didn't look too good. I'm not the guy who's (normally) soaring above the rim, but the opportunity kind of presented itself, and I took advantage of that."

New Orleans' Anthony Davis, coming back from a left adductor strain that sidelined him for one game, added 25 points and 10 rebounds, and guard E'Twaun Moore continued his torrid outside shooting, making 4 of 6 from 3-point range to finish with 21 points.

Milwaukee (15-11) got a game-high 32 points and nine rebounds from Giannis Antetokounmpo -- his 12th 30-point-plus game of the season. However, the NBA's second-leading scorer was held to 11 points in the second half on 3-of-9 shooting.

"I thought we did a much better job of pulling in and taking away driving lanes," Pelicans coach Alvin Gentry said. "(Antetokounmpo) likes to drive the ball and then spin. We took that away from him. And then I thought AD did a great job against him, getting into him and being a little more physical with him and making him a jump shooter. We kept him out of the lane."

The Pelicans trailed 94-87 early in the fourth quarter after Milwaukee scored the first nine points of the period, but New Orleans outscored the Bucks 28-14 in the final 10 minutes. After using a 12-4 run to pull back in front 99-98 with 7:01 left, the Pelicans began to pull away, scoring nine of the next 12 points, with Cousins highlighting the 21-7 run with his one-hand rebound of Nelson's miss for the thunderous dunk.

Cousins followed up by feeding Holiday for a layup to put New Orleans up 108-101 with 3:39 left. The Pelicans made 13 of 25 3-point attempts, in part because of excellent movement (35 assists on 45 made field goals).

"We knew coming in they were going to shoot a lot of threes," Milwaukee coach Jason Kidd said. "We didn't do a very good job of taking that away. We didn't guard the 3-point line in the fourth quarter."

"I think they hit threes," Bucks guard Malcolm Brogdon said. "Threes have been our killer for the last two years. They made threes down the stretch, and we didn't contest them. That hurts and that wins games."

NOTES: New Orleans G Darius Miller (3 of 5) has made multiple 3-pointers in 13 of his past 16 games. ... Milwaukee C Giannis Antetokounmpo has scored at least 30 points in 12 of 26 games this season. ... The Bucks have scored at least 100 points in 10 consecutive games, but they lost for only the third time in that stretch. ... Pelicans C DeMarcus Cousins had an ugly end of the first half. With the Pelicans milking the final seconds on the clock, holding a 62-61 lead, Cousins turned the ball over at the top the key and the fouled John Henson with one second left. Henson made two free throws for a 63-61 Milwaukee lead. In the second half, Cousins got into a shouting match with a fan sitting at courtside. "He was very disrespectful," Cousins said. "And he was a New Orleans fan."

Curry hurt in Warriors' rally past Pelicans

NEW ORLEANS -- The good news for the reigning NBA champion Golden State Warriors is that they managed to overcome a 21-point deficit on Monday night and posted a gritty 125-115 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans.

The sobering news is that in the midst of a hockey-style second half in which Golden State forward Kevin Durant and Pelicans center DeMarcus Cousins earned ejections for getting in each other's face, Warriors guard Stephen Curry, who scored a team-high 31 points, badly sprained his right ankle diving for a loose ball with a minute to go and had to leave the Smoothie King Center on crutches.

Although X-rays taken after the game were negative, Curry has hurt the same ankle before, and he said this one, by comparison, is no bargain.

"I sprained my ankle and I'll see how it feels tomorrow and kind of go from there," said Curry, who had the foot in a gray walking boot. "Obviously, it's the second situation, but ... this is more on the concerned side. I shouldn't say that. It's more on the 'I won't just bounce back tomorrow morning and waking up like, all right I should be (fine),' just because of the swelling.

"I know I've been through this before on this ankle, and knowing the surgical repairs from like five or six years ago are fine, I should be able to bounce back."

While coach Steve Kerr was proud of the Warriors' 76-46 second half -- which erased a 69-49 halftime deficit -- he said his team has to show more composure. The Warriors have had a player ejected in each of the last three games. Durant also was ejected in a victory over Orlando last Friday, and guard Shaun Livingston was thrown out for arguing an official's non-call in a won over Miami on Sunday.

"It's absolutely too much," Kerr said. "We're not composed out there. We're a championship team. We've got to be poised and we've got to execute. We're getting way too emotional, myself included. We've got to show some poise when things aren't going our way and stop worrying about everything else and just worry about the game."

The Warriors (19-6) trailed by as many as 21 points late in the second quarter and by 20 at halftime, but they rallied to beat the Pelicans for the 20th time in their last 21 meetings. They are now 4-0 on a six-game road trip and 11-3 overall away from home.

The tussle between Durant and Cousins came with 74 seconds left and the game essentially decided, with Golden State leading 118-110. Durant and Cousins bumped into each other and Cousins shoved back with his arm and then walked away. Both players were yelling at each other and had to be separated before being ejected.

Durant, who scored 19 points but shot just 8-of-21 from the floor and 1-of-5 for long range, blamed himself for getting too emotional. He said the histrionics have gone too far.

"Yeah, yeah, early in the game, we got a couple of techs just arguing with the refs," Durant said. "I think that took us out of the game, so we've got to just stay poised in those situations. I can't let anybody -- I can't get involved with that type of stuff. I've just got to stay locked in and stay focused on the game.

"I'm not going to fight nobody. I don't want to get injured. I don't want to get suspended. I love to play. I love making money for my family, so I'm not trying to get suspended."

New Orleans (12-12) was led by Jrue Holiday's season-high 34 points and a career-high 27 points by guard E'Twaun Moore.

New Orleans coach Alvin Gentry, a former Warriors assistant, said he knew the Warriors would make a run despite being down by 20 points.

"They're a great team, they're the NBA champs," Gentry said. "The thing that I keep telling our guys is that, as bad as this loss is -- and I don't look at anything as a moral victory -- what we keep proving is that we have the ability to play extended minutes with the world champs. Now what we have to do as a team is that we have to now find a way to not do it for 32 minutes or 36 minutes, but we've got to do it for48, because that's the only way you can beat that team. You've got to play for 48 minutes and you've got to be able to score 120 points to beat them."

NOTES: Pelicans F Anthony Davis says he is still experiencing sharp pain from a left adductor strain and missed his second consecutive game. But New Orleans coach Alvin Gentry said the good news the injury he suffered in a road game against Utah is not more serious. "The fact that's he's day-to-day is great," Gentry said. "We'll just work him out and rehab him and see where he is. Hopefully, it will be sooner more than later, but we're still not going to take any chances." ... Warriors C Zaza Pachulia did not play because of a sore left shoulder. ... Golden State coach Steve Kerr called the one-game suspension of G Shaun Livingston and the one-week suspension of referee Courtney Kirkland was fair for their roles in a head-butting incident Sunday in the Warriors' 123-95 road victory over Miami. "I thought the league handled it well," Kerr said. "I think it was the right decision, and we move on. ... It seemed pretty obvious that there was some contact, and both the official and the player were part of it and they are both being reprimanded."

Pelicans rally after Cousins ejection, beat Thunder 114-107

By BRETT MARTEL
Associated Press

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — When DeMarcus Cousins got tossed, Anthony Davis, Jrue Holiday and the rest of the New Orleans Pelicans locked in.

Davis had 36 points and 15 rebounds, Holiday added 18 points, and New Orleans rallied after Cousins’ ejection to beat the Oklahoma City Thunder 114-107 on Monday night.

“We didn’t think it was that fair. He doesn’t do anything intentional,” Holiday said of Cousins, who was assessed a flagrant foul for swinging an elbow near Thunder star Russell Westbrook’s head. “We just wanted to win for him.”

Cousins had 18 points and nine rebounds before his ejection with five minutes remaining in the third quarter and did not speak with reporters after the game.

Cousins raised his elbow near Westbrook’s face after grabbing a rebound, and the Thunder guard dropped to the floor holding his head. Westbrook remained in the game and finished with 22 points, 16 rebounds, 12 assists and three steals. However, Westbrook also missed 13 of 19 shots.

Westbrook also did not discuss Cousins’ foul, but did lament “mental errors” that plagued Oklahoma City while they were losing a lead that was 19 points in the first quarter.

“Guys got to take personal pride and understand how important it is to go out and compete and not take it for granted,” Westbrook said. “As players, you go out on the floor, and sometimes you take it for granted and don’t realize how important it is to embrace the moment. Each individual guy has to do that every night.”

New Orleans trailed 76-72 when Cousins was ejected, but surged ahead soon after with an 11-3 run during which Jameer Nelson, E’Twaun Moore and Darius Miller each hit 3s. Nelson banked in his 3 from near half-court as the shot clock expired.

Davis helped New Orleans end a two-game skid with his typical array of dunks, layups and clutch mid-range shots. He also hit 18 of 22 free throws.

“It was tough losing (Cousins), being one of our star players, but anything is liable to happen in a game,” Davis said. “So guys stepped up and were ready to play.”

Paul George hit six 3s en route to 26 points and Carmelo Anthony scored 19 for Oklahoma City, which lost its second straight in similar fashion, having blown a 23-point lead in San Antonio on Friday night.

“We’re too good of a team to allow a team to tie it up after we go up 20,” George said. “Games are built on runs. That’s going to happen. But we’ve got to eliminate how much of a run we allow.”

TIP-INS

Thunder: Oklahoma City led 25-6 on Alex Abrines’ 3 in the first quarter, but the Thunder fell into a tie early in the second quarter before going back up by eight at halftime after George’s 3 made it 65-57. .... Steven Adams had 15 points and Jerami Grant 10 points.

Pelicans: The 6-foot-4 Moore, normally a reserve shooting guard, started at small forward and scored 12 points. ... Miller had 11 points for New Orleans, hitting three of four 3-point shots. ... Davis had seven turnovers. ... Guard Tony Allen returned from a four-game absence cause by left knee swelling. He had six points and six rebounds in nearly 19 minutes.

COUSINS’ EXIT

From video replays displayed on the arena scoreboard, it appeared Cousins made contact with Westbrook, but it was difficult to discern whether contact was made with the Thunder star’s head or shoulder, or whether the impact was significant.

Officials did not eject Cousins from the game until after viewing replays on a TV at the scorers’ table, after which they called a flagrant two.

Hard contact is not required for a flagrant two — only an act deemed “unnecessary and excessive.”

Allen said Cousins’ “emotions got the best of him,” and that his history of outbursts seems to be held against him in such situations. Allen also asserted that Westbrook “definitely” flopped.

Westbrook “took advantage of Cousins’ history. He was going to get the best of that call,” said Allen, a 14-year veteran. “You saw him get right back up and miss the free throw.”

UP NEXT

Thunder: Host Golden State on Wednesday night.

Pelicans: Host the San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday night.

Speights’ 3-point outburst leads Magic past Pelicans, 115-99

By BRETT MARTEL
Associated Press

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Marreese Speights held his follow-through as he watched his fifth 3-pointer in a six-minute span swish though. The 6-foot-10 forward then turned away with his lips pursed and three fingers extended on each of his hands, which he held down below his hips as he galloped triumphantly toward the other end.

Speights highlighted an 18-point performance by hitting five of his career-high six 3-pointers during a decisive 22-6 run, and the Orlando Magic soundly defeated the New Orleans Pelicans 115-99 on Monday night.

Speights’ second 3 of the game made it 87-83 in the final minute of the third quarter. He drained four more early in the fourth, after which Orlando led 106-89.

Magic coach Frank Vogel called it “a luxury” to have a front-court player like Speights who can score from the perimeter coming off the bench.

During his first six games with Orlando this season, Speights attempted nine 3s, hitting three. He was clearly more confident in his shot in New Orleans, attempting 10 3s, often without hesitation and from a foot or two behind the 3-point line a couple times.

“When you see a guy come in and make every shot, you feel like it’s your night,” Magic small forward Evan Fournier said of Speights’ effect on the game. “So we’re like, ‘OK, we’re not going to lose this game.’”

Speight’s previous career high for 3s in a game was four. He said he was apprehensive during the early years of his NBA career to shoot from beyond the 3-point line, but starting doing so more about halfway through his second of three seasons with Golden State.

“When I come into the game, I feel like I’m hot, and to be able to have open shots like that, you’ve got to knock them down,” Speights said. “My teammates did great finding me.”

And New Orleans did a poor job of contesting those shots, Pelicans coach Alvin Gentry said.

“You’ve got to get in the air space and that takes effort,” Gentry said. “He shot too many open shots, if you ask me.”

Nikola Vucevic, Jonathon Simmons and Fournier each scored 20 points for Orlando, which shot 50.6 percent (43 of 85) from the field and 47.1 percent (16 of 34) from 3-point range. Aaron Gordon added 17 points.

Anthony Davis had 39 points and 10 rebounds for New Orleans, which was coming off a lopsided victory over Cleveland on Saturday, but was unable to threaten the Magic during the final seven minutes. DeMarcus Cousins had 12 points and 12 assists for the Pelicans, and Jrue Holiday scored 11 points.

“They made us pay in the second half with all of the open 3s,” Davis said. “We did not correctly do the things we can control. We just need to come out with more energy on the defensive end.”

TIP-INS

Magic: Scored the first eight points of the game and led 33-24 after the first quarter, when Fournier hit three 3s and scored 11 of his points. ... Orlando came in averaging 117.2 points and has reached 113 in all seven of its games.

Pelicans: Cousins, who entered the night second in the NBA in turnovers with five per game, had two passes intercepted in the first 3:31 and finished with six turnovers. ... The Pelicans were aiming for their first winning record since the last day of the 2014-15 season, which also was the last time they made the playoffs.

RESILIENCE

Fournier said winning on the second night of back-to-back games is “the hardest thing to do in NBA basketball,” and that the Magic should be proud to have done it twice already this season.

The victory in New Orleans came a night after a loss in Charlotte.

“But we should have the same mindset all the time,” Fournier added. “That’s the way we should play for 82 games.”

UNFLATTERING NUMBERS

The Pelicans made only seven of their 28 3-point attempts, hitting only 3 of 18 from deep in the second half, when they scored just 35 points after leading 64-40 at halftime. They also turned the ball over 20 times, leading to 25 Magic points.

“It just wasn’t our night offensively, so we’ve got to do better the next game,” said Holiday, who had six turnovers. “We’ve got to be better taking care of the ball and I will personally get better.”

UP NEXT

Magic: Visit Memphis on Wednesday night for their third game in four nights.

Pelicans: Host Minnesota on Wednesday night.

Davis leaves Portland game with left knee injury

Associated Press

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Anthony Davis left the Pelicans’ game against the Trail Blazers on Tuesday night with a left knee injury.

Davis left for the locker room midway through the first quarter. It appeared that he bumped knees with Blazers guard Damian Lillard.

Davis, in his sixth NBA season, had 27 points and 17 rebounds in New Orleans’ 119-112 victory over the Lakers in Los Angeles on Sunday. He had a basket and a rebound through the first 5 minutes against the Blazers.

Davis averaged a career-best 28 points and 11.8 rebounds last season with the Pelicans.

Blazers beat Pelicans 103-93 to extend home-opener streak

By ANNE M. PETERSON
Associated Press
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — The Trail Blazers preserved their streak with a late push.

CJ McCollum scored 16 of his 23 points in the final quarter and Portland won its NBA-record 17th straight home opener with a 103-93 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans on Tuesday night.

Damian Lillard and Evan Turner each added 13 points for Portland, which is off to a 3-1 start for the first time since the 2011-12 season.

“We just tried to be aggressive, tried to push the tempo a little bit more and we got some stops, a lot of stops in the second half,” McCollum said. “We just wanted to make something happen. We were a little sluggish offensively, our flow wasn’t as good as we would like it to be. But luckily we were able to get a win.”

DeMarcus Cousins had 39 points and 13 rebounds for his fourth straight double-double to start the season. The Pelicans were hurt when Anthony Davis departed with a left knee injury in the first quarter.

McCollum hit back-to-back 3-pointers to put Portland up 87-81 with 7:32 left. Lillard, who had been cold through three quarters, added a layup and another 3 to extend the lead to 92-81.

The Pelicans answered with a 10-0 run to close to 92-91 with 4:06 left. Lillard was fouled on a 3-point attempt and made all three free throws to give the Blazers a cushion at 99-83 with 1:25 left.

“We got stops. DeMarcus Cousins is a handful. Jrue Holiday is really crafty out there. They have so many options, guys that are aggressive and can go make something happen,” Lillard said. “We buckled down, we got stops, we rebounded. A few shots went in for us and we pulled it out.”

Davis left for the locker room midway through the opening period after he appeared to knock knees with Lillard. In his sixth NBA season, Davis had 27 points and 17 rebounds in New Orleans’ 119-112 victory over the Lakers in Los Angeles on Sunday.

Following the game, Davis was not walking with a noticeable limp when he left the arena.

“At halftime I was hoping AD was going to come back out there,” Cousins said. “That didn’t happen. I had to step up to the plate, and that’s what I tried to do.”

Blazers center Jusuf Nurkic got into foul trouble with three in the first half of the opening quarter and Portland fell behind 18-13. The Blazers quickly turned things around with a 16-1 run to lead 29-19 going into the second.

Portland stretched the lead to 13 points but the Pelicans caught up to take a 48-47 lead at the half.

Lillard struggled through the first three quarters, going just 1 for 12 from the floor. He was averaging 23.7 points going into the game.

Cousins hit a turnaround jumper that put the Pelicans up 69-66 late in the third quarter. He had 18 of the team’s 25 points in the period and New Orleans led 73-71 going into the final quarter.

“I didn’t realize until the game was over how good a job we did on Dame and CJ — CJ got hot toward the end. That’s two of the best guards in the league. It was a great team effort all the way around (but) we just didn’t get the win,” Cousins said. “We just didn’t have enough push at the end.”

Portland’s Ed Davis finished with 12 points and 10 rebounds for his 50th career double-double.

Portland was coming off a 113-110 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks on Saturday. The Blazers had won their first two games of the season.

TIP-INS

Pelicans: The Pelicans head to Sacramento on Thursday to visit Cousins’ former team. In an interview with ESPN on Tuesday, Cousins said he should have left the Kings earlier but he was loyal to the team he started his career with. Cousins was traded to the Pelicans last season at the All-Star break. ... New Orleans had won three of the last four against the Blazers.

Trail Blazers: To celebrate the start of the season, Pyramid Brewing Co. on Tuesday introduced Blazermania IPA. The new beer was on tap at the Moda Center for the home opener.

WITHOUT DAVIS

Lillard said he wasn’t even sure when Davis left the game, and didn’t recall bumping into him.

“I think had he been out there, it would have just made it a better game. It would have forced us to be sharper. Not that we took it for granted, but it would have forced us to be sharper knowing that that guy was out there,” Lillard said.

UP NEXT

The Pelicans visit the Kings on Thursday.

The Trail Blazers host the Clippers on Thursday, the second of a four-game homestand.

Pelicans hold off late Lakers rally for first win, 119-112

By STEVE DILBECK
Associated Press
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- The New Orleans Pelicans were watching another double-digit lead evaporate, with the Los Angeles Lakers using a furious 27-4 run to take a five-point lead.

This time, the Pelicans were ready for the challenge.

They answered with an 11-0 run of their own to beat the Lakers 119-112 on Sunday night for their first victory of the season.

"We have to stop letting off the gas when we have big leads," said New Orleans center DeMarcus Cousins.

"This is something we've done the previous two games and we're trying to stop it on the fly."

The Pelicans (1-2) were able to ward off the challenge from the Lakers (1-2) behind 27 points and 17 rebounds from Anthony Davis, and 22 points and 11 rebounds from Cousins.

"We started off the game playing well," said Pelicans coach Alvin Gentry, who earned his 400th career victory. "Then in the third quarter, our transition defense just wasn't good."

The Lakers' late rally was led by reserves. Jordan Clarkson topped Los Angeles with 24 points, while Kyle Kuzma added 20 points to match guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope.

Lakers prized rookie Lonzo Ball struggled with his shot (3 of 13) and finished with just eight points, but did contribute 13 assists and eight rebounds.

"I like Lonzo's aggressiveness, he just didn't make shots," said Lakers coach Luke Walton.

The Lakers missed their first eight shots of the game, falling behind by double digits early. New Orleans went up by as many as 22 in the second quarter and was still ahead 94-74 when the Lakers went on their run.

Clarkson and Kuzma scored the last nine points of the third, and then with reserves Julius Randle and Josh Hart aiding the comeback, outscored the Pelicans 18-4 to open the final period.

"We let them back in the game, and that's on us, but we kept fighting," Davis said.

New Orleans trailed 110-106 with 4:46 to play when it answered with its 11-0 run. E'Twaun Moore (19 points) and Cousins sparked the comeback, with Jameer Nelson - just signed Sunday - hitting a key 3-pointer.

"I think he already earned his contract," Gentry said. "He made the biggest shot of the night."

TIP-INS

Pelicans: Signed Nelson, 35, and waived Jordan Crawford. Gentry said the team was uncertain if Nelson would be worked into the starting lineup alongside Holiday, or back him up at the point. "We've looked at it and can see both situations being real positive for our team. It's just a matter of us getting together again and thinking it out and seeing what we feel will be the best," Gentry said. Nelson was waived by the Nuggets last week.

Lakers: Caldwell-Pope was available after serving a two-game suspension for an arrest on suspicion of driving under the influence. Said Walton: "He's one of our better shooters. He knows personnel, he's a great defender. He does a lot of things for us and we're excited to have him back." . F Luo Deng, signed prior to last season to a four-year, $72-million deal, was again not activated.

GET BACK

Gentry felt the Pelicans let up their intensity level and let the Lakers back in the game when they led by 20 late. The Lakers had struggled to run, but suddenly found their fast-break game.

Gentry said the answer was easy.

"Yeah, running back," he said. "It's pretty simple.

"We did for most of the game, but there was a stretch there we did not."

UP NEXT

Pelicans: Visit Portland on Tuesday.

Lakers: Host Washington on Wednesday.

Recap: Forbes continues onslaught in Spurs' victory

Joel Bartilotta, RotoWire

The San Antonio Spurs defeated the New Orleans Pelicans 86-81 in the second round of the Summer League playoffs at Cox Pavilion on Thursday.

The Pelicans (1-4) have made far too many mistakes late in games throughout Summer League and that bit them again here in a collapse against the Spurs (3-1). That's evident by the fact that San Antonio outscored New Orleans, 31-19, in the fourth quarter. It was tight throughout though, as there were seven ties and 10 lead changes in total, with neither team leading by more than 12 points. Free-throw shooting was decisive for San Antonio, as they hit 14-of-16 attempts, while New Orleans went just 13-of-19 from the charity stripe.

Quinn Cook led the way for the Pelicans, as he accrued 19 points, two rebounds and seven assists. Cheick Diallo recorded another double-double, totaling 13 points, 13 rebounds and two blocks. Jalen Jones amassed 15 points and seven rebounds. Keith Benson led the bench by providing 13 points and eight rebounds.

Bryn Forbes was the player of the game, accumulating 29 points, three rebounds and five assists. Olivier Hanlan was the only other starter in double figures, producing 10 points, 10 rebounds and six assists. Derrick White led all bench scorers by dropping 15 points.

San Antonio will face the winner of the Portland-Toronto matchup in the quarterfinals on Saturday.  

Metta scores 18 in possible farewell, Lakers top Pels 108-96

By GREG BEACHAM
Associated Press

LOS ANGELES (AP) Metta World Peace had the ball in his hands with the crowd on its feet for the Lakers' final possession in what might be his final game at Staples Center.

And he let the shot clock run out.

"There was no need to (shoot)," he said. "We won the game. Five in a row. This is great."

Leave it to a man who named himself World Peace to remind everybody what's really important, even on a night dedicated to celebrating him.

World Peace scored a team-leading 18 points in the second half, and Los Angeles extended its longest winning streak in four years to five games with a 108-96 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans on Tuesday night.

Although he hasn't announced his retirement and would like to play basketball next year, World Peace got several standing ovations down the stretch from a crowd celebrating the final on-court link to the Lakers' 16th championship team.

The 37-year-old veteran of 17 NBA seasons made his 840th career NBA start and hit four 3-pointers down the stretch, thrilling his younger teammates and setting off arena-wide chants of his name.

But when he could have punctuated his career with one last shot, he didn't do it.

Like just about everything the former Ron Artest does, his possible final act in a gold Lakers uniform contained elements of intelligence, nobility and absurdist comedy.

Coach Luke Walton would have loved it if World Peace had taken the last shot, but he understood why he didn't.

"You don't want to disrespect the other team at all," Walton said. "Metta was obviously doing that out of respect for (Pelicans coach) Alvin (Gentry) and those guys. ... He's a perfect example of what a professional athlete should be."

Cheick Diallo scored 19 points for the Pelicans, who lost their fifth straight while playing without big men Anthony Davis and DeMarcus Cousins.

TIP-INS

Pelicans: Cousins and Davis watched the game from New Orleans' bench.

Lakers: They played without D'Angelo Russell, who went home to Louisville. Russell played a few hours after his grandmother's death on Sunday and hit the winning 3-pointer at the buzzer. ... Staples Center was crawling with legendary big men. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar got a standing ovation ahead of his 70th birthday on Sunday. Bill Walton watched his son from courtside in a purple Lakers T-shirt, and Bill Russell also caught the game in a courtside seat.

LAKERS ROLL

Brandon Ingram and Jordan Clarkson had 15 points apiece for the Lakers (26-55), whose longest winning streak since 2013 has pushed them past Phoenix in the overall NBA standings and left them assured of finishing with the league's third-worst record.

If the pingpong balls don't give Los Angeles one of the top three picks in the draft lottery on May 16, the Lakers will lose their first-round selection to Philadelphia under the terms of their trade for Steve Nash five years ago. If they lose this pick, they'll also lose their 2019 first-round pick to Orlando.

PELS CHECK OUT

Davis sat for a second straight game with a sore left knee, and Cousins missed his third straight game with heel tendinitis. The rest of the team didn't do much, according to their coach.

"We didn't play hard enough to win the game," Gentry said. "Concentration was non-existent. We had no focus. We play an 82-game schedule. Not 80 games. Not 78 games. We weren't there. We weren't even close tonight."

WORLD PEACE OUT?

While World Peace didn't quite match Kobe Bryant's 60-point finale last year, he got wild ovations in pregame introductions and again whenever he did anything interesting. He didn't score in the first half, but got his 1,716th and 1,717th career steals to move past Ron Harper for 22nd place in NBA history.

World Peace joined the Lakers in 2009 and immediately played a major role on their 16th NBA championship team, hitting a 3-pointer that turned out to be the last field goal in Game 7 of the 2010 NBA Finals against Boston.

World Peace changed his name in 2011 and stayed with the Lakers until 2013. He spent the next two years in New York, China and Italy before rejoining the Lakers in 2015.

He surprisingly made the Lakers' roster again this season to serve as a veteran mentor and mature presence in the locker room - an assignment that would have been shocking to anyone who only knew him as the hard-nosed defensive specialist who got the longest suspension in NBA history for brawling in the stands at a Pacers-Pistons game in November 2004.

"I didn't think I would last this long," World Peace said before the game.

UP NEXT

Pelicans: At Trail Blazers on Wednesday in their season finale.

Lakers: At Warriors on Wednesday for their season finale.

Murray scores career-high 30, Nuggets beat Pelicans 122-106

By PAT GRAHAM
AP Sports Writer

DENVER (AP) – Usually known for his outside shooting, Jamal Murray took it to the rim for one high-soaring dunk after another.

"I can do that all the time," the rookie insisted. "But I just shoot a lot."

By any means necessary, especially in such an important game. Murray scored a career-high 30 points and the Denver Nuggets kept their postseason hopes afloat by beating the New Orleans Pelicans 122-106 on Friday night.

The first-round pick out of Kentucky hit 10 of 14 shots from the field - he was a little agitated over going 2 of 6 from 3-point range - and all eight of his free throw attempts. What's more, he had a stretch in the fourth quarter where he scored eight straight points for the Nuggets.

"He's not afraid of the moment. He's not afraid of the opportunity," Nuggets coach Michael Malone said of Murray. "He goes out there and plays ... with that swagger. You love to see it."

Nikola Jokic added 23 points and 12 rebounds to help the Nuggets pull within a game of Portland for the eighth and final playoff spot in the West with three games remaining. The Blazers own the tiebreaker.

"I feel very optimistic," Malone said. "It's funny, we lose a game in Charlotte (on March 31) and read things and everybody is ready to say we're done. We're not done. We don't listen to that noise. That's all a distraction."

New Orleans' Anthony Davis scored 25 points in nearly 24 minutes on a night when fellow big man DeMarcus Cousins sat out with tendinitis in his right Achilles. The Pelicans were eliminated from playoff contention Tuesday in a home loss to the Nuggets.

"They were getting a lot of easy shots at the rim, layups and dunks," said Davis, whose knee was a little sore after the game. "We've got to do a better job defensively."

There was a wacky play early in the third quarter that actually shook the Nuggets out of their doldrums. Kenneth Faried, falling out of bounds after catching a long pass, somehow threw it off the bottom of the backboard, then re-established himself on the floor in order to grab the ball. He drove in for a short jumper and drew a foul - he missed the free throw - as the Pelicans looked bewildered.

That play ignited the Nuggets, who outscored the Pelicans 41-24 in the third quarter to cruise to their third win in four games to remain in the playoff chase.

"I don't even know if it was legal, to be honest with you," Malone said. "It was a weird play. But Kenneth's a guy that's made a name for himself at this level because of his effort, his running and his motor."

TIP-INS

Pelicans: C Omer Asik wasn't with the team because of an illness. ... G E'Twaun Moore suffered a sprained ankle in the third quarter. He had 10 points. ... Jordan Crawford had 20 off the bench.

Nuggets: G Jameer Nelson (strained calf) and Will Barton (sore left foot) didn't play. ... Wilson Chandler suited up despite missing morning practice with a migraine. He had seven points. ... Gary Harris contributed a career-best nine of Denver's 31 assists to go along with 20 points. ... Murray's previous high was 24 against Chicago on Nov. 22.

FUTURE IS BRIGHT

Harris, Murray and Jokic combined for 73 of Denver's 122 points.

"To see those guys play at such a high level in meaningful games, that gets us as an organization excited," Malone said.

HIGH PRAISE

Pelicans coach Alvin Gentry compared Jokic's game to that of a young Tim Duncan.

"I'll probably get a bunch of calls, `How can you compare him to Tim Duncan?'" Gentry said. "But he's a very smart player with very good footwork."

DON'T GO THERE

Asked if it was easier to run a fast-paced offense with Cousins not on the floor, Gentry turned defensive.

"When a guy is averaging 27 (points) and (11 rebounds), to insinuate you're a better team when he's not on the floor, doesn't make a lot of sense to me," Gentry said. "We can play up-tempo with him. We've done that with him."

UP NEXT

Pelicans: Stop No. 2 on their four-game road swing to end the season is Saturday in Golden State.

Nuggets: Home finale Sunday against Russell Westbrook and Oklahoma City.

Nuggets still in playoff hunt as they visit Pelicans

Stats, LLC

NEW ORLEANS -- In the what-have-you-done-for-me-lately NBA, the Denver Nuggets are trying their best to treat each day as a new opportunity.

The Nuggets saw their Western Conference playoff hopes improve Monday night without even playing, as the Portland Trail Blazers had their six-game winning streak snapped with a 110-109 road loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves.

The defeat dropped Portland, No. 8 in the West, to 38-39, and narrowed its margin over No. 9 Denver (36-40) to 1 1/2 games. The Blazers still hold a tiebreaker edge over the Nuggets, so Denver would have to finish a game ahead of Portland to make the playoffs.

The Nuggets can inch closer to the eighth spot with a victory over the No. 10 New Orleans Pelicans (33-44) on Tuesday night at the Smoothie King Center. The Pelicans are five games out of the eighth spot but would be eliminated from playoff contention with either a loss or another Portland victory.

The Nuggets are coming off a 116-113 victory over Miami on Sunday, and they and were sparked by Danilo Gallinari with 29 points by Nikola Jokic and Wilson Chandler with 19 points each.

"It feels good just to have one in a playoff atmosphere," Jokic said, who acknowledged that the playoffs already have started for the Nuggets.

The Nuggets held out three players on Sunday: Will Barton (foot), Jameer Nelson (calf) and Darrell Arthur (knee). Their status for the Pelicans' game is undetermined.

The Pelicans and Nuggets have split their first two games this season, with each winning on the other team's home court. In a 107-102 loss on Oct. 26, Pelicans forward Anthony Davis scored a season-high 50 points with 15 rebounds, five assists, five steals and four blocks.

Davis twisted his right ankle Sunday in a 117-110 loss to Chicago, and he said after the game he would have to see how the ankle feels on Tuesday before determining his readiness.

The Pelicans already are thinking of next year, and a big piece of the offseason puzzle will be whether or not they can sign free agent Jrue Holiday to a long-term deal at upwards of $20 million a year.

Holiday missed the first 18 games of the season to be with his wife, former Team USA soccer star Lauren Holiday, who delivered their first child and then underwent surgery to remove a benign brain tumor.

Lauren and their daughter are doing great -- "My life's been a blessing," Holiday said -- but in his absence, the Pelicans went 6-12. They have been 27-32 since then.

Pelicans coach Alvin Gentry said signing Holiday to a long-term deal in the offseason is the team's major priority, especially as the synergy among Holiday, Anthony Davis and DeMarcus Cousins has grown over the last three weeks.

Gentry sees Holiday as a "combo" guard who is most effective when a true point guard is handling the bulk of a ball-handling responsibilities, which allows Holiday to play off the ball and look more for his shot.

Gentry said he would leave the recruitment process to general manager Dell Demps because Holiday knows how much the coaching staff appreciates him.

"I'm sure Dell will spend time with him," Gentry said. "I don't have to say (anything). Good God, he's very much a part of what we need and what we'll try to do. That goes without saying. I don't think that even needs to be discussed on my part."

Gentry said Holiday "is at his best when he's thinking about scoring" and not about distributing.

"He has a tendency now, with DeMarcus, to be the 'point guard,' but I want Jrue to always be aggressive offensively because we need those 16, 17 points that he gives us pretty much on a nightly basis when he's that way," Gentry said.

Gentry is dreaming about what the Pelicans might be able to put together if they had a solid training camp with no injuries to hamper the team's progress.

"Our whole thing is Jrue came back and we played .500 basketball, basically," Gentry said. "Then we added another acute personality (Cousins) to our team. I just think if we can get through one training camp where everything is in place and we are injury-free, we can be pretty doggone good."

Davis, Cousins lead Pelicans past Mavericks 121-118

By BRETT MARTEL
AP Sports Writer
NEW ORLEANS (AP) Anthony Davis and DeMarcus Cousins are providing increasing proof that "tall ball" could work for the New Orleans Pelicans.

Davis had 30 points and 13 rebounds, Cousins added 29 points and 16 rebounds in his return from a two-game absence, and New Orleans beat the Dallas Mavericks 121-118 on Wednesday night.

"I know it's a small-ball era," Cousins said, referring to an increasing trend toward smaller lineups that rely on good shooting, speed and ball movement to create scoring chances. "I think we've got a chance to change things - you know, change the way the style of play of basketball is going right now.

"It's just a matter of time."

After losing six of their first seven games with Cousins in the lineup, the Pelicans have won four of the last five in which the 6-foot-11, 270-pound All-Star has played. New Orleans also has won seven of its past 10 games overall.

Returning from a right ankle sprain, Cousins played 40 minutes. His baskets included a 29-foot 3-pointer at the end of the first half and he was 10 of 12 at the free-throw line. Davis' highlights included an offensive rebound and dunk with 1:50 left to help New Orleans hold on. Davis' dynamism was on full display in the third quarter, when he leapt to deflect Wesley Matthews' pass and began breaking up court as Jrue Holiday corralled the loose ball. Holiday quickly flipped a pass ahead to Davis, who dribbled around Yogi Ferrell and finished with a soaring one-handed jam.

Speaking before the game, Dallas coach Rick Carlisle predicted that the longer Davis and Cousins played together, the harder they'd become to stop.

"They're both great players," Carlisle said. "If those two guys stay together long enough, they're going to figure it out and it's going to be murder dealing with them."

Apparently, that's already the case for some Pelicans opponents.

"They are a tough combo," said Dallas forward Dirk Nowitzki, who led the Mavs with 23 points. "Once they have a full training camp under them next year, if they stay healthy, they are going to be a load."

Harrison Barnes scored 19 and Seth Curry 18 for the Mavericks, who have lost three straight. Dallas had a final shot to tie the game as time expired, but Matthews' 3-point attempt missed.

LOSING IT

Mavericks guard Devin Harris was ejected early in the second quarter for angrily protesting calls made by official Ben Taylor. Harris had to be restrained by teammates during a tirade in response to his first of two quick technical fouls.

"I've never seen him that upset," said Carlisle, who also was called for a technical foul after Harris' ejection.

Harris appeared bothered by being called for a personal foul after a collision with Pelicans guard Jordan Crawford that sent Harris crashing to the court. Earlier in the quarter, no foul had been called when Harris wound up flat on his back following a collision with New Orleans guard E'Twaun Moore.

"He was getting hit in some picks and took some elbows and he kept getting the fouls," Nowitzki said. "He just reacted - rightfully so."

Shortly after Harris' ejection, New Orleans built its first double-digit lead on consecutive 3s by Dante Cunningham, who finished with 15 points.

The lead got as large as 14 points when Holiday's 3 made it 57-43 late in the second quarter.

Dallas kept chipping away and briefly regained the lead when Ferrell, who had 15 points, hit a mid-range jumper to make it 100-99 with 7:42 left. But Holiday, who had 18 points, answered with a short jumper. And after Nerlens Noel missed an alley-oop dunk, Crawford added a 3 to give the Pelicans a 104-100 lead. Crawford capped his 15-point effort with a clutch 22-foot jumper with 47 seconds left.

TIP-INS

Mavericks: Carlisle announced before the game that he'd decided to rest 7-foot-2 center Salah Mejri because of right knee soreness. ... J.J. Barea had 11 assists for Dallas.

Pelicans: Davis now has at least 30 points and 13 rebounds in four straight games, making him the first NBA player to do so since Shaquille O'Neal in April 2000. ... Davis and Cunningham had an awkward moment when they chased a loose ball out of bounds. Cunningham dove over the scorer's table in a failed effort to get the ball while Davis, close behind also crashed over the table, landing in a prone position on top of Cunningham.

UP NEXT

Mavericks: Visit Memphis on Friday night.

Pelicans: Host Sacramento on Friday night.

Mavericks, Pelicans aim to stay in race

Stats, LLC
NEW ORLEANS -- The Dallas Mavericks and the New Orleans Pelicans are both long shots to grab the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference.

But whichever one prevails in their season-series finale Wednesday night at the Smoothie King Center will be in a slightly better position than the other.

The Mavericks enter the game in 10th place, a half-game ahead of the Pelicans, with nine games remaining. Dallas sits 4 1/2 games behind the eighth-place Portland Trail Blazers and 3 1/2 back of the ninth-place Denver Nuggets.

The Pelicans (31-43) will enter the game against the Mavericks (31-42) five games out of eighth place with eight games remaining.

"We've just got to play good basketball and we can't worry about anything else," New Orleans coach Alvin Gentry told the Pelicans' official website. "I'm not going to go in (the locker room) and say, 'Hey guys, time is running out.'"

But time is running out. The Pelicans helped their cause with a 115-90 victory Sunday at Denver, which New Orleans faces two more times, but then they lost 108-100 on Monday at Utah to finish 1-2 on a crucial road trip.

Anthony Davis had 30-plus points and 15-plus rebounds in all three games, but against the Jazz he had only 12 of his 36 points in the second half. Utah committed more defenders to Davis after halftime and slowed him down as the Pelicans played their second consecutive game without center DeMarcus Cousins, who has a sprained ankle. He is questionable for the Wednesday game.

"Obviously, (Davis) is our best player," Pelicans guard Tim Frazier told the Pelicans' official website. Obviously, the focus is to slow him down. ... I don't think that they stopped him or slowed him down, it was just shots that usually fall didn't fall for him."

While New Orleans is returning home, Dallas just left home to begin a crucial five-game road trip. The Mavericks completed a 1-3 homestand when they squandered a 15-point halftime lead in a 92-91 loss to Oklahoma City on Monday.

They know they can't afford any lingering effects from losing a 13-point lead while being outscored 14-0 by the Thunder in the final 3:30.

"We don't have a choice. No one is going to feel bad for us," Dallas swingman Wesley Matthews told the Mavericks' official website. "Maybe we need a little road, us-against-the-world mentality. We came out with the right attitude to start the game out. ... It was our game and they took it. We can't do (anything) about it. We've got to move on."

Dallas is last in the NBA in rebounding and that weakness showed against Oklahoma City.

"The rebounding discrepancy in the second half was the difference of the game," Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle told the Mavericks' official website. "We were up one rebound at halftime, and we ended up down nine. So that's 10 extra possessions of the ball that they got and they put it in the hole when they needed to."

The Mavericks hope to have guard Seth Curry back Wednesday after he sat out the Monday game to rest a sore left shoulder.

Dallas has won two of three games against New Orleans.

Jazz sink Pelicans 108-100 behind Gobert, hot shooting

By JOHN COON
Associated Press

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) Repeated slow starts and lackluster finishes compelled Rudy Gobert to question the competitive spirit of some Utah Jazz teammates. They responded with the fire expected from an NBA playoff team on Monday night.

Gobert had 20 points, 19 rebounds and five blocks to lead the Jazz over the New Orleans Pelicans 108-100, a stark turnaround after a sluggish effort in a loss Saturday against the Los Angeles Clippers.

Gobert said after the loss to the Clippers that some of his teammates were not competitive enough. He apologized for his remarks during a team meeting prior to Monday's shootaround.

Still, his message seemed to resonate with the Jazz.

"We could feel the energy tonight. Everybody was communicating," Gobert said. "Everybody was active. They made a run in the third, but we stayed together. We worked. We outworked them and were able to get stops and buckets the other way."

Rodney Hood scored 20 points, Joe Ingles added 19 and George Hill chipped in with 17 as that Jazz trio combined to make a dozen 3-pointers. Utah (45-29) swept the season series 3-0 after dominating from the perimeter for four quarters.

Anthony Davis had 36 points and 17 rebounds for New Orleans, which played again without injured center DeMarcus Cousins. Jrue Holiday scored 19, but the Pelicans (31-43) lost for only the third time in nine games.

New Orleans got no closer than six in the fourth quarter. The Pelicans cut the deficit to 102-96 on a 3-pointer by Davis, but Utah answered with a jumper from Joe Johnson and a 3 from Hood in the final minute.

"They made some tough shots down the stretch," Pelicans coach Alvin Gentry said. "Every time they got separation, we found a way to get ourselves back in it. We just couldn't get over the hump."

Gobert and Davis took turns dominating during the first half.

The first quarter belonged to Gobert. He totaled six points, six rebounds and four blocks, and the Jazz did not let those efforts go to waste.

Utah used a 9-0 run to open a 24-15 lead, and in the second quarter, Utah used a 13-0 run to take its largest lead. Hood punctuated the spurt with back-to-back 3-pointers, putting the Jazz ahead 39-21.

"We started off slow on defense and they got too many easy looks under the basket and open 3s," Davis said.

Davis took over after that. He scored 16 points on 6-of-9 shooting in the second quarter alone. The Pelicans center scored 10 straight points to help fuel a 12-2 run that trimmed the lead back to single digits. His final basket in the quarter sliced Utah's lead to 54-51 with 1:17 remaining before halftime.

The Pelicans finally went ahead 61-59 on a tip-in basket from Solomon Hill in the third quarter.

Hill gave the Jazz the lead again on a 3-pointer and it marked just the beginning of a barrage from the perimeter. Ingles and Johnson buried back-to-back 3s to fuel a 10-0 run, which Gobert punctuated with a hammer dunk to give Utah a 78-65 lead.

TIP-INS

Pelicans: Cousins (sprained ankle) missed his second straight game. ... In three games against Utah this season, Davis averaged 22.7 points, 12.7 rebounds and 3.0 blocks.

Jazz: F Gordon Hayward (bruised quad) and G Alec Burks (personal reasons) did not play for Utah. ... Gobert has blocked at least one shot in 41 straight games. He had a streak of 24 consecutive games with a blocked shot earlier this season. ... The Jazz shot 15 of 27 from 3-point range. Ingles led the way, going 5 of 5 from long distance.

UP NEXT

Pelicans: Host the Mavericks on Wednesday.

Jazz: At the Sacramento Kings on Wednesday.

Minus Cousins, Pelicans top Nuggets 115-90 behind Davis' 31

Associated Press

DENVER (AP) A rousing defensive effort helped the New Orleans Pelicans boost their flickering playoff hopes.

Anthony Davis had 31 points and 15 rebounds, helping to compensate for the absence of injured DeMarcus Cousins, and New Orleans beat the Denver Nuggets 115-90 on Sunday night.

"Offensively, we did a really great job of moving the basketball," Pelicans coach Alvin Gentry said. "But the defense won the game, let's tell it like it is. We were great defensively."

Denver dropped into a tie for the eighth and final Western Conference playoff spot with Portland, which beat the Los Angeles Lakers 97-81.

New Orleans is 11th in the West with nine games remaining and faces long odds in trying to overtake Dallas, Portland and Denver for the No. 8 seed.

Nevertheless, against the Nuggets, the Pelicans overcame the absence of Cousins, who sat out because of a right ankle injury sustained during Friday's loss at Houston. And they shut down a Denver team that converted only 37.9 percent of its shots from the field.

It was just the fifth time this season Denver shot below 40 percent, the third-fewest such games in the NBA.

Denver also went only 6 of 25 on 3-point attempts, snapping a team-record streak of 25 games in which the Nuggets made at least nine 3s.

"I think we locked in defensively," said Davis, who had his 45th double-double of the season and finished with 30 or more points for the 32nd time. "Knowing that they play through (Nikola) Jokic and when he gets assists they are very effective, my job is to try to make it tougher for him and I think we did a great job of that."

Jrue Holiday and Jordan Crawford added 13 points apiece for the Pelicans, who have won four of five.

Denver, which plays at Portland on Tuesday night, was led by Mason Plumlee's 16 points. Gary Harris and Jamal Murray had 13 each.

"We've just got to bounce back," guard Jameer Nelson said. "We're a good team and we believe in ourselves. We believe in each other. We've just got to do a better job."

Up by 15 at halftime, the Pelicans quickly stretched their lead to 22 in the opening minutes of the third quarter behind three consecutive baskets from Davis, including one that was part of a three-point play. By the time E'Twaun Moore hit a jumper right before the end of the third quarter, the Pelicans were leading 87-59 and the Nuggets' attempts to mount a comeback in the fourth quarter were fruitless.

The Nuggets made just five of their 25 shots in the second and finished with only 14 points in the period. The Pelicans scored 26 and pulled out to a 55-40 lead at halftime.

Denver coach Michael Malone blamed the loss on an uncharacteristic performance by the Nuggets, who had won seven of 10.

"It was an awful effort, but this is not who we've been, which gives me hope that we can turn the page and get back to being who we've been, and we've been a very good team lately," Malone said.

TIP-INS

Pelicans: Gentry said Cousins' ankle injury was too painful for him to take part in the team's shootaround earlier Sunday and the decision was made to sit him for the game to avoid making it worse. "There is no way we are going to stick him out there and risk further injuries for one game," Gentry said. ... Davis' 14-point first quarter marked the 29th time this season he has scored in double figures in the opening period.

Nuggets: The 25-point loss was Denver's biggest in its series with the Pelicans. The previous high was 24 points, which Denver endured twice. ... Denver is 0-13 when failing to score 100 points.

UP NEXT

Pelicans: Complete a back-to-back set on the road by visiting Utah on Monday night.

Nuggets: Embark on a make-or-break five-game road trip, with the first stop Tuesday night in Portland.

Harden's 38 points lead Rockets over Pelicans 117-107

By KRISTIE RIEKEN
Associated Press

HOUSTON (AP) After winning just 41 games in last year's disappointing season, the Houston Rockets acknowledged their 50th win on Friday night.

However, they weren't celebrating it.

"Sixty would be nice," coach Mike D'Antoni said smiling. "We may celebrate that one. But not 50."

It's probably unlikely with just 10 regular-season games left, so for now the Rockets are simply focused on improving before the postseason begins.

James Harden scored 38 points, including eight down the stretch, and tied a career high with 17 assists to help the Rockets pull away for a 117-107 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans.

"We got stops when we needed to, scored when we needed to and put the game away," Harden said.

The Pelicans had scored seven points in a row, capped by a 3-pointer from DeMarcus Cousins, to cut the lead to two with about two minutes left. Harden scored Houston's first points in almost 2 1/2 minutes after that on a driving layup to extend the lead. And after a bucket by Cousins on the other end, Harden made three free throws to leave the Rockets up 110-105 with about 90 seconds left.

A 3-pointer by Harden soon after that put it out of reach, and gave the MVP candidate a standing ovation from the home crowd.

Harden, who is having the best season of his career in his first year as the team's point guard, was asked if he thinks he's made a case to be named the league's MVP

"I think so, but I try not to think about it too much," he said. "I just try to go do my job at a high level and win games and that's all I can do."

Anthony Davis had 33 points and 16 rebounds and Cousins added 29 points for the Pelicans, whose three-game winning streak was snapped.

"We played well, but you're playing against a great team with a great player, arguably the MVP of the league," Pelicans coach Alvin Gentry said. "He made plays down the stretch and we weren't able to make them. And that's what it came down to."

The Rockets have won eight of the past 10 games against the Pelicans and five straight at home.

Harden got going early, scoring 17 points in the first quarter en route to his fourth straight game with at least 30 points and 10 assists.

New Orleans trailed by six in the fourth quarter when Cousins pushed Patrick Beverley and he fell to the ground before Cousins stepped back and sunk a 3-pointer. No foul was called and Beverley began jawing at the referees, earning a technical foul. But New Orleans missed the foul shot to remain down by three with about nine minutes left.

Cousins tied it with a three-point play with about 8 1/2 minutes left when Houston began a 7-0 run, powered by five points from Beverley. Beverley made a 3-pointer before adding a tip-in layup on the next possession after a missed 3-pointer by Ryan Anderson to make it 97-90.

The Pelicans got within six, but Eric Gordon hit a 3-pointer after that to extend Houston's lead to 105-96 with 4 1/2 minutes to play.

Davis scored 17 points in the third quarter and the Rockets led 80-79 entering the fourth.

TIP-INS

Pelicans: Cousins made five 3-pointers. ... Omer Asik sat out with an illness. ... Jrue Holiday had 18 points.

Rockets: Beverley finished with 17 points. ... Capela had 10 points and 13 rebounds for his 13th double-double this season. ... Nene had 12 points to give him at least 10 points in eight of his last 11 games.

THEY SAID IT

Anderson on his physical defense against Cousins: "He's such an elite player, but when he gets frustrated that's when he's at his worst. So it's part of the game plan to get DeMarcus frustrated. And the moment he realizes that he'll be that much better of a player."

UP NEXT

Pelicans: Visit Denver on Sunday.

Rockets: Host Thunder on Sunday.

Cousins dominates as Pelicans beat Grizzlies 95-82

By BRETT MARTEL
AP Sports Writer

NEW ORLEANS (AP) DeMarcus Cousins just lost his head band, not his head.

It was a good look for him, and the surging New Orleans Pelicans.

The mercurial Cousins enjoyed his most prolific performance yet with the Pelicans, pouring in 41 points and grabbing 17 rebounds, and New Orleans beat the Memphis Grizzlies 95-82 on Tuesday night.

"It feels good to finally tear down that wall, break out of the shell," Cousins said. "They've been telling me since I've been here to just go out and be aggressive and just be myself, and I think I was able to do that tonight."

Cousins' slew of highlights included a pivotal fourth-quarter play in which the 6-foot-11 All-Star was fouled hard enough to send his white head band fluttering to the floor. Cousins remained locked on target, sinking a put-back for the front end of a three-point play and a 10-point lead with 5:31 left. As fans went wild, Cousins leaned back, clenched his fists down by his hips and let out a triumphant yell.

More than two minutes earlier, he'd been assessed his fifth foul and didn't like the call. But he didn't risk a technical foul by arguing, and subsequently avoided fouling out while continuing to dominate offensively.

Cousins hit five 3-pointers, tying a career high. He made five shots inside while being fouled for three-point plays and had the jubilant home crowd chanting his nickname, "Boogie."

"It felt good to be embraced," Cousins said. "It felt very good."

Cousins also blocked three shots and assisted on Anthony Davis' crowd-pleasing alley-oop dunk.

"That was my favorite play of the game," Cousins said, noting that he and Davis had talked "a lot" about making such a play part of their repertoire when they're on the court together. "Nobody can jump with the dude."

Davis added 19 points and 13 rebounds for the Pelicans, who won for the fifth time in six games while snapping Memphis' four-game winning streak. The Pelicans are now 3 1/2 games out of the final Western Conference playoff spot with 11 to play.

Davis, the Pelicans' top scorer this season, said he has no problem deferring to Cousins.

"When he's going like that, I just get out of the way," Davis said. "He was in a groove, so we were going to find a way to get him the ball and let him go to work."

Mike Conley 16 scored points for Memphis, while JaMychal Green and Troy Daniels each scored 12.

Marc Gasol, who finished with 10 points and eight rebounds, lambasted his team for crumbling in the second half, when the Grizzlies were outscored 61-41.

"Everything we built over the last four games, we threw away," Gasol said. "I can't find the reason why, but the consistency we built was really fragile tonight."

BIG RUN

The Pelicans rallied after an anemic first half in which they scored only 34 points on 28.6 percent shooting. Memphis, however, failed to fully take advantage, allowing a lead as large as 12 to dwindle to seven at halftime.

Conley's 3 made it 46-36 early in the third quarter, but then the Pelicans exploded for 21 straight points, starting with Davis's 10-foot jumper and Cousins' 3.

"It seemed like whatever I tried just came back and backfired on me during that point," Memphis coach David Fizdale said. "Cousins was phenomenal tonight."

TIP-INS

Grizzlies: Fizdale gave starting shooting guard Tony Allen the night off, saying he wanted Allen to rest his sore left knee so it didn't get worse. ... Rookie Wayne Seldon, signed by Memphis immediately after concluding a 10-day contract with New Orleans, started against the Pelicans. ... Zach Randolph grabbed 10 rebounds.

Pelicans: Jordan Crawford hit a pair of 3s and finished with 10 points, the seventh time in eight games with New Orleans that he's scored at least that many. ... New Orleans' 34 points in the first half matched its lowest halftime point total of the season.

UP NEXT

Grizzlies: Visit San Antonio on Thursday night.

Pelicans: Visit Houston on Friday night.

Cousins leads Pelicans to win over Blazers 100-77

By LES EAST
Associated Press

NEW ORLEANS (AP) DeMarcus Cousins scored 22 points, Anthony Davis had 15 points and 15 rebounds and the New Orleans Pelicans beat the Portland Trail Blazers 100-77 on Tuesday night.

Cousins had nine rebounds and three assists. He made 9 of 17 2-point shots but missed all five of his 3-point attempts.

Jordan Crawford had 13 points and scored in double figures for the fourth time in four games since being signed to a 10-day contract March 5. Solomon Hill scored 12 points, E'Twaun Moore had 11 and Jrue Holiday 10.

The Pelicans took the lead for good in the first quarter and won their second straight.

Damian Lillard scored 29 points to lead Portland, which lost for the second time in its last seven games. Shabazz Napier came off the bench to score 10 points.

New Orleans set season lows in points allowed, field-goal percentage allowed (30.3) and turnovers committed (five). Portland had its fewest points this season.

The Pelicans' lead grew to 50-36 at halftime and 77-54 after three quarters as Portland failed to score more than 20 points in any of the first three quarters. New Orleans led by as many as 26 points in the fourth quarter.

TIP-INS

Blazers: Lillard provided the only consistent offense for Portland, scoring 26 of the team's 54 points through three quarters. ... Staring C Jusuf Nurkic made just 1 of 8 shots and Allen Crabbe did the same off the bench.

Pelicans: Davis missed nearly half of the second quarter after twisting his left ankle, but he returned to start the second half. ... Rookie G Wayne Selden, signed to a 10-day contract March 8, made his NBA debut in the New Orleans starting lineup.

UP NEXT

Blazers: Portland plays the middle game of a five-game road trip when it visits San Antonio on Wednesday night.

Pelicans: New Orleans leaves town for just one game as it visits Miami on Wednesday night.