Field Level Media
Jan 4, 2018
SALT LAKE CITY -- Anthony Davis scored 29 points and collected 15 rebounds, and Jrue Holliday added 24 points to lead the New Orleans Pelicans to a 108-98 victory over the Utah Jazz on Wednesday night.
DeMarcus Cousins added 19 points and 11 rebounds, and Rajon Rando chipped in 12 points for the Pelicans. New Orleans (19-18) snapped a two-game losing streak and also ended a five-game skid to the Jazz.
Donovan Mitchell scored 24 points and Joe Johnson added a season-high 20 points to lead Utah. The Jazz (16-22) forced 20 turnovers but could not overcome poor perimeter shooting. Utah made just 7 of 32 (21.9 percent) from 3-point range while losing for the fourth time in five games.
New Orleans had no trouble finding its shot. The Pelicans went 41 of 82 from the field. They made 14 of 30 3-point tries and finished with a 17-4 edge in second-chance points despite collecting just seven offensive rebounds.
Utah opened up a 22-16 lead in the first quarter behind back-to-back baskets from Derrick Favors (11 points, nine rebounds). The Jazz didn't stay in front for long after Holiday got cooking on offense.
Holiday knocked down seven consecutive baskets without missing a shot over much of the first half. He capped off a 10-0 run with a layup to give the Pelicans a 43-36 lead. Holiday drove for another later in the second quarter to cap off his string of baskets and put New Orleans up 51-44.
Utah rallied and took a 71-69 lead in the third quarter behind back-to-back corner 3-pointers from Johnson and Mitchell. The Pelicans answered with a 15-1 run extending into the fourth quarter, highlighted by back-to-back 3-pointers from Dante Cunningham and Davis, to take an 84-72 lead.
The Jazz made another rally in the fourth quarter to get back into it. Alec Burks made back-to-back baskets to fuel a 9-0 run to cut the deficit to three. New Orleans weathered the storm and pushed the lead back to double-digits when Davis converted a three-point play to make it 91-81 with 5:45 left.
New Orleans concludes it brief two-game road trip against the Timberwolves in Minnesota on Saturday. Utah begins a five-game road trip in Denver against the Nuggets on Friday.
--Field Level Media