Davis has 31 points, 16 boards as Pelicans beat 76ers 108-93 (Dec 20, 2016)
PHILADELPHIA (AP) Anthony Davis and the Pelicans got going in a big way after a slow start.
Davis had 31 points and 16 rebounds to lead New Orleans over the Philadelphia 76ers 108-93 on Tuesday night in a matchup of struggling teams.
Davis scored 11 in New Orleans' dominant second quarter and Terrence Jones finished with 17 points and 10 boards for the Pelicans, who avenged a Dec. 8 home loss to the 76ers while winning for only the third time in 11 games.
''We just tried to make this a statement game for us,'' Davis said.
Perhaps they were trying too hard in the opening quarter. Davis went 1 for 8 from the field, New Orleans was 6 for 22 and the Pelicans trailed 23-15 after one.
''We just had to find our rhythm,'' Davis said. ''We just weren't moving the ball in that first quarter.''
They figured things out from that point on.
Davis and Tim Frazier combined for 21 points in the second period as the Pelicans doubled up the Sixers 42-21 to take a 57-44 halftime lead.
Davis missed eight of his first nine shots but finished 12 for 30.
''My jump shot wasn't on tonight, so I started going to the rim,'' Davis said. ''You just adjust to the game. I wasn't going to keep settling. I just had to attack, and that's it.''
New Orleans shot 55.6 percent (15 for 27) from the field, including 66.7 percent (4 for 6) from 3-point range, in the second. The 42 points represented the most in a quarter for the Pelicans all season.
''I thought we did a good job of just moving the basketball, moving people into space and taking the opportunities that were there,'' Pelicans coach Alvin Gentry said.
Ersan Ilyasova had 14 points to pace Philadelphia (7-21).
''That was the game,'' 76ers coach Brett Brown said of the second quarter. ''The other periods are acceptable.''
The Pelicans (10-20) built on their 13-point halftime lead and were up 18 early in the fourth quarter. Philadelphia got as close as 95-88 on Nik Stauskas' 3-pointer with 5:25 left and had chances to pull closer, but misfired on two straight possessions.
Ultimately, the Sixers couldn't overcome the second period.
''That's a lot of points for one period,'' Philadelphia's Jahlil Okafor said. ''That really got them going for the rest of the game.''
New Orleans shot 48 percent (34 for 71) from the field after the opening 12 minutes.
NOEL, NOEL
Brown sat ineffective big men Joel Embiid and Okafor for most of the third quarter, instead inserting Nerlens Noel with 6:49 left in the period. Noel has been the odd man out at a crowded center spot.
Brown said Sunday that Noel, a 2013 first-round draft pick who missed the first 23 games while recovering from knee surgery, won't be part of the regular rotation while he sees if Embiid and Okafor are a fit on the floor together. Embiid and Okafor started alongside each other for the fourth straight game. Both had 11 points.
Fans gave Noel a rousing ovation when he entered and a louder cheer when he scored on a follow basket with 5:40 left in the third.
''I just really want to thank the fans for how they supported me,'' Noel said. ''That really meant a lot to me. I got the chills.''
Brown also was grateful for the crowd's response.
''I can see why they would do that,'' he said. ''Nerlen plays hard, he plays defense, he's appreciated by the city. It didn't surprise me. I was glad they gave him a warm welcome.''
HOT HIELD
Pelicans rookie guard Buddy Hield scored 10 points and continued his strong shooting from outside. Hield was 2 for 2 from 3-point range and is shooting 52 percent (25 for 48) from beyond the arc this month.
TIP-INS
Pelicans: Tyreke Evans (rest) didn't play. ... Solomon Hill returned to the lineup after missing two games for the birth of his daughter. Hill had two points and three rebounds in 33 minutes. ... Jrue Holiday played his first four seasons with Philadelphia.
76ers: Stauskas returned from a one-game absence due to left knee soreness only to leave in the first quarter after going hard to the floor on a charge against Frazier. Stauskas returned in the third quarter. ... Philadelphia finished 1-3 on a four-game homestand.
UP NEXT
Pelicans: Begin a five-game homestand by hosting Oklahoma City on Wednesday night.
76ers: Open a four-game Western road trip Friday night at Phoenix.
