Davis turns ankle, but Pelicans roll to 10th straight win
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) -- Anthony Davis scored 17 points before rolling his left ankle and leaving in the third quarter, and the New Orleans Pelicans beat the Sacramento Kings 114-101 on Wednesday night to match a franchise record with their 10th straight win.
Davis went down after battling Kosta Koufos for a rebound. The five-time All-Star winced and grabbed at his ankle before slowly getting to his feet. Davis remained in the game briefly before being taken to the Pelicans locker room with 3:11 left in the third. He did not return. X-rays were negative.
New Orleans, which has played well since losing center DeMarcus Cousins to a season-ending injury in January, kept rolling without Davis, although the Kings made a brief run late in the fourth.
Buddy Hield hit a 3-pointer to pull Sacramento within 103-94 with 3:12 left, but Nikola Mirotic and Jrue Holiday both hit 3s and combined for 11 straight points to help the Pelicans pull away.
Mirotic scored 26 points on 10-of-12 shooting to go with 10 rebounds, Holiday had 23 points and eight assists, and E'Twaun Moore added 15 points.
The 10-game winning streak matches the Pelicans' franchise record set Jan. 9-26, 2011. New Orleans has scored 100 or more points in each of the wins, setting another team record.
The Pelicans get a break with eight of their next nine in New Orleans after playing eight of their past 11 on the road. They're in the thick of the playoff race in the Western Conference.
Hield had 20 points while Zach Randolph added 19 points and five rebounds for Sacramento.
The Kings, who have lost six of eight, played the final 42 minutes without point guard De'Aaron Fox. He left early in the first quarter due to lower back stiffness.
Ian Clark's 16-foot jumper and 3-pointer on consecutive possessions capped a 12-4 run to end the first and put the Pelicans up 32-21.
With Davis getting a lengthy rest on the bench for most of the second quarter, New Orleans extended its advantage to 49-29 on another deep shot from Clark. Holiday later scored eight consecutive points and Davis added a late three-point play to help the Pelicans take a 62-44 halftime lead.
TIP-INS
Pelicans: New Orleans has won seven straight road games, one shy of the franchise record set in 2007-08. ... The Pelicans shot 60.9 percent (14 of 23) in the opening quarter.
Kings: Willie Cauley-Stein missed his third straight game with a lower back strain.
UP NEXT
Pelicans: Host Washington on Friday night.
Kings: Host Orlando on Friday night.
