Pelicans (21-33), 76ers (8-46)
New Orleans posted its third wire-to-wire victory of the regular season, building a 22-point lead in the first half, then keeping Philadelphia at arm’s length for most of the second. The Pelicans opened the post-All-Star break portion of the schedule in winning fashion, their third triumph in the last four games, with the only defeat coming in Oklahoma City. New Orleans at least momentarily moved within 5.5 games of eighth place in the Western Conference, powered by a stellar performance from the trio of Anthony Davis, Ryan Anderson and Jrue Holiday. They combined to score 84 points.
IT WAS OVER WHEN…
Toney Douglas sank a three-pointer from the left side, giving New Orleans a 117-108 lead with 1:37 remaining. The reserve guard’s only points of the night finally turned back the 76ers, who never led but kept fighting despite being down big in the opening half.
PELICANS PLAYER OF THE GAME
Anthony Davis came back from his All-Star participation with a vengeance, compiling one of his best games of the regular season. The fourth-year pro and three-time All-Star piled up 33 points in the first three quarters and finished with 34, his 10th game of 2015-16 in which he scored at least 30. Davis added two steals and two blocks. His offensive game was highlighted by 16/20 shooting at the foul line.
PELICANS UNSUNG CONTRIBUTOR
Omer Asik pulled down a season-high 14 rebounds in only 20 minutes of playing time, frequently keeping possessions alive by grabbing seven on the offensive boards. Asik was also a free-throw miss shy of registering his first double-double of 2015-16, finishing with nine points and going 4/6 on field goals.
