NEW ORLEANS (Sporting Alert) — Anthony Davis scored 32 points and finished with another double-double in guiding the New Orleans Pelicans to a 99-74 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers at Smoothie King Center on Monday night.
Davis, who recently returned to the court after missing three-games with a toe problem, went 12-of-19 in shooting from the field, while pulling down 10 rebounds, had four block shots, three steals and three assists in 31 minutes of action.
The former Kentucky star forward, who finished with five dunks, was grabbing his third successive double-double and his seventh since the start of the new year. He was also securing his 12th 30-point game of the season.
Ryan Anderson added 19 points, seven rebounds and three steals off the bench and Eric Gordon ended with 13 points and five assists for New Orleans, which picked up its fourth win in a row.
The Pelicans (24-21) led 52-43 at halftime and then blew the game wide open in the third quarter with an 18-6 run on their way to outscoring the Sixers 33-19 in the quarter.
K.J. McDaniels scored 16 points off the bench for the 76ers, with Luc Mbah a Moute and Henry Sims each adding 14 points in the defeat.
Philadelphia, which played without star guard Michael Carter-Williams, who missed out with an upper respiratory infection, were losing their sixth straight game.
The win on Monday night, meanwhile, saw New Orleans staying close to the Phoenix Suns in the race for the eighth slot in the Western Conference standings. They moved to a game and a half behind the Suns for the final playoff seed in the West.
But defeat meant Philadelphia joined New York on the same 8-37 record in the Eastern Conference bottom of the table battle.
The Pelicans were 39-of-86 for 45.3 percent shooting from the floor, while holding the 76ers to 34.6 percent and just 2-of-15 from three-pointers.
