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Plumlee, Nets down Pelicans

Feb 10, 2014 - 2:48 AM Brooklyn, NY (SportsNetwork.com) - Mason Plumlee tallied a career-high 22 points and the Brooklyn Nets put together a big first half that set the tone for a 93-81 win over the New Orleans Pelicans at Barclays Center.

Plumlee made good on 8-of-10 shot attempts and matched a personal best with 13 boards to lead a strong effort from the Brooklyn bench. Fellow reserve Mirza Teletovic also posted a double-double of 13 points and 11 rebounds, with Alan Anderson contributing 13 points to help the Nets shake off a 16-point loss at Detroit on Friday.

The Nets shot 53 percent overall as a team and stifled the Pelicans over the first two quarters to build a commanding 51-28 lead at the break.

Anthony Davis had 24 points and nine rebounds for New Orleans, but the Pelicans went just 36.1 percent from the field to have a two-game win streak halted. Brian Roberts finished with 12 points in defeat.

"We just didn't play well tonight,' Davis said. "We know it, the coaches know it, everybody knows it."

The Nets came out focused and showed a sense of urgency right from the start, making good on five of their first six shot attempts while beginning the game on an 11-0 run. New Orleans was able to whittle the deficit down to seven later in the opening quarter, but 3-pointers from Joe Johnson and Teletovic highlighted a 10-2 run Brooklyn closed out the period with to carry a 29-14 lead into the second.

Brooklyn kept pouring it on during the following frame, with Plumlee netting six points during a 10-0 burst that extended the margin to 48-21 with under four minutes left before halftime.

"He brings youth, athletic ability and you can see the hard work he's put in," said Nets head coach Jason Kidd of Plumlee's performance.

The Nets cruised into the break up by 23 points after limiting the Pelicans to a paltry 26.8 percent shooting rate over the initial two quarters.

New Orleans fared better on the offensive end in the third quarter, shooting better than 56 percent for the stanza and putting together a 13-1 run that closed the gap to 57-47 with 17 minutes left. Davis accounted for six points during the flurry, which backup center Greg Stiesma capped with a layup and free throw.

Roberts scored five straight points later in the quarter, bringing the Pelicans within 64-57 with two minutes to go in the session.

It was a nine-point game with 11 minutes left when Anderson drove the lane and scored, ignited a 7-0 run he finished with a three that lengthened Brooklyn's lead to 79-63.

Game Notes

Brooklyn's bench outscored New Orleans' reserves by a 59-31 margin ... Nets center Kevin Garnett, held out of Friday's game for rest purposes, played just 13 minutes but had six points on 3-for-3 shooting ... The Pelicans lost for only the sixth time in 23 games when holding the opposition under 100 points ... The Nets swept last year's home-and-home series between the clubs, recording a 108-98 win in Brooklyn back in March.