• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers
• Game Tracker

Pelicans, Timberwolves clash in the Big Easy

Nov 14, 2014 - 2:46 PM (SportsNetwork.com) - The New Orleans Pelicans are over .500 and will try to continue the momentum Friday night when they host the Minnesota Timberwolves at the Smoothie King Center.

New Orleans inched among those with winning records thanks to a 109-102 home victory over the Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday. It was the third win in four games for the Pelicans, with the only setback during that period, a road loss to LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Anthony Davis scored 25 points with 12 rebounds and six blocks to lead the Pelicans over the Lakers.

"(Davis) had six blocks, that's pretty impressive," said Pelicans coach Monty Williams.

Tyreke Evans supplied 19 points with 11 assists, while Jrue Holiday and Ryan Anderson each netted 17 points for New Orleans, which has defeated the Lakers in three of its last four meetings.

The Pelicans shot a whopping 54.9 percent from the field and 42.1 percent from long range. The performance forced Lakers coach Byron Scott to publicly blast his team's defensive effort.

If there was a negative in New Orleans' win, the Pelicans led by as many as 23 in the fourth before Los Angeles closed the final 3:22 on a 14-1 run.

"We'll address that," Williams said of the run to end the game. "I don't want to rain on the parade because it is tough to win, but we will address that (Thursday)."

The Wolves have lost three in a row, highlighted by a setback Wednesday night versus the Houston Rockets in Mexico City. It counted as a home game for Minnesota, but it fell, 113-101.

The Wolves, who are 1-3 on the road this season, were led by Corey Brewer, who scored 18 points off the bench. Andrew Wiggins had 15 for Minnesota, which has not won since point guard Ricky Rubio went down with an ankle injury in last Friday's overtime loss to Orlando.

Nikola Pekovic registered a double-double with 11 points and 13 rebounds.

Houston led by four at the half, but won the third quarter, 31-21. Minnesota couldn't get any closer and fell in Mexico City.

The Timberwolves won two of three last season against the Pelicans, who embark on a four-game western swing, starting in Portland on Monday. Minnesota is 5-2 in its last seven versus New Orleans, although both of the losses came in its last two trips to the Big Easy.