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Wolves, Pelicans tangle in the Big Easy

Mar 29, 2015 - 2:03 PM (SportsNetwork.com) - The New Orleans Pelicans press on in their bid to make the postseason, starting Sunday when they welcome the Minnesota Timberwolves to the Smoothie King Center.

The Pelicans trail the Oklahoma City Thunder by 2 1/2 games in their bid for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference.

Last time out, New Orleans snapped a four-game losing streak with a 102-88 drubbing of the Sacramento Kings in the Big Easy Friday night.

Anthony Davis posted 24 points, nine rebounds and six blocks for the Pelicans. Tyreke Evans had 25 points and 10 assists and Quincy Pondexter scored 16 points to help New Orleans to victory.

Norris Cole scored 12 points for New Orleans and Omer Asik grabbed 12 rebounds. The Pelicans' reserves outscored Sacramento's 29-12, and New Orleans did its best against DeMarcus Cousins, who still managed 39 points and 20 boards.

"Staying with our game plan, being aggressive, we didn't let (Cousins) turn it into a one-on-one game," Evans said of the win.

Rudy Gay scored seven straight Kings points after Ben McLemore put the visitors in front early in the third with a 3-pointer, but Pondexter drilled consecutive 3s at the other end to restore the Pelicans' lead.

Evans scored twice during an 8-0 run later in the period that made it 74-63. The lead grew to 18 in the fourth as the Pelicans coasted to the finish line.

The Pelicans head west starting Wednesday versus the LA Lakers, Kings and Portland Trail Blazers.

The Wolves own the worst mark in the Western Conference and have dropped two straight.

On Friday, Minnesota fought, but fell to the Houston Rockets, 120-110, in Texas.

The Timberwolves lost for the third time in four games despite 31 points from star rookie Andrew Wiggins.

"He's had a great year," Timberwolves coach Flip Saunders said of Wiggins. "In this league, you have to have someone that can create something out of nothing, and that's what he can do."

Chase Budinger added a season-high 23 points, and Gorgui Dieng finished with 18 points and 12 boards. Zach LaVine finished with 11 points and eight assists.

Minnesota was within seven with less than 4 1/2 minutes to play before a 9-2 Houston spurt put the game away.

For the Wolves, Nikola Pekovic and Kevin Garnett are out, while Ricky Rubio (left ankle) and Kevin Martin (left hamstring) are questionable. Gary Neal is doubtful with a sprained left ankle.

The Pelicans won both of this season's meetings and the two will collide in Minneapolis on April 13. New Orleans has won three in a row as the host in this series.