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Pelicans take playoff hopes to Sacramento

Apr 3, 2015 - 2:14 PM (SportsNetwork.com) - The New Orleans Pelicans recommence their postseason pursuit on Friday when they visit Sleep Train Arena to take on the Sacramento Kings.

The Pelicans are 1 1/2 games behind the Oklahoma City Thunder for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference. New Orleans will try to make their first postseason appearance since 2011.

The Pelicans have won three in a row to get back into contention for the playoffs. They started a three-game road trip on Wednesday with a 113-92 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers.

Anthony Davis scored 20 points with seven rebounds and six assists to lead the Pels. Tyreke Evans posted 16 points with eight assists for New Orleans, which will finish the trek in Portland on Saturday.

Ryan Anderson and Norris Cole each had 17 points off the bench. Anderson had not played since Feb. 21 due to a sprained MCL in his right knee.

"My prayer before the game was give me some lungs," Anderson joked. "Overall I feel good. It felt good to be back out there."

Los Angeles led 31-29 after the first quarter, then it was all New Orleans the rest of the way.

The Pelicans opened the second quarter on a 14-4 run for a 43-35 lead. The Lakers remained in striking distance until Anderson canned successive 3- pointers late in the frame to help the visitors to a 60-49 lead at the break.

Eric Gordon's 3-pointer with 5:25 left in the third put New Orleans up 81-61, and it held a 20-point edge entering the fourth. The Pelicans had no problem closing out the struggling Lakers in the final frame.

"This was a huge game for us," said Pelicans coach Monty Williams. "We didn't start well. We have to take care of our business. We can't worry about anybody else."

The Kings return to Sacramento in the midst of a three-game losing streak. They went 1-3 on a road trip, but have won three in a row in California's capital.

On Wednesday, the Kings fell to the Houston Rockets and James Harden, 115-111.

Harden finished with a career-best 51 points as the MVP candidate made eight of his nine 3-pointers, tying a career high, went 11-of-13 from the foul line and 16-of-25 from the field overall to lift Houston to its 51st victory of the season.

DeMarcus Cousins was four blocks shy of a quadruple-double, tallying 24 points, 21 rebounds and 10 assists for the Kings.

"I've never coached a guy that can put up so many things into a game," Kings coach George Karl said of Cousins.

Jason Thompson put in two free throws and following a Terrence Jones turnover, Omri Casspi's layup with 52.2 ticks left cut Sacramento's deficit to four.

Corey Brewer's jumper didn't go at the other end, but neither did Casspi's 3- point attempt with just over 10 seconds to go. Harden then missed two foul shots, but time ran out on the Kings' next possession.

Rudy Gay is expected to miss Friday's game because of a concussion.

The Kings will host the Utah Jazz and Minnesota Timberwolves on this stay.

The Pelicans beat the Kings by 14 in the Big Easy one week ago and have taken two of three meetings this season. Sacramento is 5-2 in its last seven as the host in this series.