Pelicans slip past Nuggets for fifth win in a row

[March 02, 2015]  DENVER -- The New Orleans Pelicans were supposed to be done when they lost three key players to injuries.

Pelicans slip past Nuggets for fifth win in a row


Instead, they are right at the doorstep of the playoffs while their big men heal.

Guard Tyreke Evans had 22 points, guard Eric Gordon scored 16 of his 18 points in the second half, and New Orleans beat the Denver Nuggets 99-92 Sunday night.

The Pelicans (32-27) stayed a half-game behind Oklahoma City in the race for the final Western Conference postseason berth.

"We want to be in the playoffs," Gordon said. "We have to play at a high level every game."

Forward Dante Cunningham contributed 14 points, and center Omer Asik added nine points and 16 rebounds as New Orleans won its fifth straight.

The Pelicans are winning despite the absence of three of their top four scorers -- forward Anthony Davis, center Ryan Anderson and guard Jrue Holiday. Evans, Gordon and forward Quincy Pondexter picked up the scoring slack the past four games.

"It takes the pressure off of them right now," Cunningham said. "It allows them to completely heal up and not necessarily rush back or think they have to be here for the team right now. As much as we love and want them back, we're holding it down right now until they get back."

Denver is becoming historically bad at home, dropping its 10th straight at Pepsi Center. The Nuggets' last 10-game home losing streak was in 1997-98, when the team finished 11-71 and had just nine home wins.

Forward Danilo Gallinari scored 21 points and guard Randy Foye had 19 for the Nuggets, who lost for the 19th time in 21 games overall.

Guard Ty Lawson, Denver's leading scorer, had 11 assists but just five points. He attempted only five shots on a night when coach Brian Shaw wanted him to be aggressive offensively.

"I want him to empty his clip," Shaw said. "If he takes 30 shots, we'll live with what happens. I want him to look to score more."

Forward Will Barton had 16 points and 10 rebounds off the Denver bench.

"We put out our best effort since I've been here. I can be proud and walk away from this one," said Barton, who is averaging 16.6 points in five games since being acquired from the Portland Trail Blazers. "We were so close and could have gotten this one."

The Nuggets shot just 40.2 percent from the field in losing their sixth in a row.

"Anytime you can hold someone below 42 (percent), you feel like you're playing pretty good defense," said New Orleans coach Monty Williams, whose team shot 48.6 percent from the floor.

Denver trailed most of the first three quarters but pulled even heading into the fourth thanks to a quick rally. After forward Luke Babbitt's layup with 28 seconds left in the third put New Orleans ahead 65-60, Barton scored on a reverse dunk and Gallinari stole a pass and hit a shot just past half court to tie it up.

The game stayed close throughout the fourth, a change for the Nuggets of late. Denver lost the previous four games by margins of 22, 14, 28 and 25.

On Sunday, the Nuggets grabbed a 75-73 lead midway through the fourth before the Pelicans went on a 9-2 run to go up by five. Foye and forward Wilson Chandler sandwiched 3-pointers around one by Gordon to cut New Orleans' lead to 85-83 with 3:55 remaining.

Denver forward Kenneth Faried split a pair of free throws after an Evans layup, and following a Cunningham jumper, Foye was called for a charge.

New Orleans led 91-85 with 1:30 left when Gallinari missed the rim on a 3-point attempt. The Pelicans closed out the win at the foul line.

"This team won four in a row before the game (Sunday), so they know how to get the job done," Faried said of the Pelicans. "We've been trying to get this monkey off our back. I guess when you win four in a row, you know how to win games, and when you're losing as many games, you're going to find ways to lose them. We've got to find ways to win them."

NOTES: Nuggets F Darrell Arthur (right calf strain) missed his third consecutive game. Arthur has been riding a stationary bike, and he could return Tuesday to face the Milwaukee Bucks. ... Pelicans F Anthony Davis (sprained right shoulder) sat out his fourth game in a row but is closer to returning than C Ryan Anderson (right MCL sprain). ... Denver C Jusuf Nurkic (sprained right ankle) missed his third game in a row. "(His ankle) is really swollen. My gut tells me he will be out for a while if he is able to come back at all," coach Brian Shaw said. ... New Orleans G Jrue Holiday said he would not need surgery on his lower right leg. He has been out since he was injured Jan. 12. ... The Pelicans play the Mavericks in Dallas on Monday.

[© 2015 Thomson Reuters. All rights reserved.]

Copyright 2015 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.