NEW ORLEANS – Forward Anthony Davis scored 23 of his game-high 29 points in the second half, including a running jumper in the lane and two critical free throws in the final 1:21, to power the New Orleans Pelicans to a 103-100 victory over the Golden State Warriors and into the eighth playoff position in the Western Conference on Tuesday night at the Smoothie King Center.

The Pelicans (42-35) moved a half-game ahead of Oklahoma City (42-36) for the final playoff spot in the West after the Thunder lost at home against San Antonio.

The Pelicans trailed the Warriors (63-15) by 12 points at halftime, but they erased most of the lead with a 10-0 run to start the second half.

Warriors guard Stephen Curry tied the game at 100 for Golden State with a heavily guarded 3-pointer with 35.6 seconds left.

On the Pelicans' next possession, forward Ryan Anderson threw a weak pass near halfcourt that was tipped away by forward Andre Iguodala. But the ball glanced off Iguodala's hands with 21.2 seconds left, giving New Orleans possession in the backcourt with nine seconds left on the shot clock.

Iguodala then bailed out guard Tyreke Evans with a tripping foul at halfcourt, and Evans made one of two foul shots for a 101-100 New Orleans lead with 15.5 seconds left.

On the Warriors' possession, Curry came off a curl but missed an 8-footer in the lane, and Davis gobbled up the rebound and made two foul shots for a 103-100 lead.

Curry had one final chance, but he pump faked outside the 3-point line and got forward Dante Cunningham off his feet. No foul was called, but Curry gathered himself and his 3-pointer at the buzzer rimmed out.

Curry led the Warriors with 25 points.

Davis converted a driving layup and free throw and a 17-foot jumper and guard Eric Gordon made a jumper to put New Orleans up 90-82 with 6:08 remaining.

But the Warriors went on an 11-2 run – with four points and a nifty assist by forward Draymond Green – to retake the lead, 93-92 with 3:19 left.

The Pelicans scored the first 10 points of the third quarter – with six coming from center Omer Asik – and cut the Golden State lead to 55-53. They took their first lead since early in the first quarter on guard Eric Gordon's 3-pointer from the right wing.

Davis also got untracked during the 36-23 quarter, scoring 13 points on 5-of-6 shooting and blocking two shots in succession on Marreese Speights, as New Orleans took a 79-78 lead into the fourth quarter.

Curry caught fire at the end of the first half, scoring the Warriors final nine points, all on 3-pointers, and finished with 16 at halftime, as Golden State built a 55-43 lead. Curry made all four of his jumpers from long range and he added three assists.

Davis, meanwhile, continued his shooting troubles from the last five game. Davis entered shooting just 44 percent from the floor in the previous five games, and he was 2-of-10 in the first half, with his only baskets coming on alley oop feeds for dunks.

The Pelicans used am 11-4 run to take a 19-17 lead, but Golden State closed the first quarter with a 10-0 spurt over the final 2:56 and take a 27-19 advantage. Curry closed the quarter with a 3-pointer from the right wing.

New Orleans scored five straight to cut Golden State's lead to 41-38 with 4:04 left in the second quarter, but the Warriors made four long-range jumpers in the final 2:26 to rebuild their lead to 55-43.

NOTES: Despite the Warriors clinching the NBA's best record and posting the most wins in franchise history, coach Steve Kerr said he would not rest any of his starters in the final two weeks but would monitor their minutes carefully. "I won't rest anybody, but I won't overdo it either," Kerr said. "I'm not going to play anybody more than 34 or 35 minutes. We've kind of done that all year anyway, but particularly now in the position we're in, we'r