National Basketball Association
New Orleans 102, Indiana 95
When: 8:00 PM ET, Thursday, December 15, 2016
Where: Smoothie King Center, New Orleans, Louisiana
Officials: #73 Tre Maddox, #38 Michael Smith, #22 Bill Spooner
Attendance: 15472

NEW ORLEANS -- Anthony Davis had a typical night for him, but it probably wouldn't have been enough if rookie Buddy Hield hadn't had an atypical night for him.

Davis scored a game-high 35 points, just above his 30.5 average that his second highest in the NBA, including nine during a decisive 15-0 run late in the fourth quarter. Hield, New Orleans' No. 1 draft choice making his seventh NBA start, had season highs of five 3-pointers and 21 points as the Pelicans defeated the Indiana Pacers 102-95 on Thursday night in the Smoothie King Center.

"It's good to see Buddy step up the way he did and I still think he can shoot it even better than he did tonight," New Orleans coach Alvin Gentry said. "He's just learning what a good shot is, when he should shoot it and when he should try to drive it."

The Pelicans (9-18) finished the game with a 17-5 run to end a 10-game losing streak against the Pacers, who fell below .500 (13-14). New Orleans visits Houston on Friday and Indiana visits Detroit on Saturday.

Hield made all of his 3-pointers in the second half, finishing 5-of-8 as the Pelicans made 10-of 27 3-pointers, compared to 3-of-21 for the Pacers. Jrue Holiday added 16 points and a season-high 14 assists for his first double-double of the season and Terrence Jones had 10 points off the bench for the Pelicans.

Myles Turner led the Pacers with 26 points, Jeff Teague scored 21, Paul George had 18 and Al Jefferson scored 14 off the bench.

Indiana had a 90-85 lead before Holiday scored on a drive and Hield made his fifth 3-pointer to tie the score. Davis scored on a three-point play to put the Pelicans ahead with three minutes left and he added two free throws for a 95-90 lead. Davis added a 3-pointer and two free throws to complete the 15-0 run.

"We were up five and a couple of missed shots we didn't rotate back in transition and they were able to get the lead," Pacers coach Nate McMillan said. "But missing shots wasn't the only thing.

"We gave up 31 shots in the fourth quarter. You have to play defense as well. We've got to be able to do it on both ends of the floor in the fourth quarter. Defense didn't hold. Offense, when we did have open looks we didn't knock down shots."

The Pacers extended their four-point halftime lead to seven before Hield got hot. He made four 3-pointers as the Pelicans pulled even at 68.

Jefferson made a pair of baskets as Indiana grabbed a 74-71 lead after three quarters. Hield had 14 points in the quarter to keep the Pelicans close.

"Tonight felt really good," Hield said. "I felt my teammates found me in good spots. They gave me confidence and lifted me up.

"We closed the first half kind of slow and I said to myself, "be more aggressive and make some shots in the second half, keep building confidence."

A 3-pointer by Davis helped New Orleans tie the score and Tyreke Evans' 3-pointer gave it an 81-80 lead.

The Pelicans had a three-point lead before back-to-back baskets by Turner completed a 6-0 run that gave the Pacers an 86-83 lead midway through the fourth.

After a layup by Jones, Turner made a tip-in and George had a layup, giving Indiana a 90-85 lead.

"The majority of our losses we've been in the game or in control," George said. "We're not figuring out how to close it. (All losses) are equally exhausting and frustrating -- to be up five points and we can't close the game out."

NOTES: New Orleans G Tyreke Evans scored seven points in 11 minutes in his first game since undergoing knee surgery Feb. 11 of last season. "He's going to have to play very limited minutes (initially)," Pelicans coach Alvin Gentry said before the game. "Fifteen is probably the max he's going to play." ... New Orleans G Tim Frazier said he will miss seven to 10 days because of a wrist injury he suffered during a 113-109 loss to Golden State on Tuesday. ... Pacers G Rodney Stuckey was back on the sideline the night after he returned from a sore left hamstring. Stuckey played 22-plus minutes in a 95-89 loss at Miami on Wednesday, but developed soreness. "He's out the next two games," Indiana coach Nate McMillan said, "and will be re-evaluated when we get back (after a game Saturday at Detroit)." ... Fellow G Monta Ellis missed his third consecutive game and will miss at least one more because of a groin injury.
Top Game Performances
 
Indiana   New Orleans
Myles Turner 26 Scoring Anthony Davis 35
Jeff Teague 10 Assists Jrue Holiday 14
Myles Turner 8 Rebounds Anthony Davis 15
Jeff Teague 7 Free Throws Made Anthony Davis 11
Paul George 2 Steals Alexis Ajinca 2
Al Jefferson 1 Blocks Anthony Davis 5
Team Stats Summary
 
Team Points FG% 3PM-3PA FTM-FTA Assists Rebounds Blocks Steals Turnovers
Indiana 95 41.4 3-21 20-24 23 46 4 6 12
New Orleans 102 42.4 10-27 20-28 23 55 8 7 16
Upcoming Games
  • New Orleans will play their next game on the road against Houston. The Pelicans have a W/L % of .375 after a win and .316 after a loss.
  • Indiana will play their next game on the road against Detroit. The Pacers have a W/L % of .231 after a win and .714 after a loss.