ATLANTA (AP) — Tim Frazier had 21 points and 14 assists, Terrence Jones added 17 points and the New Orleans Pelicans won their third straight game with a 112-94 victory over the Atlanta Hawks on Tuesday night.
Pelicans forward Anthony Davis returned to begin the fourth quarter after bruising his right knee and missing the second and third periods. Davis, a three-time All-Star and the NBA's leading scorer, finished with 13 points.
New Orleans led by 20 at the end of the first quarter and never let up.
Dennis Schroder and Kyle Korver each scored 14 for the Hawks, who have lost three in a row. Atlanta was tied for the Eastern Conference lead last week but now begins a five-game road trip playing its worst basketball of the young season.
The Pelicans have won five of seven and are 3-0 since Jrue Holiday returned after missing the first 12 games to be with his sick wife. Holiday had 15 points, four rebounds and four assists in 27 minutes.
X-rays were negative on Davis, who banged his leg against a chair while chasing the ball out of bounds. He lunged into the fourth row of chairs near the Atlanta bench and came up limping.
Davis walked slowly off the floor and into the locker room, but seemed to move with ease when he came back in the fourth.
Since beating Milwaukee on Nov. 16, the Hawks lost Friday at Charlotte when Howard was ejected for a flagrant foul in the fourth quarter and Sunday at New York when Schroder had his worst game as the starting point guard.
There was nothing marginal about this loss.
New Orleans led by 34-14 after the first quarter and went up by 30 twice in the second. Jones' hook shot made it 51-21 at the 8:09 mark and the Pelicans had a 22-point lead at halftime.
They were up by 35 midway through the third on Frazier's 3-pointer and began the fourth with a 24-point lead.
TIP-INS
Pelicans: Coach Alvin Gentry said before the game that Jones was sick earlier in the day and didn't know how much he'd be able to play. Jones made his first five shots and had no turnovers in 28 minutes. ... E'Twaun Moore scored 15 points and Solomon Hill added 11.
Hawks: Reserve F Thabo Sefolosha, who missed the last three games with a mild sprain in his left knee, had six points and three rebounds in 23 minutes. ... Taurean Prince, Tim Hardaway Jr. and Malcolm Delaney each scored 10.
UP NEXT
Pelicans: Host Minnesota on Wednesday.
Hawks: Visit Indiana on Wednesday.
