‘We’ll get back to work’: Anthony Davis and Pelicans snap Atlanta Hawks streak, which they take in stride

Paul Millsap and his Atlanta teammates didn’t sound terribly concerned about the end of the Hawks’ franchise-record 19-game winning streak.

After all, the Hawks' 115-100 loss to surging New Orleans in the NBA on Monday night – in a game marked by Anthony Davis' ferocious play – was only Atlanta's third defeat in 36 games.

“We’ve got a lot of season left,” Millsap said when asked to put the recent winning streak in perspective. “Nineteen games, that’s good. We lost one – 19-1 now. So it’s just regrouping. ... We can’t let one loss turn into two losses.”

Davis, returning from a left groin strain that sidelined him one game, had 29 points and 13 rebounds to help the Pelicans win for the sixth time in seven games. New Orleans’ recent run of good form has included victories over other contending squads, such as Dallas and the Los Angeles Clippers, and has pulled the Pelicans (26-22) within a game of Phoenix (28-22) for eighth place in the Western Conference.

“We just need to continue to do what we’ve been doing,” Davis said. “The past couple games, we’ve been rebounding, defending, sharing the ball. We don’t care who scores. That’s what we have to do.”

That sounds a lot like the recipe Atlanta have been using to pile up an Eastern Conference-leading 40 victories.

“They had us on our heels from the very beginning,” Hawks coach Mike Budenholzer said. “They deserve a lot of credit for us not starting well.

“Give our guys a lot of credit for a lot of good work over the last month,” Budenholzer added. “Tonight wasn’t out night. I am very proud of them. We’ll get back to work.”

Jeff Teague scored 21 for Atlanta, but the Hawks fell behind by double digits in the first quarter and trailed the rest of the way, getting within single digits for only a few brief stints.

Eric Gordon scored 20 points for New Orleans, while Tyreke Evans scored 15 points and tied a season high with 12 assists for the fourth time in five games.

Millsap had 15 points and Kyle Korver 12 for the Hawks, who made only 7-of-22 three-point attempts.

Omer Asik grabbed 17 rebounds for New Orleans, who outrebounded Atlanta 52-32. Davis grabbed eight of his rebounds on the offensive end, including one on a missed three that he corralled with his right hand and slammed home in one roundhouse motion.

Ryan Anderson added 15 points for the Pelicans, who outshot Atlanta, 50 per cent (43-of-86) to 44.9 per cent (40-of-89).

Atlanta briefly got as close as seven in the third quarter when DeMarre Carroll, returning from a strained left Achilles that sidelined him two games, hit back-to-back threes to make it 60-53.

But New Orleans kept scoring, and soon after went back up by 12 when Evans banked in a three late in the shot clock.

Gordon’s minutes were limited by foul trouble, but his backup, Jimmer Fredette, responded to additional minutes with 10 points, including a three that put the Pelicans up by 17 in the fourth quarter. Soon after, Asik’s putback dunk gave New Orleans their largest lead at 101-82 and sent the crowd into a frenzy, sensing there was no way Atlanta could recover during the last 6:03.

AROUND THE NBA

Cavaliers 97 (30-20), 76ers 84 (10-39)

Kyrie Irving scored 24 points, LeBron James added 18 points and 11 assists, and the Cleveland Cavaliers staggered to their 11th straight win.

The winning streak is Cleveland’s longest since reeling off 13 in a row – a franchise record – in 2010, the last season of James’ first stint with the club. The Cavs had trouble putting away the young Sixers, who did all they could to stay close but don’t have the firepower to keep up with Irving, James and one of the NBA’s hottest teams.

Jerami Grant and Robert Covington scored 18 apiece for the Sixers.

Thunder 104 (24-24), Magic 97 (15-36)

Russell Westbrook’s second triple-double of the season and 10th of his career helped the Oklahoma City Thunder defeat the Orlando Magic without the injured Kevin Durant.

Westbrook, an All-Star point guard, had 25 points, 14 assists and 11 rebounds.

Durant sat out with a sprained big toe on his left foot. He has played in just 22 games this season, having missed time earlier in the season with a sprained right ankle and a broken bone in his right foot.

Victor Oladipo scored 22 points and Nikola Vucevic scored 20 points for the Magic, who lost their ninth straight.

Hornets 92 (21-27), Wizards 88 (31-18)

Al Jefferson had 18 points and 12 rebounds Monday night, leading the Charlotte Hornets past the Washington Wizards.

Michael Kidd-Gilchrist added 13 points and 13 rebounds, Brian Roberts scored 18 points, and Gerald Henderson put in 17 for the Hornets, who have won six of eight. They went 10-4 in January despite losing Kemba Walker to a knee injury that will keep him sidelined at least six more weeks.

John Wall, who continues to battle a sprained right ankle and migraine-like headaches, scored 16 points with 10 assists for the Wizards, who have dropped three straight.

Bradley Beal led Washington with 18 points and a season-high 11 rebounds.

Bucks 82 (26-22), Raptors 75 (33-16)

Khris Middleton scored 25 points, Giannis Antetokounmpo had 12 points and 12 rebounds, and the short-handed Milwaukee Bucks snapped a six-game losing streak against the Toronto Raptors.

Reduced to nine players when guard Brandon Knight was ruled out before the game with a sore right quadriceps muscle, Milwaukee lost another body when guard OJ Mayo was ejected after picking up a double technical at 4:07 of the second.

Jonas Valanciunas had 12 points and 13 rebounds, DeMar DeRozan scored 16 and Lou Williams 12 for the Raptors, who had won six straight overall.

Nets 102 (19-28), Clippers 100 (33-16)

Jarrett Jack made a tiebreaking jumper with 1.3 seconds left, and the Brooklyn Nets used a late rally to beat the Los Angeles Clippers.

The Nets ended a seven-game home losing streak by erasing a nine-point deficit in the final 1:35, getting two three-pointers from Alan Anderson – one a four-point play – one from Joe Johnson and another from Deron Williams in his return from an 11-game absence.

After Chris Paul’s layup tied it at 100 with 8.6 seconds to go, Jack lofted a jumper over 6ft 11in centre DeAndre Jordan.

Brook Lopez scored 24 points and Johnson had 22 for the Nets, who snapped an overall four-game skid and won at home for the first time since beating Sacramento on December 29.]

Mavericks 100 (33-17), Timberwolves 94 (8-40)

Monta Ellis scored 23 points and the Dallas Mavericks won their first game without injured point guard Rajon Rondo, beating Minnesota in the first game in nearly three months for Timberwolves point guard Ricky Rubio.

JJ Barea had 10 points while starting in Rondo’s place. Barea was only 4-of-14 shooting, but had the first and last field goals by Dallas along with two free throws with 17 seconds left to help hold off a comeback try by Minnesota.

Rubio, sidelined since severely spraining his left ankle November 7, had 10 points on 4-of-9 shooting with four assists in 21 minutes.

Grizzlies 102 (36-12), Suns 101 (28-22)

Jeff Green converted a three-point play with 4.5 seconds to play as the Memphis Grizzlies rallied from seven down in the final 1:35 to beat the Phoenix Suns for the seventh straight time.

Marc Gasol blocked Markieff Morris’ shot at the finish to preserve the victory.

The Grizzlies, who won their seventh in a row overall and 11th in the last 12 games, scored the final eight points after Isaiah Thomas’ three-pointer put Phoenix up 101-94 with 1:49 to play. Thomas scored all 24 of his points in the second half, 16 in the fourth quarter.

Mike Conley led Memphis with 23 points.

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