Balanced Pelicans easily top Grizzlies without injured Davis

Jrue Holiday and Nikola Mirotic scored 21 points, Jahlil Okafor and Julius Randle had 20, and the balanced New Orleans Pelicans beat the Memphis Grizzlies 105-85 on Monday without injured star Anthony Davis.

Okafor set a season high for points and added 10 rebounds filling in for Davis. Randle had 12 rebounds and Holiday grabbed 11 as New Orleans out-rebounded the Grizzlies 50-35 without its leading big man. It was the Pelicans' first game since announcing Davis would miss 1-2 weeks with a left index finger sprain.

Okafor and Randle were a combined 15 of 20 from the field, part of New Orleans shooting 53 percent overall.

New Orleans Pelicans guard E'Twaun Moore (55) drives against Memphis Grizzlies guard Mike Conley (11) in the first half of an NBA basketball game Monday, Jan. 21, 2019, in Memphis, Tenn. (AP PhotoBrandon Dill)

Marc Gasol led the Grizzlies with 22 points, while Mike Conley added 20 and eight assists for Memphis, which lost its sixth straight and 12th in the last 13.

Memphis, which was outscored 45-14 during the third quarter in a blowout loss at Toronto on Saturday, managed only 18 points in the third Monday while the Pelicans had 28. That provided New Orleans with an 82-68 lead entering the final period.

TIP-INS

New Orleans Pelicans center Jahlil Okafor (8) shoots against Memphis Grizzlies center Marc Gasol (33) in the first half of an NBA basketball game Monday, Jan. 21, 2019, in Memphis, Tenn. (AP PhotoBrandon Dill)

Pelicans: Played the final game of a five-game trip. ... Have played three times in Memphis on Martin Luther King Jr. Day. ... Okafor started his fourth game of the season. ... New Orleans was 1 of 12 on 3-pointers in the first half, but finished the game 9 of 26. ... Okafor's previous season high was 17 points against Milwaukee on Dec. 19. ... Double-doubles by Okafor, Holiday and Randle marked the 11th time this season three New Orleans players recorded double-doubles. It was Okafor's first double-double since Feb. 25, 2017.

Grizzlies: Are now 7-10 on Martin Luther King Jr. Day. ... Played the opening game of a season-high five-game homestand. ... Gasol returned after missing the Grizzlies' loss Saturday in Toronto with back soreness. ... F Omri Casspi was a late scratch (illness).

UP NEXT

New Orleans Pelicans forward Julius Randle (30) controls the ball against Memphis Grizzlies guard Mike Conley (11) in the first half of an NBA basketball game Monday, Jan. 21, 2019, in Memphis, Tenn. (AP PhotoBrandon Dill)

Pelicans: Return home after five-game road trip to face Detroit on Wednesday.

Grizzlies: Host the Charlotte Hornets on Wednesday night.

More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

New Orleans Pelicans guard Jrue Holiday (11) shoots against Memphis Grizzlies forward Jaren Jackson Jr. in the first half of an NBA basketball game Monday, Jan. 21, 2019, in Memphis, Tenn. (AP PhotoBrandon Dill)

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Paolo Banchero had 31 points and 14 rebounds, Jalen Suggs added 24 points and the Orlando Magic handed Cleveland the worst playoff loss in franchise history, winning 121-83 on Thursday night to cut the Cavaliers’ lead to 2-1 in their Eastern Conference first-round series.

Franz Wagner finished with 16 points and eight assists for the Magic, who led by 43 points in the fourth quarter on the way to the third-largest margin of victory in a playoff game. They earned their first playoff victory since 2019 and the first on their home floor since April 26, 2011.

They can even the series with a victory at home Sunday.

Jarrett Allen had 15 points and eight rebounds for the Cavaliers, who shot 39% from the field and 23.5% from 3-point range. Caris LeVert added 15 points and Donovan Mitchell had 13 points and seven assists.

76ERS 125, KNICKS 114

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Joel Embiid scored 50 points, making all four 3-point attempts and scoring 18 in a potential series-shifting third quarter to lead Philadelphia to a win over New York in Game 3 of their Eastern Conference first-round series.

Embiid boldly stated “we’re going to win this series” after the 76ers dropped Game 2.

With one of the finest postseason efforts of his career, Embiid became the third player to ever score 50 points against the Knicks in the postseason and kept the hope of a Philadelphia series comeback very much alive.

The Knicks lead the series 2-1. Game 4 is Sunday in Philadelphia.

Embiid was 13 of 19 from the floor overall, made 19 of 21 free throws and hit five 3-pointers.

NUGGETS 112, LAKERS 105

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Aaron Gordon had 29 points and 15 rebounds, Nikola Jokic added 24 points, 15 rebounds and nine assists, and Denver moved to the brink of the second round with a victory over the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 3 of their first-round series..

Jamal Murray scored 22 points as the defending NBA champion Nuggets won their 11th consecutive meeting with LeBron James and the Lakers in dominating style.

Michael Porter Jr. added 20 points for Denver, which took control in the third quarter and cruised through the final minutes to its fifth straight road win over Los Angeles, starting with its sweep of last season’s Western Conference finals.

Game 4 is Saturday night in Los Angeles. No NBA team has ever rallied from an 0-3 playoff deficit.

Orlando Magic guard Cole Anthony (50) makes a shot as he gets past Cleveland Cavaliers guard Sam Merrill (5) during the second half of Game 3 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series Thursday, April 25, 2024, in Orlando, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux)