Jazz-Pelicans Preview

By JORDAN GARRETSON

(AP) -- The New Orleans Pelicans nearly toppled the NBA's best team despite lacking Anthony Davis.

Faced with his possible absence again Tuesday night, they hope to have enough to get by the struggling Utah Jazz.

New Orleans (11-12) led league-leading Golden State by eight points with 4:16 left in regulation Sunday but lost 128-122 in overtime. Davis, who is the NBA's only player averaging at least 20.0 points, 10.0 rebounds and 2.0 blocks, didn't play due to a chest contusion suffered in Friday's win against Cleveland.

"Our guys four their tails off tonight. We just came up short," coach Monty Williams said. "To have a chance to win against the best team in the league says a lot about our guys."

Williams said the team still isn't sure how Davis sustained the injury, though it may have been caused by a collision with another player's elbow. Tests didn't reveal any serious concerns for Davis, who is questionable.

Tyreke Evans had a season-high 34 points before fouling out in overtime while Jrue Holiday had a season-high 30 for the second time in three games. The Pelicans fell to 5-11 without Davis since the start of last season.

Eric Gordon, averaging 9.5 points, also missed his 11th straight game due to a torn labrum and isn't close to a return.

"We've got heart," Holiday told the team's official website. "Even with a couple of our best players out, someone can step up, anything can happen. As long as you play hard, execute, stick together."

Holiday has averaged 22.2 points on 54.8 percent shooting and 8.4 assists in his last five games.

Davis scored a career-high 43 points and had 14 rebounds in a 106-94 win at Utah on Nov. 22. Davis was 16 of 23 from the floor while the rest of the Pelicans shot a combined 37.1 percent. Holiday was his only teammate with more than nine points, scoring 19.

The Jazz (6-18) have dropped 11 of 12 after Sunday's 93-84 loss at Washington that opened a six-game road trip. They were outscored 56-42 in the second half while committing 10 turnovers.

"We started turning the ball over (in the third quarter)," coach Quin Snyder told the team's official website. "You can't shoot yourself in the foot like that. You don't really get a chance to defend when you're turning it over... We're looking at their backs when we turn it over."

Utah fell to 2-9 away from home and has averaged 87.8 points during a five-game road skid. Gordon Hayward, leading the team with 18.8 points per game, had 16 on 4-of-14 shooting against the Wizards. He is shooting 39.4 percent during the road skid after shooting 51.1 percent in Utah's first six road games. He scored 31 in the first meeting with New Orleans.

Second-leading scorer and leading rebounder Derrick Favors is questionable after sitting out Sunday with a sprained right ankle suffered in Friday's loss to Miami. Rudy Gobert had seven points and nine rebounds while making his first career start in place of Favors.

The Pelicans, who are 7-3 at home, have won six of eight in the series in New Orleans.