Anthony Davis matched his career-high in points with 43 to lead the New Orleans Pelicans to an exciting 114-103 road victory over the Milwaukee Bucks on Monday night.

As the Bucks took a 101-100 lead with 3:35 left in the 4th quarter, Davis would not be denied, scoring the next 8 points in the game, doing everything in his power to will his club to a win.

"I wasn’t trying to lose tonight," said Davis after the win. "That was my mindset. Especially when Tyreke went down. I know guys lean on me more and I try to make sure we don't lose or let the lead get away."

Unfortunately for New Orleans, the injury bug bit again as guard Tyreke Evans left with 1:23 left in the third quarter after twisting his ankle and being helped off the court.

When he did, the Bucks were finishing off a 34 point third quarter, capturing momentum in the contest. However, Davis and his teammates would not be denied.

"Everybody played well for us," said Davis of his team. "We know Tyreke is a big part of this team and he went down so we kind of felt down but coach (Williams) told us to get our heads up and for guys to step up. They did that tonight."

With Evans out, Norris Cole played point guard for the remainder of the game. In addition to his top notch defense, Cole implemented quick ball movement on offense while hitting several clutch shots in the 4th quarter.

"We've got a lot of chemistry," said Davis of Cole. "He's a two-time NBA champion and has been through all kinds of situations...he knows what he's doing."

Cole finished with 11 points, 4 assists and 1 steal off the bench. Eric Gordon chipped in 16 for the Pelicans, including a 3-4 night from beyond the arc.

Evans finished with 13 points and 6 assists before twisting his ankle. His current injury status is unknown at this time.

New Orleans has a quick turnaround, playing a rested Brooklyn Nets team on the road Tuesday night. Tip-off is set for 6:30.

With the victory, the Pelicans improve to 35-29, surpassing their win total from a season ago, and pulling within a half game of the Oklahoma City Thunder for 8th place in the Western Conference.

 

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