Pelicans lose to Hornets despite Holiday's season-high 38 points

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) -- Kemba Walker scored 35 points, and the Charlotte Hornets held off the New Orleans Pelicans 122-113 on Wednesday night for their 11th win in the last 13 games.

Walker shot 9 of 18 from the field and had five 3-pointers for his fourth-straight 30-point game. He also added seven assists and seven rebounds for Charlotte (35-28), which has won five straight during its recent playoff push.

Courtney Lee had 16 points and Nicolas Batum added 15 as all five Charlotte starters reached double figures in scoring midway through the third quarter.

Anthony Davis had 40 points and 13 rebounds, and Jure Holiday scored a season-high 38 points as the injury-plagued Pelicans fell to 7-24 on the road this season.

The sizzling Walker came in averaging 30.8 points, 6.8 assists and 5.5 rebounds during the previous four games.

The 6-foot-1 point guard continued that momentum early, scoring 14 points on 5-of-8 shooting in the first quarter as the Hornets opened a 39-28 lead. Walker hit three 3s in the opening quarter and the Hornets were 8 of 11 as a team from beyond the arc.

The Hornets led by 17 in the first half but the Pelicans battled back to cut the lead to one midway through the third quarter behind Holiday and Davis, who seemed at times to score at will against Cody Zeller.

It was close from there out.

New Orleans finally pulled even with 3:17 left in the game when Toney Douglas knocked down a 3-pointer from the right wing.

But the Pelicans could never get the lead.

Walker answered with an 18-foot jumper to give the Hornets the lead for good at 111-109.

After Davis missed a 3-pointer, Walker hit four free throws to push the lead to six with 1:35 left in the game.

After a miss by Holiday, Zeller added two more free throws.

New Orleans cut the lead to six, but Walker put away the game by knocking down a 3-pointer from the top of the key to beat the shot clock with 26 seconds left.

TIP-INS

Pelicans: With Norris Cole out with a lower back injury, New Orleans started D-League call-up Orlando Johnson at guard.

Hornets: Charlotte's 39 points in the first quarter were a season high. ... Lee's 16 points on 4-of-5 shooting from beyond the arc marked his first double-digit scoring outing since being acquired by the Hornets in a trade. ... Walker notched his 500th career 3-pointer in the first quarter.

UP NEXT

Pelicans: Visit Memphis on Friday night.

Hornets: Host Detroit on Friday night.