HOOPSWORLD | Basketball News & NBA Rumors

Anthony Davis had 34 points and 11 rebounds as the New Orleans Pelicans overcame a slow start and routed the shorthanded Boston Celtics 108-89 on Sunday at Smoothie King Center in New Orleans.

The Pelicans, playing the second half of a back-to-back, started slowly but outscored the Celtics 61-40 in the second half.

Cheick Diallo added a season-high 17 points, Nikola Mirotic had 16 points and 10 rebounds and E'Twaun Moore scored 11 for the Pelicans, who had lost four of their previous five games and dropped to eighth place in the Western Conference.

Pelicans forward Solomon Hill made his season debut and played eight minutes. He had been sidelined due to surgery to repair a torn hamstring last August.

Five Celtics were sidelined by injury, including Kyrie Irving, who missed his third straight game because of left knee soreness, and Marcus Smart, who missed his third straight game because of a sprained right thumb.

Jayson Tatum scored 23 points, Marcus Morris added 17, Terry Rozier had 13 and Greg Monroe 12 for Boston.

The Pelicans shot 50 percent (41 of 82) from the floor, and the Celtics shot 40.2 percent (35 of 87).

The Celtics led by two at halftime, but the Pelicans started the third quarter with an 11-3 run to take a 58-52 lead.

New Orleans took its biggest lead, 76-65, before Shane Larkin made a 3-pointer that started a run to bring Boston within 82-76 after three quarters.

Six different Pelicans scored two points each and the Celtics managed just a 3-pointer by Semi Ojeleye as New Orleans opened a 94-79 lead.

Morris made a jumper for the Celtics' second basket in 5 1/2 minutes, but Moore made a 3-pointer and Davis had a layup to help New Orleans build a 101-81 lead.

Boston scored the first eight points of the game and Morris finished with 11 as the Celtics held a 28-20 lead after the first quarter.

Diallo came off the bench to score 10 points and Davis had nine as New Orleans closed within 49-47 at halftime.

--Field Level Media