Rondo records 25 assists to break Pelicans’ record
New Orleans guard hits mark in 30 minutes
NEW ORLEANS — Rajon Rondo set a franchise record with a career-high 25 assists in just 30 minutes, Anthony Davis had 33 points, 11 rebounds and six blocks, and the New Orleans Pelicans beat the Brooklyn Nets 128-113 on Wednesday night.
Demarcus Cousins had 27 points and 14 rebounds, and Jrue Holiday scored 23 points for the Pelicans, who’ve won three straight.
Currently sitting on the edge of the Western Conference playoff picture, the Pelicans entered their current three-game homestand looking to string together some victories against teams that have struggled on the road.
They got off to a solid start against Brooklyn, leading by as many as 16 in the first quarter, 23 in the second and 33 in the third.
The only drama in the latter stages of the fourth quarter was whether Rondo would eclipse franchise and career marks for assists. He broke Chris Paul’s mark with his 22nd assist and set a new personal best with his25th,thencametothebenchto a standing ovation and a congratulatory handshake from Gentry.
At Oklahoma City, Russell Westbrook had 30 points, 13 assists and eight rebounds and Oklahoma City won its sixth straight. Paul George scored 33 points for the Thunder, going 7 of 10 from 3-point range.
At Minneapolis, Jimmy Butler scored 12 of Minnesota’s 14 points in overtime and finished with a season-high 39 to lift the Timberwolves to their fifth straight victory.
At Sacramento, Calif., Vince Carter scored a season-high 24 points, and Sacramento handed Cleveland its second straight loss. The 40-year-old Carter shot 10 of 12 in 30 minutes.
At Oakland, Calif., Kevin Durant scored 21 points, Draymond Green flirted with his second straight triple-double and Golden State used another big third quarter to zoom past Utah.
Thunder 124, Raptors 107 — Timberwolves 128, Nuggets 125, OT — Kings 109, Cavaliers 95 — Warriors 126, Jazz 101 — Grizzlies 109, Lakers 99 —
At Los Angeles, Tyreke Evans scored 32 points and grabbed seven rebounds and Memphis handed Los Angeles its fourth straight loss. Jarell Martin added 20 points for the Grizzlies.
At Chicago, Kris Dunn scored 17 points, including two clutch free throws in the final seconds, and Chicago won for the ninth time in 11 games. New York managed just three points in the final 5½ minutes.
At Charlotte, N.C., Kyrie Irving scored 21 points, Al Horford had 20 points and 11 rebounds and Boston broke open a tight contest in the fourth quarter to win for the second time in five games.
At Atlanta, Dennis Schroder scored 21 points, Ersan Ilyasova added 20 and Atlanta won consecutive games for the first time this season. Marco Belinelli added 19 points for the Hawks.
At Indianapolis, Dirk Nowitzki scored 15 points, Harrison Barnes made the tiebreaking free throw with 37.7 seconds left and Dallas snapped an eight-game road losing streak.
Bulls 92, Knicks 87 — Celtics 102, Hornets 91 — Hawks 113, Wizards 99 — Mavericks 98, Pacers 94 —