Davis long heave fires up Pelicans

NEW YORK – Anthony Davis’ fullcourt heave after the third quarter was too late to give him points, though it gave him that unstoppable feeling great players get.

“I kind of saw it, but I mean you never really make those,” Davis said of the shot he launched from just inside the opposite baseline. “So when it went in I just kind of felt like tonight was definitely my night.”

And thanks to his monster effort, it became the Pelicans’, too.

Davis scored a season-high 48 points and grabbed 17 rebounds, leading New Orleans back from 19 points down late in the third quarter to a 123-118 overtime victory over the New York Knicks on Sunday.

In other results, Miami routed Milwaukee, 97-79; Indiana clobbered Phoenix, 120-97; and Minnesota thumped Portland, 120-103.

Back in New York, Jrue Holiday added 31 points, and DeMarcus Cousins had 15 points, 16 rebounds, seven steals and five assists, for the Pelicans. They were down 16 after one, even further back late in the third and still down nine with 4 1/2 minutes left in regulation.

But they kept coming and Holiday had three baskets and a couple of free throws in OT to help them finish it off.

“I thought we did a great job in the overtime,” Pelicans coach Alvin Gentry said. “AD was just huge for us, and when you get into those zones like that he’s really good.”

Kristaps Porzingis and Tim Hardaway Jr. each scored 25 points for the Knicks, who lost their third straight and 10th in their last 12 games. Jarrett Jack had a season-high 22 points, and Enes Kanter finished with 18 points and 10 rebounds.