Clippers (25-24), Pelicans (27-22)
Playing without DeMarcus Cousins for the first time all season Sunday, New Orleans found enough sources of offense to compensate for the All-Star’s absence. But only for one half.
The Pelicans used a balanced attack to take a 62-51 lead at intermission, then ran into a major scoring drought. New Orleans only managed 15 points in the third quarter, a dry spell that continued for much of the final period as well. As a result, Los Angeles managed to wipe out a 21-point first-half deficit, en route to a road victory that further tightened the Western Conference playoff chase.