Heat nearly squander 31-point lead, hold off Pelicans

MIAMI _ This is why the Miami Heat can't have nice things.

Give them spiffy new Vice Nights jerseys and they lose all six games they wear them before an unscheduled move back Friday night to more staid basic red attire.

Give them a 31-point second-quarter lead and the seemingly easiest night of the season turns into something far different.

The attire was simple this time, the path to victory was not, with the Heat holding on for a 106-101 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans at AmericanAirlines Arena despite 41 points from Anthony Davis.

With the Heat's largest lead of the season trimmed to four early in the fourth quarter, it took late 3-pointers from Dwyane Wade, Kelly Olynyk and Wayne Ellington and addition support for the Heat hold on and snap a six-game home losing streak.

Josh Richardson led the Heat with 20 points, supported by 18 points from Wade and 13 Olynyk.

Davis was supported by 21 points from Pelicans guard Jrue Holiday.

The Pelicans again moved within four with 1:34 to play, at 101-97, before Wade converted a driving layup for a 103-97 advantage.

That's when the Pelicans drew within three on a Holiday three-point play with 1:12 remaining.

Wade then was off with a 3-point attempt with 59 seconds to play, but Nikola Mirotic countered with a missed 3-pointer on the other end.

A driving layup by Richardson with 26.1 second to play moved the Heat back to a 105-100 edge, with the Heat holding on from there.