NEW ORLEANS _ The Nets were poised for a major upset of the Pelicans, but they blew a five-point lead in the final minute, committing three turnovers that helped fuel a 117-115 comeback win by the home team Friday night at Smoothie King Center. A turnover by D'Angelo Russell led to the game-winning basket by Jrue Holiday, and a turnover by Joe Harris on the ensuing inbounds pass sealed a collapse that looked like so many the Nets suffered last season.
Russell led the Nets (2-3) with 24 points, including 6-for-9 3-point shooting, Caris LeVert had 21, Shabazz Napier added 16, and Spencer Dinwiddie and Allen Crabbe each totaled 11. The Nets shot 47.5 percent from 3-point range (19-for-40). Holiday led the Pelicans (4-0) with 26 points, Anthony Davis had 18 points plus 14 rebounds and five blocked shots but was held to 6-for-19 shooting. Elfrid Payton added 17 points.
Napier scored the first seven Nets points of the final period as they pushed their lead to 98-93, but the Pelicans came back to tie it at 101 on a 3-pointer by E'Twaun Moore with 5:44 left. Russell responded instantly at the other end with his sixth 3-pointer of the game, and the Nets' lead reached 111-104 on a corner 3 by Jared Dudley with 3:31 remaining.
The Nets were exactly where they hoped to be _ in position to close out a huge early-season win _ and they entered the final minute with a five-point lead. But they had three straight empty possessions, including missed 3s by Russell and LeVert and a turnover by Jarrett Allen. The Pelicans drew within one on a pair of foul shots by Holiday with 21.9 seconds left.
Then came Russell's ill-fated pass intended for LeVert that went wildly into the first row of seats. That was followed by Holiday's 17-foot pull-up jumper that elated the crowd and then a technical foul on the Nets bench that led to a foul shot by Holiday. The nail in the coffin was one final turnover by Harris when Davis intercepted his inbounds attempt.
Coming off a win in Cleveland in which they held the Cavaliers to 86 points, the Nets knew they were facing a much more stern test against the Pelicans and All-Star center Davis. "It's the ultimate challenge," Nets coach Kenny Atkinson said before the game. "They're first in offensive efficiency. They're first in a lot of categories. It obviously starts with Anthony Davis, but they're surrounding him with shooters. Jrue Holiday is a real problem on both ends. We've got to keep them out of the paint. That's their main strength.
"Great challenge for our young group. How are we going to react after a good game in Cleveland? How are we going to handle a little success? It will be a good night to check it out."
The Nets did a good job in the first quarter limiting Davis and Nikola Mirotic to a combined six points and just four shot attempts, but Holiday scored 13 as the Pelicans took a 32-30 lead. Early in the second period, Dinwiddie came off the bench to lead a 17-6 surge in which he scored eight points as the Nets built a 47-38 advantage.
Davis heated up big-time in the second period when he scored nine points, but Russell was even better for the Nets. He hit a trio of 3s and scored 11 points in a 17-8 run that pushed the Nets' lead to a first-half high of 13 points before the Pelicans trimmed it to 66-57 at halftime.
The Nets regained a 12-point lead early in the third period when Russell hit his fifth straight shot from 3-point range, but a 17-5 Pelicans push that included six points from Payton tied the game at 76. The Pelicans finally gained a one-point lead on a 3 by Ian Clark with 2:03 left in the third, but a Dinwiddie right-wing 3-pointer at the buzzer put the Nets up 91-88 heading to the fourth quarter.
