Clippers 123, Pelicans 110

NEW ORLEANS — Guard Jamal Crawford scored 24 points, including seven 3-pointers, and forward Blake Griffin scored 11 of his 22 points in the third quarter to lift the Los Angeles Clippers to a 123-110 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans Monday night at the Smoothie King Center.

In winning for the seventh time in eight games, the Clippers (39-20) also got 14 points and 16 rebounds from center DeAndre Jordan and 19 points and 13 assists from point guard Chris Paul. The Clippers made 16 of 28 from 3-point range, the most 3-pointers allowed by the Pelicans this season.

The victory allowed the Clippers to move above .500 on the road (16-15). It was the 11th time this season the Clippers have scored at least 120 points.

Forward Anthony Davis had a game-high 26 points and 11 rebounds for the Pelicans (23-33), who lost for the sixth time in seven games. Center Alexis Ajinca added a career-high 19 points for the Pelicans.

Griffin took control with 11 third-quarter points. On consecutive possessions, Griffin posted Davis down low and bulled his way in for layups, drawing a pair of fouls on Davis. When Griffin jammed home a dunk off an alley-oop feed from Paul, who had stolen the ball on the other end and finished off the fast break for a 76-58 lead.

Griffin’s dunk also culminated a 12-0 Clippers’ run in which New Orleans went nearly four minutes without scoring.

In taking a 61-53 halftime lead, the Clippers shot 54 percent from the field (23 of 43), and it was easy to see why. Six of Jordan’s seven first-half field goals were dunks, and the other was a rebound layup. Crawford was 7-for-9 from the floor for 14 points, and he grabbed nine rebounds.

Griffin, meanwhile, was also a force inside with 12 points, accounting for a pair of dunks, including a tomahawk jam off a perfect feed from Paul that gave Los Angeles a 54-39 lead late in the second quarter. Crawford added three long-range jumpers, including a four-point play, to finish within nine points in the half. The Clippers made eight of 15 from 3-point range.

Despite shooting just 39 percent in the first half, the Pelicans stayed within striking distance by hitting 15 of 20 foul shots. Davis led the way with 15 points — on seven of eight from the foul line — and grabbed seven rebounds to keep New Orleans in the game.

NOTES: Newly acquired Clippers F Glen Davis, who took a buyout from the Orlando Magic, said he was courted both by his former Celtics teammates — current Brooklyn F Kevin Garnett and G Paul Pierce — and by Clippers coach Doc Rivers, who coached Boston to the 2008 NBA title. Davis said it was a tough call. “When you have family on both sides of the field it is hard, because you’ve won a championship with both guys,” Davis said. “I really just felt the Clippers were heading in the right direction. They’re young, they’ve got a great coach, a great point guard, a great rising star like Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan and guys you can build around. I feel I’m one of those type of guys (who is) a ‘glue’ guy.” … Rivers said of Davis: “I’m sure my previous relationship with him helped make his decision.” … New Orleans coach Monty Williams said PG Jrue Holiday, who has missed the past 21 games with a stress fracture in his right tibia, was not close to returning.