"It was a hard turnaround, I'm not going to dispute that," Thunder coach Billy Donovan said. "But I think every NBA team has to deal with it."
Westbrook approached a triple-double in the first half with nine points, nine assists and seven rebounds to help the Thunder take a 58-54 lead at the break.
The Pelicans seized momentum early in the third quarter. New Orleans led 97-89 in the fourth when Westbrook checked back in after a rest.
Westbrook made a 3-pointer with just under two minutes remaining to cut New Orleans' lead to seven, but Davis hit a 3-pointer at the other end, then made another shortly after that to put the game out of reach.
TIP-INS
Pelicans: Gentry was called for a technical foul in the second quarter. ... Gentry said during his pregame media session that Cousins had been putting up MVP-type numbers. Cousins averaged 25.2 points, 12.9 rebounds and 5.4 assists per game before his injury.
Thunder: Adams scored 13 points on 6-for-9 shooting in the first half. ... Adams reached 3,000 career points. He joined Kevin Durant and Serge Ibaka as the only Thunder players with at least 3,000 career points and 350 career blocks. ... G Raymond Felton was called for a technical foul in the fourth quarter. ... G Terrance Ferguson was ill and played just 11 minutes.
STAT LINES
Westbrook nearly added another double-figure statistic to his line — he had nine turnovers. The Thunder had 16 turnovers as a team.
QUOTABLE
Gentry, on Davis setting the record: "I don't think that is much of a surprise to anyone. It was just a matter of time."
MISSING ANDRE
The Thunder have struggled to stop opponents since Andre Roberson, a second-team All-Defence selection last season, suffered a season-ending left patellar tendon injury. They won their first game without him against Philadelphia but followed that with three rough outings. Oklahoma City lost to Washington, which was playing without All-Star John Wall, then gave up 127 points in a loss to Denver before losing to the Pelicans.
UP NEXT
Pelicans play at the Minnesota Timberwolves on Saturday.
Thunder host the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday.
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Follow Cliff Brunt on Twitter: www.twitter.com/CliffBruntAP
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More NBA basketball: https://apnews.com/tag/NBAbasketball
By Cliff Brunt, The Associated Press