New Orleans Pelicans forward Anthony Davis (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)
LOS ANGELES - Anthony Davis scored 45 points as the New Orleans Pelicans jolted the Boston Celtics 116-113 in an overtime thriller at the TD Garden on Tuesday.
Davis, who before the game had brushed off reports linking him to a move to Boston, gave the home fans a glimpse of what they might be missing as he turned in a virtuoso performance.
The 24-year-old power forward showed sensational form, also chipping in with 16 rebounds and two assists, as the Pelicans improved to 23-20 to rise to sixth place in the Western Conference standings.
It was the third consecutive 40-point game for Davis, who scored 48 against the New York Knicks on Sunday and 41 against Portland on Friday.
"I just go out there and try and lead my team to victory," Davis said. "It was a good win for us tonight."
Davis was backed with 23 points from Jrue Holiday while DeMarcus Cousins added 19. Ian Clark added 15 from the bench as the Pelicans held their nerve in overtime to close out the win.
The Celtics meanwhile remain firmly in charge at the top of the NBA's Eastern Conference at 34-11, but they saw a seven-game winning streak snapped with the loss.
Kyrie Irving led the scoring for Boston with 27 points but the Celtics were left ruing an inability to close out the win after leading 101-96 with two minutes left in the fourth quarter.
Elsewhere Tuesday, Evan Fournier starred for the Orlando Magic in a 108-102 upset of the Minnesota Timberwolves in Florida.
The Magic went into the contest languishing at the foot of the Eastern Conference with the worst record in the division.
But a career-high scoring display from France's Fournier, who finished with 32 points, helped the Magic stun the Timberwolves, who have the third best record in the Western Conference at 29-17.
D.J Augustin posted 18 points from the bench on a night when six Magic players cracked double digits.
Aaaron Gordon had 14 points while Bismack Biyombo produced a towering defensive display with 10 points, 16 rebounds and five blocks.
"It feels good, especially against a very good team," Fournier said of his display. "They were playing really well before us. It's a good win. Defensively we did the job."
Jimmy Butler led the scoring for the Timberwolves with 28 points while Taj Gibson chipped in with 18 points and Karl-Anthony Towns 15.
Today's NBA results:
- Orlando 108, Minnesota 102
- New Orleans 116, Boston 113, OT
- Denver 105, Dallas 102