The host New Orleans Pelicans blew out the visiting Minnesota Timberwolves, 117 - 96, at Smoothie King Center on Wednesday. New Orleans (6 - 10) has now won five of its last six contests, turning things around completely after starting the season with eight straight losses. The win comes on the second half of a back - to - back after the Pelicans blew out the Atlanta Hawks, largely without star big man Anthony Davis on the floor. Davis was back in full force on Wednesday, however, contributing 45 points and 10 rebounds while holding opposing big man Karl-Anthony Towns to just nine points. Davis is now one of only two players in the NBA averaging over 30 points per game, and he edged closer to league leader Russell Westbrook with Tuesday's scoring outburst. The return of former All-Star point guard Jrue Holiday has also energized the Pelicans on their win streak. Holiday scored only seven points in Tuesday's win, but led the offense effectively, dishing out eight assists. Minnesota (4 - 10), meanwhile, has now lost three contests in a row. After receiving offseason hype, the Timberwolves have turned out a fairly slow start to the 2016 - 17 campaign. Although the team has struggled, youngsters Zach LaVine, Andrew Wiggins, and Towns have shown signs of progress. LaVine demonstrated that progress by leading the Wolves with 26 points in New Orleans. Wiggins and Towns, meanwhile, had off nights, posting 13 and nine respectively. The Pelicans will play in Portland on Friday, while the Timberwolves will travel to Oracle Arena on Saturday to face the surging Golden State Warriors.
["PlayerStat(G,'Andrew Wiggins') has 9 Assists ,has 13 Blocks ."
 "PlayerStat(G,'Karl-Anthony Towns') has 2 Assists ,has 1 Blocks ,has 9 3-pointers made ,has 1 Free throws made ."
 "PlayerStat(G,'Zach LaVine') has 26 Assists ."
 "PlayerStat(G,'Anthony Davis') has 1 Assists ,has 2 Blocks ,has 1 3-pointers made ,has 1 Free throws made ,has 45 Offensive rebounds ,has 10 Personal fouls ,has 2 Points ."
 "PlayerStat(G,'Jrue Holiday') has 8 Assists ,has 7 Blocks ."]