Davis has concussion, but Hornets top Jazz
NEW ORLEANS -- With rookie sensation Anthony Davis in the locker room nursing a possible concussion, Greivis Vasquez turned the corner from the top of the key for a driving layup with 1.3 seconds left to lift the New Orleans Hornets to an 88-86 victory over the Utah Jazz Friday night.
Vasquez's layup, which evened the Hornets' record at 1-1, came after Paul Millsap nailed a 3-pointer from the right baseline to tie the game, 86-86, with 7.1 seconds left.
"We were just trying to switch everything and he just turned around and hit a tough shot," Utah forward Gordon Hayward said.
Vasquez, who scored 13 points and had 10 assists, said, "I was just focused and I hit a huge shot. It was my first huge shot of my NBA career."
With 4:51 left in the second quarter, Davis, the No. 1 overall pick in the NBA draft, apparently took an accidental elbow to the temple from teammate Austin Rivers. Davis shook his head and walked toward the bench, and Hornets Coach Monty Williams had him sit for the rest of the quarter.
Davis never came out of the locker room after halftime, and the Hornets announced after the game he suffered a mild concussion and will undergo further tests Saturday. Davis scored eight points, grabbed six rebounds and blocked two shots. He will not travel with the Hornets to Chicago -- his hometown -- for Saturday's game against the Bulls
Ryan Anderson started for Davis in the second half and finished with 19 points, including a critical 3-pointer with 32.7 seconds left to put New Orleans up 84-83. Anderson ran around a baseline screen and was wide open.
"It was a great play," Anderson said. "Roger (Mason) did a great job sealing his man, and I just cleaned up and had a wide-open look. Those are the ones when you're sitting in your driveway when you're in junior high and counting the clock down and you make a 3. It's a great feeling."
Mason added two free throws to widen the New Orleans lead to 86-83, but Millsap's three-pointer knotted the game again -- the 10th tie of the game -- setting up Vasquez's driving layup.
Jazz Coach Tyrone Corbin said it looked as though point guard Mo Williams fell to the ground while trying to switch on the drive by Vasquez.
"Vasquez turned the corner and made a tough shot," Corbin said.
The Jazz (1-1) had one last chance to tie or win the game, but Williams, who had 16 points, missed a three-pointer.
The Hornets also got 19 points from center Robin Lopez, including 15 in the second half, and 15 points from Al-Farouq Aminu. Lopez had eight fourth-quarter points and four rebounds.
"I just went out there and tried to play defensively and get my game jump-started," Lopez said. "We did a really good job of executing, especially down the stretch. That will put some balls in the bucket."
Randy Foye scored 11 of his 20 points in the fourth quarter, including three 3-pointers, to keep the Jazz within range.
Notes: Williams said he heard the report that Hornets shooting guard Eric Gordon told Yahoo! Sports he would be out four to six weeks with a right knee injury, but he has not confirmed that with doctors. Gordon, who signed a four-year, $58 million guaranteed deal in the offseason, was in Chicago Friday having his lingering knee injury checked out by doctors. "We're still processing information," Williams said. "We haven't talked to any doctors. We certainly haven't talked to our doctors on a day when we're getting ready for a game." Williams added, "I'd love for this to be over and for Eric to be healthy and playing, but that's not what we have right now."... Williams said there was no "pressing need" to bring in another scorer in Gordon's absence, but he added, "Obviously, you miss the 20 points that Eric brings to the table, but at the same time, guys got to step up." Gordon played in just nine games last season and had arthroscopic knee surgery in February. It is unclear whether Gordon needs additional surgery... Corbin said he is impressed with Davis' versatility. "He could step outside and hit shots, he could put the ball on the floor some. I think he moves on the floor pretty fluidly for a big guy. The way he can move as a big guy is pretty special."
