NEW ORLEANS -- After absorbing a blow to the throat that sidelined him for half the game, All-Star forward Anthony Davis led five players in double figures with a team-high 19 points and nine rebounds as the New Orleans Pelicans defeated the Phoenix Suns 90-75 Friday night at the Smoothie King Center.

The victory allowed the Pelicans (43-36) to remain in the eighth playoff position in the Western Conference with three games left. Even though Oklahoma City defeated Sacramento to improve its record to 43-36, the Pelicans hold the playoff tiebreaker against the Thunder based on a 3-1 regular series edge.

Davis took an inadvertent elbow to the throat from forward Earl Barrow as he sized up a lob pass under the basket 15 seconds into the second quarter. Davis fell to the ground, got up after being examined by the Pelicans' medical staff, only to fall to his knees again as he walked into the tunnel toward the locker room.

Before his injury, Davis led the Pelicans with 13 first-half points on 4-of-6 shooting from the field and 5 of 7 free throws.

Even playing without Davis in the middle two quarters, the Pelicans pressed their advantage on the boards. Center Omer Asik picked up his season-high 18th rebound late in the third quarter as New Orleans took a 64-60 lead.

The Pelicans scored the final six points of the third quarter to build a 70-60 advantage and that's when Davis walked back out of the tunnel to a standing ovation.

New Orleans built its biggest lead, 80-64, when Dante Cunningham made a 17-footer from the right baseline after taking a feed from guard Norris Cole.

The Pelicans also were paced by guard Eric Gordon with 15 points, Tyreke Evans with 14, and 12 points each from forward Dante Cunningham and Cole.

The Suns (39-41) were led by guard Eric Bledsoe with 19 points.

The Pelicans led 22-21 late in the first quarter before going on a 22-12 surge over the next 9:40. New Orleans got a boost from point guard Jrue Holiday, who played for the first time in 2 1/2 months and had two points and two assists in six minutes.

The Pelicans held a decisive 29-19 edge on the boards, but Phoenix stayed within reach, 47-41, on Eric Bledsoe's nine points.

NOTES: Pelicans PG Jrue Holiday, sidelined since Jan. 21 with a stress reaction in his lower right leg, returned to the lineup in a reserve role. Holiday averaged 15.2 points and 7.1 assists in 37 games. "He's a guy who's worked his butt off to get to this point," Williams said. "He means so much to our team. You have to take it slow. Jrue's a guy who's played 35-plus minutes a night. We're not going to do that, but there's a slot where he can play. We'll have to take it game by game and make sure he feels good after every game." ... Williams said his team was ready to push for the playoffs the last three games. "The moment is not too big for our team because most of our guys don't understand the moment," Williams said, laughing. "They have the normal nerves that you have before every game and every shoot-around, but make no mistake, our guys want it."