NEW ORLEANS -- Victories of any kind have been difficult to come by for the New Orleans Pelicans this season, but the tears in the eyes of coach Alvin Gentry -- as well as his uncontrollable sobs -- told a raw story of a team in collective grief.

The Pelicans defeated the Utah Jazz 100-96 on Wednesday at the Smoothie King Center, snapping Utah's seven-game winning streak, but to a man they were devastated by news of the death of Ingrid Williams, the 44-year-old wife of former Pelicans coach Monty Williams, who died Wednesday following an automobile accident in Oklahoma City on Tuesday.

Ingrid Williams left behind five children, ranging in age from 5 to 17. Monty Williams, fired by the Pelicans last year after five seasons and a first-round exit in the playoffs, is an assistant coach with the Thunder.

The Pelicans travel to Oklahoma City on Thursday for their final game before the All-Star break.

"It's really, really tough," said Gentry, who replaced Williams in the offseason. "Anybody that knows Monty and his family knows the high character and class that they (have). To lose a wife and mother, when you have five kids, is such a tragic thing. Our hearts go out to his whole family."

Gentry said the team prayed for the Williams family before the game.

"We talked about it before the game," Gentry said. "We said a prayer together. It's just really, really tough. When you know a guy like Monty and what he's all about, then you realize that's just a basketball game, that's all it is. ... I'm sorry."

It was so emotional in the Pelicans' locker room that forward Anthony Davis, who came into the league and developed a close bond under Williams' tutelage, asked reporters not to ask him any questions about Ingrid Williams. It was too early for that, he said.

Davis shook off a woeful offensive start by hitting a rolling left-handed hook in the lane and a 3-pointer from the right wing in the final minute to lift the Pelicans (20-32) to the win, breaking open a game that had 19 ties and 14 lead changes. After missing 7 of his first 8 shots, Davis finished by making 6 of his last 7 and scoring 16 of his 19 points in the second half.

Davis' teammates couldn't stop remembering the coach's wife who always had her husband's back.

"It's kind of unbelievable," said gurd Jrue Holiday, who scored a team-high 21 points and added nine assists and six rebounds. "When you hear the news, words can't really describe how you feel. I feel for the family. I know that I'm praying for him and his kids and his family, but, man, I don't know. I guess I just keep thinking about my wife. I'm just praying for him."

Holiday said he found out about her death from forward Ryan Anderson after a pre-game shooting workout. Anderson, who also was extremely close to Williams, was not available in the locker room after the game.

"We came back in (from warm-ups) and Ryan looked a little weird," Holiday said. "I asked him if he was OK, and he told me. I didn't believe it. I actually came in here and asked five different people if the news was true. It hurts.

"The players who were here with Monty and his family definitely felt it. Obviously, we're blessed to play this game of basketball, but family comes before that. I know most of the guys just keep on thinking about our families, his family."

Holiday said Ingrid Williams was a "sweetheart."

"She's one of the sweetest ladies that I've ever met," Holiday said. "She was definitely a warrior. She was a writer. She had five kids. I mean, hopefully I get there one day where I have five kids and my beautiful wife will be able to handle them in the same way she did. I feel like they stuck to her like glue and trailed behind her. I know she loved him and he loved her, and you can't really put a price on that."

Davis' hook in the lane put New Orleans up 94-92 with 58 seconds left. After Utah forward Derrick Favors hit one of two free throws to cut the deficit to 94-93 with 47.1 seconds left, Davis, who finished with 19 points, nailed a 3-point jumper from the right wing with 35.7 seconds remaining. That put New Orleans up 97-93.

Utah was led by Favors, who scored 20 of his game-high 29 points in the first half, and Hayward, who added 21. Playing one night after they defeated Dallas 121-119 in overtime, the Jazz seemed to run out gas in a 29-19 fourth quarter.

"I think obviously last night took something out of us," Utah coach Quin Snyder said. "New Orleans did a great job. I thought they were just a little more focused, a little more urgent."

NOTES: Guard Eric Gordon said Ingrid Williams' death "was about the worst news you could possibly hear. I know what type of guy Monty is. He's close to his family. He's got five kids. When you lose your mom, man, there's nothing harder than that." ... New Orleans coach Alvin Gentry said the looming All-Star break brings the Pelicans' 1-11 start into sharper focus. New Orleans' record has never been better than seven games below .500. "It's difficult in that we never had our team together," Gentry said. "We never had the guys we anticipated playing with. We have to continue to fight and battle and play as hard as we can ... and then we'll have to accept the results." ... Utah coach Quin Snyder said F Chris Johnson, who grabbed seven rebounds in 22 minutes against Dallas, is starting to find himself in his fourth season. "Sometimes you just need opportunity," Snyder said. "Chris has pounded his way in. It's hard not to trust a guy who plays as hard as he does." ... Asked about Dallas coach Rick Carlisle's comments that Utah is the NBA's team of the future, Snyder said, "It's nice. It's not true."