NEW ORLEANS -- In many ways, New Orleans Pelicans forward Anthony Davis gets paid for stepping up in the game's final 60 seconds. On Friday night against the Charlotte Hornets, Davis did more than step up. He soared.

With the score tied at 107, Davis leaped high for a soft alley-oop feed from guard Jrue Holiday to slam home the game-winning basket with two seconds remaining and lift the Pelicans (13-26) to a 109-107 victory over the Hornets (18-21) at the Smoothie King Center.

Davis finished with 22 points, 15 in the second half, and forward Ryan Anderson scored 21 of his season-high 32 points on 6-of-8 shooting from 3-point range.

On the decisive play, both Davis and Anderson came up high to screen for Holiday, who was working the clock down from 19.2 seconds against the smaller Kemba Walker. Holiday was able to get a step on Walker and penetrate into the lane.

"We wanted to run (the play) at six seconds to give them less time to get a (final) possession," Davis said. "Jrue just made a great play. I was supposed to roll to the basket when Jrue came off (the screen), and Ryan was supposed to pop. They had been helping on me all night and leaving Ryan open, and he was making them pay. They probably thought we were going to go to Ryan. Coach drew it up well, and we executed."

Hornets coach Steve Clifford said Davis' dunk was the result of a botched defensive assignment.

"It was a blown coverage," said Clifford, whose team lost its eighth consecutive road game. "That's all it is. It's a pretty simple pick-and-roll play. He's a great roller. That was a big emphasis at shoot-around. We just blew the coverage.

Then, with the Hornets down to their last possession, Davis used his leaping ability and incredible wingspan to tip away Frank Kaminsky's first attempt at an inbounds pass. The Hornets got another chance, but since New Orleans had a foul to give, Holiday held guard Jeremy Lin near the basket as soon as he took the pass from Kaminsky.

On the third try with 1.2 seconds left, Kaminsky threw the ball to forward Nicolas Batum in the left corner, but his crowded 3-point heave at the buzzer failed to go down.

"I was just trying to look to see where (Kaminsky) was directing the ball," Davis said. "I knew at that point in the game he wasn't going to make a no-look pass. I looked at his eyes, and I trusted my teammates. I was just trying to make it a tough pass. I didn't want him getting no easy looks."

The Pelicans seemed to take control by outscoring Charlotte 11-5 to start the fourth for a 95-86 lead, but the Hornets responded with a 10-0 run, with eight coming from Kaminsky, to retake the lead, 96-95 with 5:59 left. Neither team led by more than three points down the stretch.

Pelicans coach Alvin Gentry said he had a difficult time putting Anderson back in the game in the closing minute because the Hornets went to a four-guard lineup. But Anderson was on the floor in the final 19 seconds.

"We tried to run a high screen and roll, rolling Anthony hard, with the understanding that they probably were not going to leave Ryan and that would probably put (Davis) on a smaller guard on the weak side," Gentry said. "It worked out good. Jrue did a good job."

Gentry said the foul by Holiday against Lin inside the final two seconds did not merit a shooting foul.

"When (Lin) started on the cut, the ball was in the air, and Jrue did a good job of fouling him," Gentry said. "It wasn't a two-shot foul."

After making 16 of 33 3-point attempts in a 109-97 victory over Sacramento on Sunday night, the Pelicans made 12 of 27 from long range against the Hornets.

"We did a good job of spreading the floor," Gentry said.

The Hornets got 25 points each from Batum and Walker.

"They hurt us on the offensive glass (an 8-3 edge) and beat us to the 50-50 balls," Walker said. "You can't be outworked and expect to win a basketball game."

NOTES: The Pelicans had 29 assists on 43 made baskets, one assist short of their season high. ... With the Pelicans' chances of making the playoffs growing more remote with each loss, GM Del Demps broke his silence Friday and said the team was investigating possible trades. "We will do what's needed to get this team on track," Demps said. "Obviously we have dug ourselves a deep hole and it's going to be tough for us to fight back into it this year but we're always looking for the long term as well as the short term. We haven't given up on the season. ... We've got to do something that makes sense. We can't just make a trade to make a trade. We just can't get rid of a guy and bring back lesser talent or is going to make the team deficient." ... Hornets coach Steve Clifford is pleased with C Cody Zeller's "energy level. He's continuing to learn how to use his speed and quickness."