NEW ORLEANS -- As the NBA pendulum swings -- moving from goat to hero -- life can change in a flash, even in the two minutes and 10 seconds between the third and fourth quarters.

The New Orleans Pelicans allowed the Philadelphia 76ers to score 40 third-quarter points and frittered away an 11-point halftime lead on Sunday night at the Smoothie King Center. However, guard Jrue Holiday torched the 76ers with 19 of New Orleans' 44 fourth-quarter points, powering the Pelicans to a 131-124 victory.

"We played well in the fourth quarter, (but) we didn't do a very good job in the third quarter," New Orleans coach Alvin Gentry said. "We gave up 40 (in the third) and scored 44 (in the fourth), so that's not exactly how we'd like to have it happen, but we'll take any win we can get. It's really, really good for (Holiday). And I think our guys see that now, and they try to make sure he has the ball in his hands."

Holiday made five 3-pointers in the fourth quarter and finished with a season high-tying 34 points. The Pelicans added three more 3-pointers to hand Philadelphia (13-13) its fifth loss in six games.

New Orleans (14-13) shot 76 percent from the floor (16 of 21) and made 8 of 10 3-point tries in the final period, in part because point guard Rajon Rondo pushed the pace and made decisive plays with the ball in hands.

"I guess it was just my turn at that time," Holiday said. "Obviously, we were down, and I was having a rough game passing the ball, so when the starters came back in, I just had the hot hand. I was chasing it a little bit."

Rondo recorded 18 assists -- the most for any player in the NBA this season. Six of them came in the final 12 minutes. He added 13 points.

"That's amazing stuff he can do with the ball," said New Orleans' Anthony Davis, who scored 29 points. "He draws so much attention. He's able to pass the ball to players in wide-open situations. It's good to have him back on the floor."

The Pelicans blew a 66-55 halftime lead by allowing Philadelphia a 40-21 third quarter, and they trailed 103-96 with 9:48 left.

Over the next 2:40, New Orleans outscored Philadelphia 18-4, with Holiday scoring 11 points, to take a 114-107 lead.

Pelicans center DeMarcus Cousins finished with 23 points and eight rebounds. Cousins was on the bench in the fourth quarter when Gentry tried to put him back in the game, but he told the coach not to mess with the effort he was seeing on the court.

"He wanted me to go in and give AD a break, but we were kind of going on a run and I said, 'Coach, let 'em roll. Let this group finish it out,'" Cousins said. "They did a great job pushing the pace and pushing the lead. I just appreciate Coach listening to me."

The Sixers, playing without center Joel Embiid, who was a late scratch due to back tightness, were led by guard J.J. Redick's 28 points and Ben Simmons' 27 points and 10 assists. Dario Saric contributed 13 points and 11 rebounds.

Philadelphia also was missing T.J. McConnell (sprained AC joint) and Robert Covington (bruised back).

"Closing games out on the road is always difficult, and it's especially difficult with DeMarcus Cousins and Anthony Davis and Jrue Holiday," Sixers coach Brett Brown said.

Simmons said, "We have to be more consistent and make the right plays every time. When we make mistakes and do not have guys like Joel and Cov to make up for it, it gets tough. We have to just come together as a team and get through it."

Brown said Embiid was preparing to play but felt his back tighten up in pregame warmups. The big man missed his fifth game of the season.

"We learned right as we were getting ready to watch film that he would not be able to play," Brown said.

NOTES: Sixers F Robert Covington bruised his lower back against a pointed, metal section of a sideline chair in the closing seconds of Philadelphia's Saturday night loss at Cleveland. "He's hurting," coach Brett Brown said. "My suspicion is he will be out the next two games." ... Brown said 6-foot-10 Ben Simmons, who played his only year of college ball at LSU, 80 miles north of New Orleans, has exceeded his expectations as a point forward. "He's been a four-man his whole life, we decided to make him a point guard," Brown said. "It's the hardest position to play in the NBA, let alone for a rookie, let alone for somebody that was a college four-man. To his credit, he's embraced the position." ... Pelicans PG Rajon Rondo returned to the starting lineup after a one-game rest.