NEW ORLEANS -- The New Orleans Pelicans have made a recent habit of playing roller-coaster basketball, saving their most exhilarating moments for the best teams on their schedule.

Four nights after crushing the defending world-champion Cleveland Cavaliers, the Pelicans (19-28) did it again by routing the San Antonio Spurs 119-103 on Friday at the Smoothie King Center.

The Pelicans pounded the 36-10 Spurs, who had won five consecutive games, 71-46 in the second half, prompting San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich to wave the white flag and empty his bench with 3:34 left.

"We just ran out of gas," Popovich said.

The Pelicans had lost five consecutive games to San Antonio, but they moved the ball with the pace that coach Alvin Gentry has been looking for all season.

Jrue Holiday scored a team-high 23 points and had 11 assists, and Anthony Davis scored 16 points and grabbed 22 rebounds, tying his career high on the boards. Forward Terrence Jones also came off the bench to contribute 21 points and seven rebounds.

But perhaps the most important spark to the Pelicans' resurgent play was reserve center Donatas Motiejunas, who scored 10 points and had seven rebounds and four assists in 22 minutes. The 7-footer from Lithuania, picked up a month ago, said he grew up watching the Spurs pass the ball around and giving up a good shot for a great shot, and that's what he has tried to do since coming to New Orleans.

"It's the same style that the coach (Gentry) is demanding them to play, and I'm helping him escalate it to a different level," Motiejunas said. "That's why I'm here.

"The system is the same I played with coach (Kevin) McHale over there (in Houston). They gave me a lot of freedom over the top and they know I'm going to make the right pass every time if the guy's open coming off the pick. They trust me, and I usually don't disappoint."

Davis said it has taken him some time to prepare himself for Motiejunas' deft passing skills.

"He did a great job moving the basketball," Davis said. "He can shoot it. He can score in the paint. We really rely on him a lot. He can read the defense well and make the right plays. The pass he threw to me (for a dunk in the first half), I don't know how I caught it."

The victory ended San Antonio's streak of five consecutive victories over the Pelicans. The Pelicans' 119 points were the most allowed by the Spurs this season.

"New Orleans was aggressive," Popovich said. "They played great for 48 minutes. They moved the ball, hit the boards hard and got loose balls. I thought they did a great job."

The Spurs were paced by Kawhi Leonard with 23 points and perimeter-shooting forward Davis Bertans with 17 points on 5-of-7 shooting from 3-point range, but no other Spur scored more than 14 points as San Antonio shot 38.8 percent.

The Pelicans had seven players in double figures. That allowed Davis the luxury of scoring only seven points in the 71-point second half.

"He's not going to force shots," Gentry said. "They did a good job on him, and he freed up other guys. I think it's good for him to understand he doesn't have to try to get 30 every night. That's a good thing all around, really."

NOTES: The Pelicans outscored San Antonio 34-19 in the fourth quarter, going 13-of-25 (.520) from the floor, including 5-of-9 (.556) from long range. ... New Orleans coach Alvin Gentry said he appreciates F Anthony Davis' toughness in playing through a thigh injury. "It's really tough because you get hit in the thigh, and any time you try to plant and turn and jump, there's pain there," Gentry said. "I love the fact that he's trying to push through it and play." Asked if it might be better to give Davis a game off, Gentry said: "I'm not a smart guy, but I think we're a little bit better with him out on the court." ... Gentry said he felt badly for Portland G Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum, who were left off the Western Conference All-Star team. "If you extended the rosters to 15, it's going to be the 16th and 17th guys that feel like they got (overlooked)," Gentry said. ... Asked if he was surprised that only F Kawhi Leonard made the All-Star team, Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said: "I don't think about it much."