DENVER -- Anthony Davis' illness nearly sidelined him Sunday night, but his performance when he could play left the Denver Nuggets feeling ill.

Davis shook off flu-like symptoms that kept him out most of the game to score 27 points, and he blocked four shots in the fourth quarter, helping the New Orleans Pelicans rally to beat the Nuggets 130-125.

Guard Tyreke Evans had 21 points and 10 assists, guard Jrue Holiday had 21 off the bench, and guard Eric Gordon scored 20 for the Pelicans (8-19).

The guards kept New Orleans in the game but Davis was the difference down the stretch despite feeling ill all day. He didn't know if he could play at all but he received two IVs before the game and put up 19 in the first quarter.

"The first quarter, in timeouts, if the cameras were on me they probably would have seen me about to throw up," the center said. "I was about to throw up in the first timeout. When the first quarter was over I couldn't hold it."

He ran back to the locker room "and threw up a lot," coach Alvin Gentry said. He spent the second and third quarters getting two more IVs so he could come back.

"They don't go at a rapid speed," Davis said. "Halfway through it was end of the third so I told them to start pumping faster so I could get back on the floor."

His return flipped the momentum to the Pelicans and spoiled a big night by Denver guard Will Barton. Barton scored a career-high 32 points and grabbed 10 rebounds for Denver, which lost forwards Darrell Arthur (right knee soreness) and Danilo Gallinari (left ankle sprain) while dropping its second straight.

Forward Kenneth Faried had 21 points and 13 rebounds for the Nuggets (11-16), who gave up a season high in points.

"We did not guard a soul for 48 minutes and I'm embarrassed by that," Nuggets coach Michael Malone said.

Without Davis, the Pelicans fell behind by seven at half and were down 82-77 when Gallinari sustained a left ankle sprain. X-rays on the ankle revealed no structural damage, Gallinari said.

"There was nothing wrong except a sprain," he said. "Nothing to be concerned about."

With Gallinari out, New Orleans went on a 14-0 run to take a nine-point lead. Denver rallied to go ahead 109-104 early in the fourth on a trio of 3-pointers from Barton.

"I'm not one of those coaches that play the injury excuse to save their (butt)," Malone said. "Gallinari got hurt. We still had chances to win the game. If he is out, somebody else has to step up."

Davis returned with 8:20 left in the game and picked up where he left off in the first. He scored two quick buckets to get the Pelicans within 109-108.

Barton hit his seventh 3-pointer of the game to put Denver ahead 114-108, but New Orleans went on a 13-2 run to take the lead back.

Davis blocked three shots in the final 1:49 of the game when the Pelicans pulled away.

"He hit a couple of jump shots but what we really needed were those two blocks towards the end of the game," Gordon said. "He really helped us solidify the win off of those."

Davis said he felt "good, kind of tired," when he returned to the game. "I wanted to leave it all for the last five minutes I was in. Leave it all on the floor and rest on the flight home."

His dominance was magnified by his absence after he left in the final 30 seconds of the first quarter. Without him, the Nuggets scored 20 paint points and 43 overall in the second period to take a 74-67 halftime lead.

The 74 points were the most in any half this season for the Nuggets and the most allowed by New Orleans.

Davis coming back into the game helped the Pelicans finish their road trip at 2-3.

"The boost he gave us in the first quarter was big and then obviously coming back at the end he was really good," Gentry said.

NOTES: New Orleans C Alexis Ajinca was inactive Sunday, missing his second consecutive game due to a left calf strain. Ajinca sustained the injury Wednesday in a win at Phoenix. ... Nuggets G Emmanuel Mudiay continues to sit with a right ankle injury. Coach Michael Malone said it is the same type of injury that forced Mudiay to miss all but 10 games for the Guangdong Southern Tigers of the Chinese Basketball Association last year, and the team wants to make sure he is close to 100 percent before he returns. ... Pelicans G Eric Gordon entered play Sunday eighth in the NBA in made 3-pointers with 62. ... Nuggets F Darrell Arthur, who missed two games with right knee soreness last week, is off minutes restrictions.