CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Anthony Davis celebrated his 24th birthday in style on Saturday night and the New Orleans Pelicans were the beneficiaries.

Davis erupted for 46 points and 21 rebounds and was at his best in the clutch, lifting the Pelicans to a 125-122 overtime victory over the Charlotte Hornets at the Spectrum Center.

Davis scored 24 points in the fourth quarter and overtime, including nine straight points late in overtime. His three-point play with 1:11 remaining in overtime gave the Pelicans the lead for good at 119-118, and then he scored on drives on the Pelicans' next two possessions.

He tried to downplay his performance afterward, giving credit to his teammates on a night when five other Pelicans scored in double figures and the Pelicans shot 50.5 percent from the field.

"I was just out there playing hard," Davis said. "We were playing together as a team and I just wanted to go out there and compete at the highest level and lead the team to victory, and I was able to do that tonight. But other guys stepped up and made big plays as well.

"When the other guys make shots, it makes it easier for myself and DeMarcus (Cousins) and Jrue (Holiday). It opens things up and it definitely makes it a lot easier."

Davis showed no ill effects of a bruised left wrist that he suffered earlier in the week. He finished 18 of 31 from the field and hit four 3-pointers.

The 46 points were four shy of Davis' season high, and his 21 rebounds were one short of his season high. It was his 39th double-double of the season and the second time this season he has had more than 40 points and 20 rebounds in the same game.

"The movement that he had and the spacing he created I thought was the way he got most of his shots," Pelicans coach Alvin Gentry said. "He was very good creating and going quickly and not giving them the opportunity to double him. When he does that and he gets into space and he's feeling good about his shot and what he's doing, he's very difficult to guard."

The Pelicans (26-40) also got 19 points off the bench from Jordan Crawford, 16 points from Solomon Hill, 15 points and 13 assists from Holiday, and 11 points from Cousins. Cousins battled foul trouble much of the night and did not play the final nine minutes of regulation or any of the overtime.

The Pelicans actually had a good chance to win in regulation but let a seven-point lead in the final two minutes slip away. They led 110-103 with 1:56 left in regulation, but the Hornets fought all the way back and tied it at 112-112 on Kemba Walker's drive with 30.1 seconds remaining.

Both teams then failed to score on their final possessions of regulation.

The Pelicans trailed by four early in overtime before Davis took back over, scoring nine straight New Orleans points in one stretch, including the go-ahead three-point play with 1:11 left.

The Hornets (29-37) played from behind most of the night, but they did lead by eight briefly early in the third quarter.

Coach Steve Clifford bemoaned his team's defensive effort.

"Offensively, against a really good defensive team, we were great," Clifford said. "I told the guys, what's disappointing is this: We do so many good things, but we just don't make enough plays. Tonight it was defensively.

"Davis was great, but we gave up so many ... We're just not good enough with our base defense. We're not."

Marvin Williams led the Hornets with a season-high 27 points and 10 rebounds. Kemba Walker had 24 points and 12 assists, Nicolas Batum also scored 24, Jeremy Lamb had 14 points , and Marco Belinelli finished with 12.

"I think our biggest deal tonight was, I just feel like we waited too long to turn it on," Williams said. "In the first half, we didn't have the juice that we needed, and they came out ready to play.

"Anthony Davis made play after play for those guys, which is what he's been doing for those guys all year long. When you keep it close like that, anything can happen. Tonight they made the plays down the stretch that we just didn't."

NOTES: The Hornets were without F Frank Kaminsky (AC joint), C Miles Plumlee (calf), F Johnny O'Bryant (ankle) and G Ramon Sessions (knee). ... The Pelicans were without C Omer Asik (illness) and F Quincy Pondexter (knee). ... The Pelicans won the only previous game this season, 121-116 in overtime in New Orleans on Nov. 19. ... The New Orleans franchise holds an 18-8 advantage over the Charlotte franchise in the all-time series. both franchises have been the Hornets at various times. ... Pelicans C DeMarcus Cousins got in early foul trouble and carried a running feud with officials the rest of the game. ... The Hornets were coming off a 121-81 win over Orlando on Friday. They are now 4-9 on the second night of a back-to-back. ... The Hornets will close out a three-game homestand on Monday against Chicago. The Pelicans will return home to face Portland on Tuesday.