John Wall and Wizards hand Pelicans home loss

Eric Gordon returned to the lineup for the first time since Nov. 22, but New Orleans continued its recent every-other-game trend, losing to Washington after beating Houston three days earlier.

The Pelicans have not won or lost consecutive games since mid-December, a stretch that goes back 10 games. As a result, New Orleans slipped two games behind idle Phoenix for eighth place in the Western Conference standings.

Gordon played 33 minutes in his comeback, finishing with six points, four rebounds and five assists. He was 2-for-8 from the floor. His return and heavy workload had a domino effect on the rotation, with Jimmer Fredette and Austin Rivers playing six minutes apiece, fewer than they had in recent games.

Wizards All-Star point guard John Wall swished a two-point jumper from the left wing to give Washington an 89-79 lead with 1:52 remaining.

Although New Orleans extended the game by cutting into the deficit with some long-range shots, the Pelicans never got closer than four points of the lead in the final two minutes.

New Orleans' last advantage on the scoreboard the entire night was 15-14 in the first quarter.