PHOENIX -- The New Orleans Pelicans just might be out of their early-season funk.

The Pelicans, who started the season as one of the NBA's flops at 1-11, won their third straight Friday night, by pulling out a tough win -- their first road win -- over the Phoenix Suns, 120-114.

"We're starting to figure it out a little bit," Pelicans coach Alvin Gentry said.

Forward Anthony Davis scored 26 points and grabbed 17 rebounds. Davis' tip-in of a missed driving layup by guard Jrue Holiday with 20.5 seconds left broke a 112-112 tie. Holiday then hit four of four free throws, and guard Eric Gordon added a pair of foul shots to preserve the win.

After Davis' tip-in, Suns guard Eric Bledsoe missed a reverse layup in the closing seconds. Suns forward Markieff Morris was called for a foul on the rebound, and the Pelicans closed it out.

Bledsoe said he nearly didn't play because of a sore knee, but, "We lost. That's all that matters, not how I feel."

Gordon had 23 points, while Pelicans guard Ish Smith had a season-high 20 points and 11 assists. Forward Ryan Anderson added 20 points, and Holiday scored 19.

"We've had three really good team wins," Gentry said. "Obviously, AD is a monster ... but (for the past three games), everybody on the team did something to help us win."

For the Suns (7-8), guard Brandon Knight had a game-high 29 points, including 20 in the first quarter. Forward Jon Leuer scored a season-high 20 points, and forward T.J. Warren and Bledsoe added 18 points apiece.

Bledsoe shot just 5-for-16 from the floor. His career-best streak of eight straight games with 20-plus points ended.

The Suns had already lost to the Pelicans, 122-116, Sunday in New Orleans. They had a new game plan for this one, as outlined by coach Jeff Hornacek: "Play some defense."

But New Orleans got the shots it wanted against the Suns, who were without defensive stopper Tyson Chandler (illness). They shot 51.9 percent from the field, including 10-for-22 on 3-pointers.

"We gave them three 30-point quarters," said a disappointed Hornacek. After the Suns ran up early leads, "We didn't out our foot on the gas."

"It's a long season," Bledsoe said. "It's still early. But we have to turn it around."

The Suns got off to a 9-0 lead in the first three minutes behind two layups and a 3-pointer by Knight.

The Suns led throughout the first half and by as many as 17 early in the second quarter (46-29). Midway through the second quarter, they led 52-37. Then the Pelicans' second unit started getting some stops, and the game started to change.

The Pelicans closed the half with a 21-8 run to cut the gap to 60-58. During the run, Smith, a former Sun, hit a pair of 3-pointers, including one that just beat the halftime buzzer.

"Our second unit got us going," Davis said. "If it wasn't for them, we probably weren't going to win this game."

Said Smith, "They're explosive. Transition defense is huge. Once we got back and got our defense set, we were able to contain them."

Davis and Anderson each had 14 points in the half, while Knight had 20 in the opening two quarters.

Smith also got the Pelicans' last basket of the third quarter on a 20-foot jumper as New Orleans took an 88-85 lead into the final quarter. Gordon had 10 points in the quarter.

NOTES: Suns C Tyson Chandler was out sick. C Alex Len started in his place and finished with two points and eight rebounds. ... Pelicans G/F Tyreke Evans sat out due to a sore right knee. ... New Orleans G Norris Cole (ankle), C Kendrick Perkins (pectoral) and G/F Quincy Pondexter (knee) are out. ... The Suns signed free agent G Bryce Cotton, who had been averaging 22.0 points on 59 percent shooting (62 percent from 3-point range) in four games with the Austin Spurs of the NBA Development League. ... Pelicans G Ish Smith, picked up off the waiver wire, ranked No. 6 in the NBA with 7.9 assists per game through Tuesday. "We can't ask any more than what he's given us," Pelicans coach Alvin Gentry said. ... In the previous seven games, Suns G Brandon Knight was averaging 25.0 points, 6.3 assists, 4.7 rebounds and 1.6 steals per game.