Field Level Media
Dec 3, 2019
Luka Doncic had 33 points and 18 rebounds in three quarters as the visiting Dallas Mavericks rolled past the New Orleans Pelicans 118-97 on Tuesday night.
Doncic fell five assists short of adding to his league-leading seven triple-doubles in just 28 minutes as the red-hot Mavericks, fresh off a 114-100 road victory that ended the Lakers' 10-game winning streak, overcame a cold-shooting first quarter to win for the eighth time in their last nine games.
Seth Curry came off the bench to score 19, Tim Hardaway Jr. and Maxi Kleber added 12 each and Dallas made 19 of 45 3-pointers.
Brandon Ingram scored 24, Jrue Holiday had 18, JJ Redick added 12 and Josh Hart 11 to lead the Pelicans, who lost their sixth consecutive game.
Dallas stretched its six-point halftime lead to 10 points midway through the third quarter.
Ingram and Redick each made a 3-pointer as New Orleans closed within four points. The Pelicans got within four on two more occasions before Doncic made five free throws and the Mavericks held an 84-75 lead at the end of the quarter.
With Doncic on the bench to start the fourth quarter, his teammates quickly expanded the lead. Justin Jackson and Dwight Powell had consecutive baskets and Delon Wright added a free throw as Dallas took a 15-point lead before New Orleans scored a fourth-quarter point.
Ingram ended the scoring drought by making two free throws, but the lead grew to 104-84 on a 3-pointer by Curry with 5:24 left.
The Mavericks shot just 25 percent from the floor and 21 percent on 3-pointers, but managed to tie the Pelicans at 24 by making seven more free throws in the first quarter.
New Orleans scored the first 11 points of the second quarter, before Dallas took over with its 3-point shooting.
J.J. Barea and Hardaway made two 3-pointers each and Curry and Doncic made one each during a 35-18 run that gave the Mavericks a 59-53 halftime lead.
--Field Level Media