Field Level Media
Dec 5, 2018
Julius Randle had 27 points and 18 rebounds, leading six New Orleans Pelicans scorers in double figures in a 132-106 rout of the visiting Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday night.
Anthony Davis, who left the game briefly in the third quarter with an apparent ankle injury, also scored 27. E'Twaun Moore and Jrue Holiday scored 17 each, Darius Miller had 12 and Cheick Diallo 10 as the Pelicans won for just the third time in their last nine games.
Randle, who had a career-high 37 points in a loss to the Los Angeles Clippers two nights earlier, started his second consecutive game in place of Nikola Mirotic, who is ill.
Moore was replaced in the starting lineup by Solomon Hill so Moore could replace some of the bench scoring lost by Randle's insertion into the starting lineup.
Harrison Barnes scored 16, Wesley Matthews added 15, J.J. Barea had 14, Dorian Finney-Smith and Dwight Powell had 12 each and Jalen Brunson 11 for the Mavericks, who had won five of six and nine of 11. Dallas guard Dennis Smith Jr. missed the game because of a sprained right wrist.
The Mavericks were finishing a set of back-to-back games, having won at home against Portland 111-102 on Tuesday.
Barnes made two 3-pointers as the Mavericks quickly cut the Pelicans' 16-point halftime lead to 77-66.
Moments later Davis tripped in the lane and fell to the court, grabbing his left ankle. He walked slowly but unaided to the locker room.
Moore scored seven straight points and Diallo six straight during a 15-1 run that gave New Orleans a 92-67 lead. Davis returned with 39 seconds left in the quarter, which ended with the Pelicans leading 97-80.
Davis scored 15 points and Randle added nine as the Pelicans took a 32-31 lead after the first quarter.
Randle scored six points as New Orleans began the second quarter with a 19-7 run.
The Mavericks pulled within eight points three times, but the Pelicans scored the last eight points and Holiday's 3-pointer gave New Orleans a 69-53 halftime lead.
--Field Level Media