New Orleans @ Dallas preview

Last Meeting ( Dec 29, 2017 ) Dallas 128, New Orleans 120

The New Orleans Pelicans are being pulled forward by superstar Anthony Davis and are in a crowded race for the No. 3 spot in the Western Conference. Davis will try to lead the Pelicans to an eighth straight win when they visit the Dallas Mavericks on Sunday.

Davis stepped up his level of play when All-Star center DeMarcus Cousins went down with an Achilles injury and was rewarded with a Western Conference Player of the Month Award for his work in February. Davis averaged 35 points and 13 rebounds in February and finished it off with his ninth double-double of the month in a 121-116 win at San Antonio on Wednesday. New Orleans entered play on Saturday a half-game behind four teams tied for the No. 3 spot in the West and overcame double-digit deficits in each of its last three triumphs. The Mavericks are not enjoying quite as much success and are still looking for their 20th win after dropping six of the last seven games.

TV: 7 p.m. ET, FS New Orleans, FS Southwest (Dallas)

ABOUT THE PELICANS (35-26): Davis is the headliner, but New Orleans is also getting strong play from guard Jrue Holiday, who scored 25 points on 11-of-18 shooting in Wednesday's win at San Antonio. Holiday is averaging 25.3 points during the seven-game winning streak and scored at least 20 in each of those contests while also averaging 7.6 assists. "The mental focus coming into games, being able to lock in even when we have bad halves, it just shows a lot about our progress," Holiday told reporters after another comeback against the Spurs.

ABOUT THE MAVERICKS (19-44): Dallas' season was summed up in one play at Chicago on Friday, when it was caught with just four men on the floor after a botched substitution involving rookie point guard Dennis Smith Jr. "I'm not exactly sure," Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle told reporters of the play. "But with the substitution rules -- Dennis thought he had been subbed in for, but he hadn't. So, he ran back, but they said it was too late. At least that's my understanding. That's not why we lost." Smith actually enjoyed one of his best games in over a month on Friday, when he snapped a string of 14 straight games failing to hit at least 50 percent of his shots by going 9-of-17 from the floor.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Pelicans PG Rajon Rondo recorded 12 assists in each of the last three games.

2. Mavericks SG Wesley Matthews (hip) is questionable for Sunday.

3. The road team took each of the first two matchups, with Dallas earning a 128-120 win at New Orleans in the most recent meeting on Dec. 29.

PREDICTION: Pelicans 122, Mavericks 113