After a brief business trip to Oklahoma City, the Dallas Mavericks returned to Dallas to host the New Orleans Pelicans in the second game of the NBA Cup’s Group Stage. The Mavericks had a 7-7 record in hand after defeating the Oklahoma City Thunder 121-119 at the Paycom Center on Sunday, while the Pelicans had a 4-10 record following a 104-99 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers at the Smoothie King Center, also on Sunday.
The Mavericks blew out the New Orleans Pelicans 132-91 to achieve a three-game winning streak on Tuesday night. Dallas improved to 8-7, while New Orleans fell to 4-11. Luka Doncic led the Mavericks with 26 points, five rebounds, and five assists. Klay Thompson followed up with 19 points, four rebounds, and one assist. Kyrie Irving added 18 points, one rebound, and seven assists. Naji Marshall had 15 points and three assists. Quentin Grimes scored 12 points, eight rebounds, and three assists.
Dallas Mavericks vs. New Orleans Pelicans Recap
The Dallas Mavericks vs. New Orleans Pelicans game held one’s attention throughout the evening. The Mavericks’ injury report listed Doncic with a right knee contusion but available and Dante Exum out due to a right wrist surgery The Mavericks’ starting lineup featured Doncic, Kyrie Irving, Klay Thompson, PJ Washington, and Dereck Lively II.
The first quarter was a high-scoring affair between the Mavericks and Pelicans. Thompson got the scoring party started with 10 points and four rebounds while shooting 3-5 from the field goal line and 2-of-3 from the three-point line. The Mavericks led the Pelicans 44-29 at the end of the first. The second quarter was a rather condensed version of the first quarter scoring, but a thriller nonetheless. The Mavericks’ defense got the job done. The Mavericks led the Pelicans 63-51 at the half.
The third quarter was in favor of the Dallas Mavericks. Irving made it rain with a plethora of three-pointers, just like Thompson. The Mavericks led the Pelicans 97-69 after three quarters. The fourth quarter saw a scoring surge from the Mavericks and Pelicans. Marshall attacked the rim to support the Mavericks’ cause. The Mavericks defeated the Pelicans 132-91 in regulation and notched their largest win of the season with 41 points.
Dallas Mavericks vs. New Orleans Pelicans Highlights
The Dallas Mavericks vs. New Orleans Pelicans game had several highlights, such as Doncic’s grab-and-go bucket in the opening minutes of the first quarter. Doncic secured a defensive rebound and then scored a bucket. Doncic’s grab-and-go was a highlight-reel play, but the scoring play shouldn’t distract from his early-season struggles, such as his declining three-point shooting, finishing, and defending.
For the Mavericks, the seemingly special connection between Doncic and Lively II in the second quarter was exciting. Doncic caught a pass in center court and passed it to Lively II, who crammed the reverse alley-oop (slam) dunk into the net. Lively II is widely known for competing for one of the NBA’s most prestigious awards, the NBA Sixth Man of the Year.
And, for the Pelicans, Trey Murphy III was a force on the Pelicans’ side of the court. Murphy III knocked down a great shot in the first quarter. Murphy III’s scoring plays show that the team and the NBA weren’t full of equal opportunities. Murphy III joined the Pelicans in 2021 after being selected 17th overall in the 2021 NBA Draft out of Rice (2018 to 2020) and Virginia (2020 to 2021).
Final Thoughts
On Sunday, the Dallas Mavericks held on for a 121-119 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder at the Paycom Center. The Mavericks played without Doncic for the first time this season. Doncic was sidelined in the second game of back-to-back with a right knee contusion. The 25-year-old missed most of the Mavericks’ training camp this offseason but averaged 37.2 minutes per game in the first 13 games of the regular season.
The Mavericks’ close win over the Thunder was far from pretty, but the Mavericks were fine, even without Doncic. The Mavericks succeeded in the rebounding department, received plenty of second chances offensively, and outshined in the final numbers on the glass. The Mavericks also had seven players in double figures, which was a plus.
The Dallas Mavericks will travel to Denver, Colorado, to take on the Denver Nuggets at Ball Arena on Friday night at 8:00 p.m. Central time. The Mavericks and Nuggets’ game will be the third game of the NBA Cup’s Group Stage. The altitude of Ball Arena in downtown Denver is 5,280 feet — the highest NBA site ever at exactly one mile above sea level.
