DALLAS, TEXAS — After suffering a blowout loss to the hands of the Memphis Grizzlies the Mavericks bounced back with their own blowout victory defeating the Pelicans 125-107.
The Mavericks now find themselves possessing the 6th seed in the West but still remain in position to secure a playoff spot. Things could change, the final games on their schedule now that the play-in tournament is a factor, are must wins and should be treated as such. Sense of urgency is what the Mavericks needed last night and tonight they redeemed themselves.
The Mavericks shot out of the gate in the first quarter not wasting none of their possessions. Kristaps Porzingis who returned to the starting lineup after missing some time was the spark plug for the Mavericks on offense scoring the Mavericks first 5 points and finished the quarter with 12 points and 3 rebounds. Dallas also did a fantastic job of putting their hands in the passing lanes and creating steals to convert into points.
The Mavericks finished the first quarter shooting 52% from the field and led the Pelicans 32-30 to finish out the quarter.
Despite the close first quarter, the Mavericks experienced a huge shift in energy and momentum in the second quarter and were hot from the start. The second quarter began with a 10-0 Mavericks run and Luka Doncic was the main catalyst behind Dallas’s offensive eruption.
Doncic scorched the Pelicans defense from beyond the arc knocking down 5 straight three pointers in the quarter and increased his scoring total to 21 points after scoring just 4 points in the first. The trio of Tim Hardaway Jr., Dorian Finney-Smith and Dwight Powell converted on 67% of their shots and scored a total 14 points combined and Kristaps Porzingis finished off the second quarter scoring on two of the Mavericks final possessions. Dallas finished the first half shooting 58% from the field and made 10 out of their 18 three point shot attempts.
By the end of the first half the Mavericks held a comfortable 77-58 lead and held complete control of the game and had more to dish out.
The Mavericks began the third quarter in explosive fashion with a big time alley oop dunk by Dwight Powell that came off a nice dime from Luka. That play set the tone and the Mavericks fed off that energy, resulting in the Mavericks leading the game 111-80 at the end of the third quarter. Tim Hardaway Jr found his range in the quarter scoring 12 third quarter points and Luka Doncic continued his streaky scoring night finishing the quarter with 12 points.
The closest the Pelicans got to the Mavericks substantial lead was early in the fourth quarter going on a 10-0 run to bring the lead to 20 points, but Dallas made sure to seal the deal against the Pelicans. Dallas had 4 players in double figures tonight with Luka Doncic leading the way with 33 points, Tim Hardaway Jr with 27 points, Kristaps Porzingis with 19 points, and Dwight Powell with 12 points.
The Mavericks controlled this game from the tip and made their presence felt early. The ball movement was exceptional, they dominated the paint and shot the ball well from three. The win tonight helped no doubt, but Dallas’s destiny is dependent on what happens in the final days of the season.
