New Orleans Pelicans (3-1), Dallas Mavericks (1-2)
Two second-year pros making just the second starts of their respective NBA careers delivered big performances. In his first non-mop-up time of 2022-23, New Orleans’ rookie lottery pick also produced a slew of notable contributions. New Orleans didn’t have Brandon Ingram, Zion Williamson nor Herb Jones, so the Pelicans unleashed an altered set of characters on Dallas. The revamped group posted a dramatic, fun-filled win over a Mavericks team coming off a trip to the Western Conference finals last season. Trey Murphy and Jose Alvarado made one start apiece last season as rookies, but were called on Tuesday to fill first-string roles due to the multiple injury DNPs. Alvarado helped stake the Pelicans to a 40-point first quarter and an early edge, while Murphy’s impact in the second half was momentous. Another youngster, third-year forward Naji Marshall, made his first start of 2022-23 and responded with a 15-point outing. First-round draft choice Dyson Daniels joined the group by posting 11 points in 22 minutes. The Australia native had not scored in the NBA prior to Tuesday's win.
IT WAS OVER WHEN…
Dallas All-Star guard Luka Doncic’s deep three-point attempt from the left wing only grazed the rim, sealing a two-point victory for New Orleans. Devonte’ Graham gave New Orleans a two-point lead with 3.2 seconds to go by splitting two free throws, giving Graham eight points in the fourth quarter.
Game Recap: Pelicans 113, Mavericks 111 - Oct. 25, 2022
PELICANS PLAYER OF THE GAME
Murphy showed the full repertoire of his offensive game, scoring 22 points in a perfect shooting night. He went 8/8 from the field, including four three-pointers. Murphy tallied 15 second-half points, helping to power New Orleans back from a seven-point deficit. “Really just whenever I had daylight, just shoot the ball,” Murphy said when asked about his approach. “Trust the work. I can shoot the ball pretty well, so once again follow the same mechanics.”
BY THE NUMBERS
8: Combined turnovers by Dallas and New Orleans in the first half, one reason why the Southwest Division squads totaled 130 points in the first 24 minutes. Things changed in the second half as the defenses got more aggressive for both sides. There were 18 second-half turnovers.
12: Three-pointers made by the Mavericks and Pelicans, but Dallas attempted 12 more treys than New Orleans, going 12/39.
37-26: Dallas rebounding advantage. That’s an extremely low number for New Orleans, but elite rebounder Jonas Valanciunas logged only 22 minutes with Dallas’ frontcourt matchups unfavorable for him.
REVISITING FANDUEL KEYS TO THE GAME
IT STARTS WITH DEFENSE
Dallas shot 58 percent in the first half and scored 30-plus points in those quarters, before New Orleans was more effective defensively after intermission. The Mavericks still wound up at 50 percent from the floor, which is too high for an opponent.
NEXT PEL UP
Excellent marks in this department, as numerous Pelicans responded in bigger roles, from Alvarado to Marshall to Murphy to Graham to Daniels to Larry Nance Jr. (11 points in 24 minutes).
MATCHUP TO WATCH
Doncic had the ball in his hands constantly, piling up 22 points prior to halftime. CJ McCollum struggled shooting-wise at 6/20, but dished out 11 assists, his second straight game of double-figure assists.
#PELSPOTWPOLL
Ingram’s Week 1 of the NBA schedule came to an abrupt end due to a concussion, but prior to the injury, he was off to a great start, shooting 58 percent from the field. Pelicans fans voted him the initial team Player of the Week by casting 58 percent of ballots for him on Twitter, with McCollum runner-up at 22 percent.