Mavericks (23-34), Pelicans (23-36)
DALLAS – After a very evenly played game for three-plus quarters Saturday, Dallas finally created some breathing room late, pulling away from New Orleans for a division victory. The Pelicans dropped to 0-2 since acquiring three-time All-Star DeMarcus Cousins, struggling with some of the same shooting and turnover problems that plagued them Thursday vs. Houston. New Orleans shot just 39.7 percent from the field and coughed up 20 turnovers, exactly the same number it committed against the Rockets, and one shy of its season high.
New Orleans couldn’t capitalize on a big offensive night from Anthony Davis, who piled up 39 points on 17/34 shooting from the field. Davis also grabbed 14 rebounds and blocked two shots. He had 27 points by halftime, pushing the Pelicans into a 49-47 edge. Cousins finished with 12 points, 15 rebounds, six assists and three steals, but had to come out early in the first half due to three fouls.
IT WAS OVER WHEN…
Dallas’ Harrison Barnes drained a three-pointer from straightaway with 1:15 left, giving the home team an 11-point advantage. The back-breaking shot capped a fourth quarter in which the Mavericks outplayed the Pelicans, stretching what had been just a four-point advantage to double figures.
PELICANS PLAYER OF THE GAME
Davis was 13/22 from the field prior to intermission, but the rest of the New Orleans squad was only 7/21, His shot-making decreased in the second half, but he still connected on exactly 50 percent of his attempts and nearly compiled his seventh game this season of 40 or more points. The Pelicans lost for the first time since Oct. 28 when Davis has notched 38-plus points.
PELICANS UNSUNG CONTRIBUTOR
Appearing in his first NBA regular season game since Jan. 2, 2016, Jarrett Jack was a steadying presence off the bench. As a result of departures in the Sacramento trade and the absence Saturday of E’Twaun Moore for personal reasons, New Orleans had to rework the plan in the backcourt, relying heavily on the 33-year-old veteran to play 25 minutes. Jack totaled six points and four assists.
QUOTES TO NOTE
“The bottom line is if you hold a team to 96 points, you should have an opportunity to win the game. We didn’t, because the offense didn’t play well.” – Alvin Gentry on the offensive outing by New Orleans
“It threw our rotations off, for sure. (Davis) still played way too many minutes. We like him at 35, not at 40.” – Gentry on the impact of Cousins first-half foul trouble
“The first quarter was beautiful. We played the right way, we shared the ball, we moved it, we defended at a high level. Our energy was there. Once we hit that adversity, we kind of crumbled from that point. The first quarter was what we could be. It looked good.” – Cousins on the Pelicans getting out to a 12-3 start and leading 30-24 after a period
“It’s been tough the past two games. Guys are a little frustrated. But I believe our intentions are in the right place. We want to get these things right. We’re going to correct these mistakes and get our chemistry rolling.” – Cousins on the week
BY THE NUMBERS
5/24: New Orleans three-point shooting, including 2/14 in the second half.
12/26: Dallas three-point shooting. The Mavericks stayed close in the opening half by going 7/14, accounting for nearly half of their 47 points.
33: New Orleans total points in the middle quarters, being held under 20 in the second and third periods.