Dallas played New Orleans almost dead even through three quarters, with six scorers finishing in double figures, but it wasn’t enough as the Mavs fell to the Pelicans 115-105 on Tuesday night in New Orleans.
A pair of familiar faces helped lead the charge for Dallas. Dirk Nowitzki and Harrison Barnes led the team in scoring with 19 points each, but it wasn’t enough to deter Anthony Davis on his home floor as the Mavs fell to 8-27 on the road.
Davis finished with an efficient 37 points, connecting on 15-of-21 shot attempts from the field, including 2-for-3 from three-point range.
Despite the valiant effort by the Mavs, the Pelicans refused to be denied on their home floor. New Orleans closed the game on an 11-4 run after a three-point basket by Yogi Ferrell brought the game within three points with three and a half minutes remaining.
From there it was Pelicans point guard Rajon Rondo who put an exclamation point on the evening. Rondo scored nine of the Pelicans’ final 11 points, including a step-back three to put New Orleans ahead by double digits.
Rondo finished one rebound shy of a triple-double, totaling 19 points, 14 assists and 9 rebounds. Ian Clark also added 19 points off the bench.
Yogi Ferrell totaled 15 points off the bench for Dallas with point guard Dennis Smith Jr. sidelined due to an ankle injury. Dwight Powell and Doug McDermott both finished with 11 points while J.J. Barea added 10 points, 8 assists and 4 rebounds in the starting lineup.
Dallas struggled to find any consistency from behind the three-point line. Nowitzki shot 4-for-8 from three while the rest of the Mavs combined to shoot 6-for-27 from beyond the arc.
The Mavs were also outscored in the paint, largely due to a big night from Davis. New Orleans outscored Dallas, 58-48, in the paint and registered eight more assists in the victory.
Dallas returns to action at 7:30 p.m. Thursday night to host the Utah Jazz from American Airlines Center.
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