LThe star figure Luka Doncic was once again present in the game for the Dallas Mavericks who, despite having an inconsistent start in their offensive game, in the end they were able to beat the devalued New Orleans Pelicans 109-92.
Doncic contributed 25 points and led the Mavericks attack that also had forward Tim Hardaway Jr. and point guard Jalen Brunson with 17 points each.
The absence of forward Zion Williamson due to a fractured right foot again weighed heavily in the game for the Pelicans, who suffered the seventh loss in a row and are losing 1-10, the worst in the league.
The three Mavericks players were decisive in the fourth quarter when the Dallas team posted a 12-0 run that made the difference in the partial score of 93-71 without the Pelicans already having a chance to win.
Latvian powerhouse Kristaps Porzingis fouled three times in just 77 seconds in the second quarter after scoring consecutive 3s at the end of the first to start a 22-4 streak for a 38-31 Mavericks lead.
Porzingis, who entered the fourth quarter with nine points, didn’t score again until a late 3-pointer that helped break a New Orleans streak after the game was out of reach. The Latvian pvot finished with 12 points on 4 of 13 shots from the field and eight rebounds.
Another tall man, Lithuanian power forward Jonas Valanciunas added a double-double of 22 points and 11 rebounds as the Pelicans leader and guard Josh Hart scored another 22 points.
The Spanish power forward Willy Hernangmez was left without seeing action with the Pelicans by decision of the coach of the New Orleans team, Willie Green.
The Pelicans, coming off a 41-point loss to the Golden State Warriors, lost by two-digit numbers each time on a four-game road trip equal to the longest of the season.
