The Dallas Mavericks won their third straight game and fifth game at home this season as they defeated the New Orleans Pelicans 108-92 on Monday night at the American Airlines Center.
The Mavericks secured the victory thanks to a solid defensive performance and excellent production from bench players.
The Mavericks are now 10th in the NBA in points allowed at 104.7 and 12th in overall defensive rating. Having a highly ranked defense makes winning easier on nights when the offense may struggle.
New Orleans shot just 27 percent from the three-point line and scored only 28 points in the first 17 minutes of the second half. Dallas has now held four of their first ten opponents under 100 points.
“Holding a team under 100 points is not easy to do,” coach Jason Kidd said postgame. “Our defense won this game for us.”
The Mavericks’ bench was instrumental by outscoring the New Orleans’ bench 42-10, including 24-2 in the second half when the Mavericks pulled away from a tight game.
Jalen Brunson was the leader of the second unit as he finished with 17 points, six assists, and four rebounds. Reggie Bullock added 12 points off the bench as well.
“It’s one of our strengths,” Kidd said of his reserve players. “When you look at those guys coming off the bench, they all can provide something different. I really believe our bench is a big part of our success.”
Dallas’ starters did not play well to start the game, while the Pelicans got off to a hot start. Luka Doncic made just 1 out of 4 shots in the first half, while fellow starter Kristaps Porzingis went 0 of 2 from the three-point line early in the game. The Pelicans held an 11 point lead early in the first.
The game began to shift when the second unit, led by Brunson and Bullock, was brought in. The Mavericks reserves were able to stop the bleeding and trailed only 27-22 at the end of the quarter. Dallas started the second quarter on a 9-2 run to take the lead. The Pelicans would never lead again, and the Mavericks went into halftime, ahead 51-47.
Dallas opened up a more comfortable lead in the third quarter thanks to Brunson and Bullock. With the game tied, the Mavericks went on a 12-2 run to take a 76-66 lead. Brunson had four points and assisted Bullock for a three-pointer in that run. The offensive performance in the quarter was very efficient, and Dallas headed into the fourth leading 78-69.
The fourth quarter was more of the same for Dallas due to efficient three-point shooting. Dallas began the quarter on a 12-0 run to go up 90-69. This run was part of an extended 26-5 run that spanned a portion of the third and early fourth quarter.
The lead reached 93-71 before the Pelicans made a late surge. A 10-0 run by the Pelicans trimmed the Mavericks’ big lead and made fans nervous, but ultimately Doncic and Brunson staved off the scrappy Pelicans team for the victory.
Doncic finished with 25 points, five rebounds, and five assists to lead the Mavericks. Tim Hardaway Jr. added 17 points, while Bullock finished with 12 points off the bench.
The Pelicans’ tough season continued as their record is now 1-10. The odds were heavily stacked against them, with arguably their two best players, Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram, missing the game due to injuries. Jonas Valanciunas was their best player on the night finishing with 22 points and 11 rebounds.
The Mavericks improved to 7-3 on the season, but their upcoming schedule gets considerably more difficult. Six of their next seven games are on the road, and all but one of those games will be against a team that currently has a winning record.
The difficult stretch starts on Wednesday when the Dallas Mavericks visit the 7-3 Chicago Bulls.
