What a difference a few days make. On Wednesday night, Dallas shot a team-record 68% from the floor and defeated the Pelicans on the road 139-107. Well, Friday’s game was a much different story.
Dallas(11-10) held the Pelicans(7-18) to only 14 points in the first quarter, but they only had 19 points themselves. The Mavs led by five after one and took a 48-44 lead at the break. However, things fell apart for the Mavericks in the third. New Orleans outscored them 35-20 in the quarter and took a 13-point lead into the fourth. The Pelicans had their largest lead of 18 points in the final period, and they would defeat Dallas 107-91 at American Airlines Center.
The Mavericks have now lost three out of four.
New Orleans was led by Brandon Ingram’s 24 points, 12 assists, and eight rebounds; Jonas Valanciunas added 14 points and 11 rebounds.
Dallas was without Kristaps Porzingis(knee) and was led by Luka Doncic’s 21 points, 10 rebounds, and seven assists, which were all team-highs, but, according to Doncic, this loss was on him.
“I think that game was on me,” Doncic said. “My energy was down, I played very bad, and I just have to be better.”
Dallas went from shooting 68% from the floor to 41% shooting Friday, and Doncic felt the energy was different for the Mavericks.
“Obviously, we had a big percentage last game, but our energy was way different,” he said. “Everything was better. We moved the ball, we ran. Everything was better; that’s why we got all the open shots, points in the paint, all that. And that’s the way we’ve got to play.”
Mavs head coach Jason Kidd added: “I think we can’t take anybody lightly; anybody can be beaten. They went into Utah, beat Utah. They went into L.A. and beat the Clippers. To understand that what happened the game before is over, there’s nothing you can do to change it. This is a different game. We have to understand that, and we have to be grownups about that. We just didn’t do that tonight.”
Dallas is not good enough to take any team lightly, especially without Porzingis. This was a bad loss for sure, but fortunately for the Mavericks, they play again on Saturday as they host the Memphis Grizzlies. However, they will be without Doncic(left ankle soreness), Porzingis (left knee contusion), and Willie Cauley-Stein (personal reasons), so getting a win might be difficult.
