Pelicans Fall Short Late Versus Mavericks In Final Game On Road Trip

The New Orleans Pelicans fell to the Dallas Mavericks 125-120 Monday afternoon in the final game of their five-game road trip. New Orleans is now 4-9 in games decided by five points or less on the season. There was much optimism for this game with the return of Zion Williamson, Brandon Ingram, CJ McCollum, and Trey Murphy III to the lineup. All four players missed Friday's game against the Mavs. Meanwhile, the Mavs played their third straight game without All-NBA guard Luka Doncic.

Dallas started the game red-hot, especially Kyrie Irving and Tim Hardaway, Jr. After combining for 2/12 shooting in the first quarter on Friday night, the duo scored 19 points combined, outscoring the entire Pelicans team. New Orleans, on the other hand, couldn't buy a bucket. They made just three field goals in the period, shooting just 17% from the floor. The Pelicans shot 11/12 from the free-throw line, which kept them in striking distance.

Dallas led 33-17 after the first quarter, and then New Orleans went on a tear. The Pelicans opened the period on a 19-2 run to take the lead. Hardaway, Jr. continued his first-half offensive explosion. He finished with 24 first-half points to lead both teams in scoring. After 42 second-quarter points from New Orleans, the game was tied at 59 at halftime.

The Pelicans seemed poised to pull away in the second half. After another 40-point quarter for the Pelicans, New Orleans had a little breathing room. Zion Williamson began to assert himself in the paint and dominate. Williamson had 23 points at the end of the third quarter on 9/14 shooting. McCollum added eight points in the quarter, helping to grow the Pelicans lead to 99-92 heading into the final period.

Irving and Hardaway, Jr. then took over the fourth quarter for the Mavs. Each player finished with 40+ points, the first team in franchise history that New Orleans allowed a pair of teammates to each score 40 or more in a game. Hardaway, Jr. outshot the Pelicans by himself from beyond the arc. He singlehandedly made nine three-point shots, while the Pelicans as a team made seven total.

Brandon Ingram missed a potential game-tying three-point shot late in the fourth quarter. Dallas rebounded the miss and iced the game at the free-throw line. Ingram continues to struggle to score the basketball lately. He shot 3/12 from the floor and scored 12 points. That marks seven straight games Ingram has failed to score at least 20 points, the longest streak since his rookie season. New Orleans dominated the paint, outscoring Dallas 60-34 in the restricted area.

The Mavericks were a +33 from beyond the arc on Sunday, holding the Pels to just 30% shooting from downtown. New Orleans ends their five-game road trip with a 3-2 record. The Pelicans now head home for four straight games, starting Wednesday night against the Charlotte Hornets.