The New Orleans Pelicans got major payback against the slow-footed Dallas Mavericks with a victory at the Smoothie King Center.
The New Orleans Pelicans lost a very disappointing game against the Dallas Mavericks in late November.
Payback feels pretty darn good, especially against a division foe.
Tonight’s win over the Mavericks was another great gift for this holiday season, as the team continues to embark on their five game home-stand. This game was another clear example of New Orleans’ potential with Anthony Davis playing the five. Still, it also showed the team’s shortcomings in sustaining leads for the duration of the game.
Alvin Gentry and his staff put together a solid game plan by sitting both Omer Asik and Alexis Ajinca, to better match-up with the Mavs’ small-ball units. The matchups were significant, due to the Pelicans’ small ball bigs that were athletic enough to defend their frontcourt players (Harrison Barnes, Dirk Nowitzki, etc.)
There was always at least three players on the floor that can either create their own shot and/or hit the open shot. New Orleans did not have a liability that negated good offensive possessions. Surely, the Pels had their lapses on several possessions in both the 2nd and 3rd quarters. However the players on the floor made shots and grabbed rebounds when they counted most.
As stated above, when Anthony Davis mans the center position, there is no one in the league that can cover him. He put together another stellar performance, with 28 points and 16 rebounds. He’s the first player to record four straight 25+ points and 15+rebounds since Shawn Marion in 2006. Stellar stretch of basketball for AD.
The rest of the roster played their role significantly well. Dante Cunningham, Solomon Hill, Buddy Hield, E’Twaun Moore and Langston Galloway all made crucial plays down the stretch to net us another W.
The non-AD player of the game ended up being Langston Galloway. Galloway was huge coming off the bench, making all five of his five three-point attempts, which helped propel the Pelicans to victory.
Next: Grades for New Orleans Pelicans Loss against the Oklahoma City Thunder
The New Orleans Pelicans will continue their push up the Western Conference Wednesday night against the Los Angeles Clippers. Tip is scheduled for 7:00 PM CST.