New Orleans Pelicans: Player Grades in 127-123 Loss to the Mavericks

The New Orleans Pelicans dropped an overtime heartbreaker to the Dallas Mavericks in a game they needed in order to keep pace in the Western Conference.

Much of the story around the New Orleans Pelicans’ matchup with the Dallas Mavericks revolved around the first meeting between young superstars Luka Doncic and Zion Williamson.

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Doncic won round one of what is sure to be many exciting games against Zion and the New Orleans Pelicans.

Doncic filled the scorecard, notching a 30 point, 10 assist, 17 rebound triple-double against the New Orleans Pelicans, who tried just about everything to stop the 21-year-old superstar point guard.

Kristaps Porzingis added 34 points and 12 rebounds of his own, but it was his defense, along with Maxi Kleber that was ultimately the difference in the game.

Porzingis and Kleber combined for ten blocks against New Orleans Pelicans and in the process exposed a few weaknesses in the superhuman Zion’s young game.

The Pelicans were much better defensively, but it was not enough to stop Doncic and the Mavericks and the loss was a costly one.

The New Orleans Pelicans now find themselves in the 12th seed, five games back of Memphis and have to start wondering if a playoff matchup with the Lakers is in their future or even in their best interest moving forward.

It was a fun game with many big and even surprising performances, and the grades will reveal where the New Orleans Pelicans came up short.

Point Guards

Lonzo Ball played an inspired game, often single-handedly keeping the New Orleans Pelicans from getting blown out.

Ball was on fire from 3-point range, hitting 7 of 11 for 25 points overall.

Ball added 11 rebounds, six assists, two steals and a block in what was one of his best all-around games as a Pelican.

Ball was stroking the 3-pointers, but his hustle and defense against Luka were what really stood out. Ball was determined to get the win and did whatever it took to get it, even though he came up short in the end.

Ball has been playing great all-around basketball of late and has grabbed the mantle as the emotional leader of the New Orleans Pelicans.

He still struggles to finish at the rim, which is perplexing given his plus size. Lonzo has to start hitting some of the bunnies he gets as a result of his ability to penetrate.

Frank Jackson got some extended run for the first time in a while and he made the most of it. The New Orleans Pelicans’ normal bench players struggled and Jackson was able to pick up some of the scoring slack.

He ended the night with 12 points in 21 minutes, including going 3 of 5 from 3-point range. Jackson was able to get to the rim a few times and showed that he can be counted on to get buckets off the bench.

With some of the Pelicans’ bench struggling (more on that later) they really needed Jackson’s scoring off the bench and he didn’t disappoint.

Shooting Guards

Jrue Holiday had another strong all-around performance, notching 19 points, six assists and six rebounds. He also played good defense on Doncic at times and seemed to bother him as much as anyone can.

Holiday shot just 3 of 9 from deep and forced the issue a few times, taking a couple of tough step-back 3-pointers with the 7-foot-3 Porzingis closing out on him.

Holiday showed a lot of grit and could be seen encouraging the young New Orleans Pelicans on defense when they needed a stop.

Holiday has been asked to do a lot defensively lately and it has affected his shooting, especially from long range.

Josh Hart‘s struggles continued against the Mavericks, as he was only able to score two points on 1 of 6 shooting, including 0 for 3 from behind the arc.

Hart’s early-season confidence seems to have disappeared and he is hesitant on offense, especially when shooting 3-pointers.

Hart had some tough luck last night and had a few shots rattle out, but he also air balled a 3-pointer and generally looked uncomfortable with the ball.

The New Orleans Pelicans need Hart’s production off the bench, especially with J.J. Redick sidelined with an injury.

Hart needs to find his stroke again or the Pelicans might be on the outside of the playoffs looking in.

E’Twaun Moore is another bench player who has been struggling to find offense. He scored just four points on 2 of 5 shooting and missed both of his 3-point attempts.

Moore has played poorly in the last two games, forcing a few shots early in the shot clock and settling for mid-range jumpers when the Pelicans had better options.

The New Orleans Pelicans can usually count on Moore’s defense but he got blown by twice last night and generally didn’t have a good outing.

Someone is going to have to step up and give the Pelicans consistent bench production.

Zion Williamson had a frustrating night. The Mavericks had a good plan for him, which was essentially to force him into defenders who were ready to block his shot.

Kleber and Porzingis got into the rookie’s head a bit with all of the blocked shots and Zion finally looked his age, as he got frustrated and could never really get going.

He did finish the game with 21 points on 9 of 18 shooting, but only got to the line five times and never got into an offensive rhythm.

He added a few of his thunderous dunks of course, and Zion never disappoints in that department.

It should be a learning experience for the teenage superstar and one he will think about until he gets a chance at revenge next season.

There is no reason to panic, but Zion did come up limping a few times and generally looked fatigued on the tail end of a back-to-back. This is something to watch as Williamson plays extended minutes down the stretch.

Brandon Ingram left everything on the court last night, but fouled out late in the game when the Pelicans needed him most.

Ingram is evolving into an offensive wizard with an array of tricks up his sleeve and the ability to score from anywhere on the floor.

His scoring, along with Ball’s 3-point barrage, kept the New Orleans Pelicans in the game.

Ingram finished the night with 27 points, four assists and five rebounds, but had to watch the end of the game from the bench.

Nicolo Melli was having a night to forget before tying the game with a 3-pointer whose degree of difficulty was about as high as you’ll ever see.

Unfortunately, that was the extent of Melli’s contributions, as he went 1 of 9 from the field including just 1 of 7 from 3-point range.

Melli, Hart and Moore went a combined 1 of 12 from 3-point range, which was the difference in a close game. The bench came up short on a night when the New Orleans Pelicans needed production.

Derrick Favors offensive rebounding was huge for the Pelicans and one of the reasons they were able to stay in the game.

Favors ended the night with 14 rebounds, including eight on the offensive end and added 10 points, a steal and a block in a good overall performance.

The New Orleans Pelicans ended the night with a 15-6 advantage in offensive rebounds, which was largely due to Favors.

Favors did have some difficulty guarding the pick-and-roll but also had a few nice defensive stands against Doncic when he was forced to switch on the perimeter.

The New Orleans Pelicans needed this game, and their chances of making the playoffs are rapidly slipping away. With Ball, Williamson and Ingram playing well, it may ultimately be the bench that decides if the Pelicans can make a miracle run at the playoffs.