Mavericks Down Pelicans, 109-104

 

Dirk Nowitzki scored 17 despite foul trouble, hitting a 12-foot fade over Anthony Davis that gave Dallas a 109-103 lead with 49 seconds left.

 

Monta Ellis also scored 17 for Dallas. Parsons' performance was highlighted by a momentum-swinging 3-pointer from well behind the arc that gave Dallas a 101-96 lead in the middle of the fourth quarter.

 

Davis had 31 points, 15 rebounds and three blocks for New Orleans, which erased a 17-point deficit and led by four early in the fourth quarter, but could not withstand the Mavs' final push.

 

Tyreke Evans had 22 points and 10 rebounds, and Jure Holiday scored 24 for New Orleans.

 

Tyson Chandler, who had to contend with Davis and 7-footer Omer Asik, still managed 11 points, seven rebounds and two blocks for Dallas. Devin Harris and Brandan Wright each added 12 points for the Mavericks, who outshot New Orleans 51.7 percent (46 of 89) to 42.7 percent (38 of 89) and outscored the Pelicans in the paint, 62-46.

 

After giving up 66 points in the first half, New Orleans buckled down defensively to start the third quarter, which Dallas began by missing seven of 10 shots and turning the ball over four times.

 

The Pelicans quickly erased a double-digit deficit with a 15-0 run that began when Davis' steal led to Asik's dunk. Davis added four free throws, a 20-foot jumper, three rebounds and a block of Parsons' 3-point attempt during the spurt, the last of those highlights leading to Holiday's 3 that gave New Orleans a 75-72 lead.

 

Neither team had much success on the defensive end in the first half, but Dallas shot a much better percentage (55.1 to 42), and led by double-digits for much of the first 24 minutes.

 

The Mavs took their first 10-point lead at 20-10 just seven minutes into the game. The lead grew as large as 17 late in the second quarter on Wright's alley-oop dunk of Nelson's lob. But Evans responded with a 3 to make it 66-52 at halftime.

 

 

Mavericks: Former Pelicans forward Al-Farouq Aminu faced his previous team for the first time as a member of the Mavericks. He played 16 minutes and two points and five rebounds. .... Chandler was called for a technical foul by Lauren Holtkamp for contesting a foul call on the Dallas defensive end in the first half.