Doncic, Mavericks Start Hot-Handed to Beat Pelicans 139-107

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NBC 5 News

Luka Doncic scored 18 of his team-high 28 points in the first quarter and dished out 14 assists in 27 minutes to power the Dallas Mavericks to a 139-107 win over the New Orleans Pelicans on Wednesday.

Dallas set a franchise record by shooting 57 of 83 from the floor (68.7%), beating the previous high of 67.7% from March 24, 1983.

Doncic went 7 of 8 from the floor in the Mavericks' 41-point first quarter -- their highest-scoring period of the season in which they shot 73% from the floor (16 of 22).

Kristaps Porzingis added 20 points and 10 rebounds for Dallas, which had lost five of its previous six games.

New Orleans, which entered having won three of their last four games, was paced by Brandon Ingram with 29 points.

Doncic, who was coming off a triple-double performance against Cleveland on Monday, finished 11 of 16 from the field. He did most of his early damage against rookie forward Herb Jones, a second-round pick who has drawn praise for his defense.

The Mavs extended their lead to 46-23 early in the second quarter on a banked 3-pointer by Jalen Brunson and coasted to a 67-46 halftime lead. They led by as many as 37 points, 137-100, in the closing minutes.

TIP-INS

Mavericks: Doncic scored or assisted on 19 of the Mavs' 28 first-half field goals. He also joined Damian Lillard and Trae Young as the only players with multiple 20-point, 10-assist halves since 2018-19. . C Kristaps Porzingis, who left with a sprained right ankle in Monday's game, returned to the lineup. . G Reggie Bullock started in place of G Tim Hardaway Jr. . G Frank Ntilikina sat out with a calf strain and C Willie Cauley-Stein missed the game for personal reasons.

Pelicans: G Josh Hart was sidelined with left knee soreness. . After a 7-of-8 performance from long range against the Clippers on Monday, C Jonas Valanciunas entered the game as the NBA's top 3-point shooter (51.7%) but missed all four shots from long range.

UP NEXT

Mavericks: Host the Pelicans on Friday in the second of a home-and-home series.

Pelicans: At Dallas on Friday.

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