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| 1Q | 2Q | 3Q | 4Q | FINAL | |
| Dallas Mavericks | 30 | 22 | 28 | 25 | 105 |
| New Orleans Pelicans | 29 | 25 | 26 | 35 | 115 |
| Player | REB | AST | TOV | STL | BLK | PF | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Solomon Hill | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Anthony Davis | 8 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 37 |
| Emeka Okafor | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| E’Twaun Moore | 1 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 14 |
| Rajon Rondo | 9 | 14 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 19 |
| Nikola Mirotic | 7 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 8 |
| Darius Miller | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Ian Clark | 1 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 19 |
| DeAndre Liggins | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Chieck Diallo | 14 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 10 |
| Larry Drew II | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 6 |
Final Score Pelicans come away with a 115-105 win thanks to an offensive surge in the fourth quarter, outscoring the Mavericks 35-25. Anthony Davis led the way with 37 points, eight boards, two assists, and a pair of blocks.
2:19 Fourth Quarter Davis and Rajon Rondo continue to stuff the stat sheet, helping the Pelicans make it 110-103. Rondo has 14 assists on the evening and still has a shot at a triple-double with nine boards and 16 points.
4:29 Fourth Quarter Chieck Diallo gets to double figures, helping New Orleans take a 101-96 lead.
6:29 Fourth Quarter Pelicans start to pull away to start the fourth quarter, going up 95-89 thanks to a pair of solid shots from Ian Clark.
End of Third Quarter We’re all tied up at 80 points thanks to a late three-pointer from Anthony Davis who is at 29 points headed into the fourth. Davis is one of four players in double figures.
1:43 Third Quarter Pelicans hanging on by a thread 75-73. It’s not your typical third quarter by the Pelicans as it’s been back and forth throughout.
5:10 Third Quarter Mavericks tie up at 71, but Anthony Davis responded with a jump shot, giving him 24 points. Rajon Rondo gets his 13th double-double of the season with 10 points and 11 assists.
8:54 Third Quarter Pelicans start third quarter on the right foot with a 10-5 run, extending their lead to 64-57. E’Twaun Moore seemed to be key to strong start with five points,
Injury Update Anthony Davis (lower left leg) questionable to return. He is able to return to start the third quarter.
Halftime Thoughts
Mavericks bench is working overtime with Dennis Smith Jr. out with an injury tonight, putting up 28 points in the first half. If they can keep it up in the third quarter, a win could be in reach considering how typically poor they play coming out of the locker room to start the second half.
The Pelicans had a very spirited finish to the first half, but if Anthony Davis is out, it seems highly unlikely that this team can hang onto the slim lead that they have right now.
End of Second Quarter Pelicans go on a 19-1 run late, highlighted by a monster alley-oop from Anthony Davis to take a 52-50 lead with 2:54 left. Davis limped off the court as halftime came to a close with the Pelicans after getting a look at his lower leg.
SEND IT IN AD! #doitBIG
On @FOXSportsNOLA #AD4MVP pic.twitter.com/e6C0NrDD4R
— New Orleans Pelicans (@PelicansNBA) March 21, 2018
5:25 Second Quarter Mavericks continue to take advantage of poor defensive effort from Pelicans, but Anthony Davis giving them new life offensively, cutting the lead down to five points.
10:11 Second Quarter Mavericks respond with a 7-0 run, forcing the Pelicans to take a timeout. Dallas shooting 60.7% from the field tonight, including three-of-eight from beyond the arc.
End First Quarter Pelicans finish first quarter strong with a 7-2 run, capping it off with a last-second shot from Ian Clark to make it 30-29. As expected, Anthony Davis leading the way with nine points with Rajon Rondo and Clark right behind him with six points apiece.
2:28 First Quarter Mavericks able to pull away early on, up 28-22. Mavericks bench carrying their own weight with 11 points.
6:49 First Quarter Early back and forth between both teams, Dallas holds a slim 11-10 lead. Solomon Hill in his first start of the 2017-18 season drained his first field goal attempt thanks to a friendly bounce.
Starting Lineup
| Mavericks Lineup | Pelicans Lineup |
|---|---|
| SF Dorian Finney-Smith | SF Solomon Hill |
| PF Harrison Barnes | G Rajon Rondo |
| C Dwight Powell | G E’Twaun Moore |
| C Dirk Nowitski | PF Anthony Davis |
| PG JJ Barea | C Emeka Okafor |
Game Details:
Tipoff Time: 7:00 PM Central Time
Date: March 20, 2018
Location: Smoothie King Center
Records: Pelicans (40-30) Mavericks (22-48)
Favorites: Pelicans by 9
Storylines
Holiday Out:
Jrue Holiday is going to miss tonight’s matchup with what is being called by sources as flu-like symptoms. Considering the fact that this team will be playing the next three nights, it’d be interesting to see if Holiday is on the floor before Saturday against the Rockets.
Smith Jr. Out:
Guard Dennis Smith Jr. will be out for the matchup after spraining his left ankle in a loss to the Brooklyn Nets. He had a great outing, putting up 21 points in 23 minutes, but will sit out the last game of the Mavericks road trip.
Three Games in Three Days:
At this point in the season, the Pelicans will need to win as many games as they can and this three game stretch is a big reason why. At first glance, the next three opponents (Mavs, Pacers, Lakers) are a relative cakewalk at first glance and if they can take at least two of three, they’ll be in relatively good shape before a tough stretch of games against the Rockets, Trail Blazers, Cavs, and Thunder. However, they’ll have to hope for a lot of things to happen to keep their spot in the postseason.
-Clint Domingue