DALLAS _ The Mavericks' forceful ascent up the Western Conference standings, and their run as the hottest team in the NBA other than Milwaukee, continued Saturday afternoon in fittingly dominant fashion.
This 130-84 rout of New Orleans was so thorough that Luka Doncic sat out the game's final 14:20, but not before scoring 26 points, dealing nine assists and pulling down six rebounds.
In doing so, Doncic tied Michael Jordan's 1988-89 record for the longest post NBA-ABA merger (1976-77) run of consecutive 20-point, five-rebound, five-assist games, at 18.
The Mavericks (16-6) won for the fifth straight game, and for the 10th time in their last 11 games, a torrid run that has carried them to second place in the Western Conference standings.
"It's good, but I wish it was like that at the end (of the season)," Doncic said. "It's only the start of the season, so we've got to keep rolling."
Dallas is 10 games above .500 for the first time since the 2014-15 season, when it started 18-8 and remained at least 10 games over for the rest of the season.
"Look, it's great to be winning games more consistently than the last three years," Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle said. "That was the goal. But we've just got to keep our eye on the ball.
"It's all very tenuous. Patting ourselves on the back right now isn't the way to go."
There was nothing tenuous about Saturday's outcome. Dallas led 104-66 after three quarters, enabling Carlisle to rest all of his starters in the fourth quarter. That's a good thing, since the Mavericks have to turn around and host Sacramento at 6 p.m. Sunday.
Along with crushing victories over Golden State and Cleveland early in this 11-game run, the Mavericks now have achieved victory margins of 48, 46 and 42 points this season. This is the first time in the franchise's 40-year history that it has posted three or more 40-point wins in a single season.
The Mavericks shot 54% from the field and had six players finish in double figures. Boban Marjanovic became the latest bench player to step forward with a big game, finishing with season highs of 15 points and 16 rebounds.
"Can't stop Bobi," said Kristaps Porzingis, Dallas' other 7-foot-3 player beside Marjanovic. "He's so great on the boards. He's so big, so strong. Once he gets the ball in the paint, you can't really do much with him."
This game was televised in prime time throughout Europe. While being interviewed on TV after the game, Marjanovic took the opportunity to say hello to his parents in Serbia.
"First time on TV (as a Maverick)," he said. "First time in this arena. First time on camera. It just made it nice for me to say hi to my family."
Marjanovic has been on playoff teams in San Antonio and Philadelphia, so he knows a good team when he sees one.
"This is a really long bench, with guys who can play, who can jump in for somebody," he said. "Everybody can play. We have some good players. Everybody can play with each other and enjoy playing with this group of people."
In conclusion, Marjanovic smiled and said, "I'm so smart sometimes."
Wright injured: Guard Delon Wright suffered a right groin strain during Saturday's first half. Carlisle said Wright is "very unlikely" to play against Sacramento on Sunday.
"Hopefully it's not serious," Carlisle said. After Sunday's game, the Mavericks are off until Thursday, when they play Detroit in Mexico City.
