A stellar third quarter from the Dallas Mavericks blew open Saturday’s matinee match-up against the Pelicans as New Orleans dropped its eighth straight game, 130-84. The 46-point loss is the worst regular season loss in franchise history.
The good: Luka Doncic
It should go without saying that one of the leading MVP candidates was a highlight on the day but he went nuclear in the third period. He finished the night overall with 26 points, nine assists and six rebounds and took a 12-point halftime lead and blew it up to 38 points by the end of the third.
Doncic controlled the game on the offensive end unlike many sophomores ever have in the NBA. He’s a certified superstar who can take over a game and end it in a snap of a finger. Few players can do that in the league. New Orleans learned Doncic was one of those today.
Honorable mentions: Brandon Ingram, the start time of the game
The bad: Errr….everything?
It’s hard to pick one thing that was standout bad on the day. The Pelicans self-combusted in the third period, shot an impossible-to-believe 3-of-32 from three-point territory and shot 36 percent overall from the field.
Dallas, meanwhile, had no struggles. The Mavericks bench outscored the Pelicans 65-28 and had a lead as big as 50 points on the day. There was nothing not negative from the Pelicans on the day.
The Ball: Another disappointing shooting performance
After having arguably his best game as a Pelican, Lonzo Ball had one of his worst games, going 1-for-9 from the field and 0-for-7 from three. He finished with four points, four rebounds and two assists and had a plus-minus of -21, which, if you’re looking for small positives, was the best mark of anyone in the Pelicans starting lineup.
