Mavericks AM News: Big Win In The Big Easy

The Dallas Mavericks pick up one of their biggest wins of the season while resting numerous starters against the New Orleans Pelicans at Smoothie King Center.

Coming off a dramatic win against the Sacramento Kings in double overtime at American Airlines Center on Tuesday night, the Dallas Mavericks made the short trip to New Orleans to face a Pelicans team looking for their first three-game winning streak against the Mavs in franchise history.

Mavericks head coach Rick Carlisle seemed to set everything up perfectly for the Pelicans’ goal as he opted to sit power forward Dirk Nowitzki, point guard Deron Williams, shooting guard Wesley Matthews and center Zaza Pachulia. Further, small forward Chandler Parsons wasn’t one-hundred percent after getting his hip banged up against the Kings just 24 hours earlier.

Having lost to the Pelicans in the first game of 2016 on January 2nd at AAC, could the Mavericks bench pull this off?

Pelicans television announcers were using terms like “blowout” and “easy” throughout a first quarter that saw the Mavericks struggle. Perhaps they missed the back slapping and giggling going on between Pelicans players during pregame warm-ups, a sight that seemed to indicate that this young team with a record of 11-22 coming in thought that this game was just one ‘big easy.’

More from Sports Dallas Fort-Worth

That’s why they play the games.

The Mavericks got off to a slow start, as they often do, but eventually came together in dominating most of the second half with one of their best defensive efforts of the season. A final score of 100-91 showed that the Mavericks bench is certainly one to be taken seriously as the season moves closer to the midway point.

Davis torched the Mavs for 31 points in the win in Dallas on Saturday, and while he was good for 26 points in this game, he was pretty much worthless in the second half. He couldn’t finish at the rim, missed a key free-throw late in the forth quarter and had a few shots blocked by Mavericks lengthy defenders JaVale McGee and Jeremy Evans.

Parsons, like Davis, did most of his damage in the first half with 19 points – he would finish with 21 and was surpassed only by guard Raymond Felton, who scored 22. Guard J.J. Barea continued his outstanding play in the absence of Williams with a solid 11 points and four rebounds.

Forward Dwight Powell and guard Devin Harris led Mavericks scorers off the bench with 13 and 10 points, respectively.

This win comes following the first of three straight road games in just five days for the Mavericks. Dallas takes Thursday off before facing the Bucks in Milwaukee on Friday night and then the Timberwolves in Minnesota on Sunday afternoon. The Mavericks will have played 20 games out of a possible 31 days by the end of January.

Mavericks News From Around The Internet

No Starters, No Problem (Mavs.com – Earl K. Sneed)

In depth recap of the Mavericks gritty and short-handed win over a New Orleans Pelicans team that just beat Dallas to begin 2016.

Mavericks Expectations In 2016 (SportDFW – Reid Hanson)

How are the Mavs shaping up following a then-disappointing run in free agency while also dealing with injured players for virtually the entire season to this point?

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TSC Podcast Ep. 10: Legend of Dirk ( The Smoking Cuban – Isaac Harris)

FanSided Mavericks site The Smoking Cuban discusses the greatest player in the history of the Dallas Mavericks, none other than power forward Nowitzki.

Rondo Tries To Kick Williams In OT Against Kings (Mavs Moneyball – Tim Cato)

Did former Mavericks point guard Rajon Rondo really try to kick Williams during Dallas’ double-overtime win against Sacramento on Tuesday night? Keep in mind that Rondo didn’t even suit up for this game.

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