Luka Doncic, Kristaps Porzingis Power Mavericks to Win over Lonzo Ball, Pelicans

The Dallas Mavericks moved to 2-0 thanks to a 123-116 road victory over the New Orleans Pelicans on Friday at Smoothie King Center.

Luka Doncic posted a 25-point triple-double, Kristaps Porzingis excelled on both ends with 24 points and five blocks and Delon Wright stuffed the stat sheet off the bench.

The 0-2 Pels, who are without star rookie Zion Williamson as he recovers from a torn meniscus, shot 45.9 percent from the field and dished 30 assists versus just 14 turnovers. However, they struggled defensively en route to the seven-point loss.

Brandon Ingram paced New Orleans with 25 points.

Notable Performances

Mavericks PG Luka Doncic: 25 points on 10-of-19 shooting, 10 assists, 10 rebounds

Mavericks PF Kristaps Porzingis: 24 points on 8-of-17 shooting, 5 blocks

Mavericks G Delon Wright: 20 points on 8-of-12 shooting, 7 rebounds, 5 steals

Pelicans PG Lonzo Ball: 15 points on 6-of-16 shooting, 8 rebounds, 5 assists

Pelicans PF Brandon Ingram: 25 points on 10-of-20 shooting, 8 rebounds

Pelicans G Jrue Holiday: 8 points on 2-of-11 shooting, 8 assists

Luka Doncic Does It Again

These were Doncic's stats through the first 6:30 of the first quarter: zero points on 0-of-1 shooting, zero assists, zero rebounds.

A sluggish performance appeared to be on the horizon, but Doncic had other ideas.

Despite the slow start, the ex-Real Madrid star amassed his 25-point triple-double in his final 30-plus minutes on the court, leading the Mavericks to another victory.

The second-year pro, who led the team with a plus-12 mark and committed just three turnovers in 37 minutes, took over down the stretch.

With the Mavs up 115-113 late, Doncic took care of business with Pels forward Kenrich Williams in his back pocket, working his way to the lane for two:

After the Pels came up empty, Doncic called game (and maybe bank) with a game-sealing three-pointer to put Dallas up seven:

Doncic's chemistry with Porzingis helped the team get to that point, even though its top two stars have played all of two regular-season games together.

Porzingis dished an excellent backdoor pass to Doncic to give the Mavs a 111-109 edge:

And Doncic found Porzingis in the lane earlier in the game for an easy two:

The oft-used word to describe Doncic's talent is "special," as ex-NBA center Kendrick Perkins did Friday. That is hard to dispute given a note provided by Justin Kubatko of Stat Muse:

There's no telling what the ceiling is on Doncic's career, but as for this year, he looks like a surefire All-Star and perhaps an early MVP candidate too.

Struggles from Jrue Holiday and Pels Defense Continue

Jrue Holiday's 2019-20 season has not gone as hoped, with the ex-UCLA star shooting just 30.8 percent from the field (1-of-9 from deep). The 29-year-old also opened his season with five turnovers against the Toronto Raptors.

On Friday, he finished with a team-worst minus-14, tied with Lonzo Ball. His eight points were the fewest scored since a seven-point outing against the Boston Celtics on Dec. 10, 2018.

Still, the Pels need Holiday to be closer to his peak form if they are to compete while Williamson is out. Will Guillory of The Athletic put it best:

Holiday isn't the sole reason why New Orleans is 0-2, however. It's a combination of factors, including the loss of Williamson and the fact that the team has needed to gain chemistry on the fly after an offseason roster overhaul.

Williamson will return in six-to-eight weeks, however, and the Pels' chemistry should improve with more experience.

But the defensive effort has left a lot to be desired.

They had no answer for the combination of Fred VanVleet and Pascal Siakam in the opener, as that duo scored 68 points en route to Toronto's overtime win.

On Friday, Porzingis and Doncic combined for 49 points. Granted, facing a 7'3" unicorn and a triple-double king isn't an easy task for anyone, and Guillory pointed out how the pick-and-roll was a serious issue:

But New Orleans had no response for the bench, which posted 51 points on 17-of-36 shooting.

A 41-27 lead after one quarter evaporated in the second as the Mavericks dropped 45 points en route to a 72-64 halftime edge. New Orleans fought back to tie the game at 109 in the fourth quarter, but the Pels couldn't make timely stops in the closing minutes, allowing 14 points in the final 4:24.

Eric Asher of Inside New Orleans Radio summed up the Pels' night well:

Despite the disappointing loss, 80 regular-season games remain. The Pels have plenty of time to turn things around.

What's Next?

The Pels will visit the Houston Rockets at Toyota Center on Saturday at 8 p.m. ET. Dallas will host the Portland Trail Blazers on Sunday at American Airlines Center at 7 p.m.