Luka Doncic, Zion Williamson Drop Career Highs as Mavs Outlast Pelicans 143-130
Luka Doncic scored a career-high 46 points and Kristaps Porzingis hit eight three-pointers to propel the Dallas Mavericks to a 143-130 home win over the New Orleans Pelicans on Friday at American Airlines Center.
Doncic added 12 assists and eight rebounds for his near triple-double, and Porzingis finished with 36 points. The Mavericks also combined to make 25 of 45 three-pointers.
Zion Williamson, who made all 10 of his first-half shots en route to 23 points by halftime, also registered a career-high scoring total with 36. Brandon Ingram complemented Williamson's effort with 30 points.
The Mavs led 69-65 at halftime after Porzingis made 7-of-11 three-pointers, including one at the halftime buzzer.
Dallas and New Orleans both crossed 100 points before the third quarter, with the Mavs leading 108-101. However, Dallas used a 15-4 run early in the fourth to help put the game away.
The 13-14 Mavericks won their fourth straight game. The 11-14 Pels dropped their second game in a row.
Notable Performances
Pelicans PF Zion Williamson: 36 points, 4 assists, 2 steals
Pelicans F Brandon Ingram: 30 points, 5 assists, 5 rebounds
Pelicans PG Lonzo Ball: 12 points, 7 assists, 6 rebounds
Mavericks PG Luka Doncic: 46 points, 12 assists, 8 rebounds
Mavericks C Kristaps Porzingis: 36 points, 7 rebounds
Mavericks G Jalen Brunson: 13 points, 7 assists, 6 rebounds
Doncic and Porzingis Crush Pelicans
There was no stopping Doncic and Porzingis on Friday evening. It's hard enough to stop a 7'3" big man who can shoot three-pointers from halfcourt logos, but it's another to slow down one of the NBA's best players in Doncic, whose arsenal of moves makes him near-invincible on occasion.
Porzingis was almost unstoppable from deep, starting the Mavs' scoring with a three en route to making four of his first five three-pointers:
He continued his success in the second half, capping off a 69-point first half with another triple:
KP kept it going in the third quarter by ripping a page from Stephen Curry and Damian Lillard's playbook and nailing a logo three:
Doncic was simply magical at times, dropping a three over seven-foot center Steven Adams:
He also harkened back to another Mavericks legend with this mid-range shot:
When it was over, the Mavs' public relations team tweeted about some of Doncic's accolades:
Mavs digital content manager Bobby Karalla also posted this mind-boggling stat on Doncic, who had set a career-high in scoring with 43 points just six nights ago:
The night featured some suspect defense on both sides en route to a 273-point game, but this feat from Doncic and KP is still impressive:
Doncic and Williamson even managed to make history together:
Williamson was fantastic in his own right, but the Mavs are finally hitting their stride after a slow start to the season hampered by numerous absences.
Doncic and Porzingis are primarily to thank for that resurgence, and now the Mavs will look to continue their hot streak as the end of the NBA's first half approaches.
Zion Perfect in 1st Half; Ingram Posts 30 Points
It wasn't meant to be for the Pels on Friday, but the Ingram-Wiliamson combination had a great day of their own, scoring 24 combined points in the first quarter:
The restricted area continued to be Williamson's home, as he scored all 10 of his buckets there in the first half:
Williamson ended up going 14-of-15 overall, doing so by flying to the rim at times:
He faced more resistance to the basket on this bucket, but it didn't matter as Porzingis stood no chance in stopping Williamson:
The former Duke star finished his first-half scoring with a smooth layup despite the foul from Mavs' forward Maxi Kleber:
As for Ingram, the ex-Los Angeles Laker slowed down a bit after a hot first quarter, but he still excelled overall. He got things going with a pair of threes early on:
BI was smooth from mid-range too:
Ingram went back outside the arc to help New Orleans stay in the game in the third:
The fourth quarter belonged to the Mavs, as the Pels' defense scuffled for the second straight game after allowing a combined 76 points to Zach LaVine and Coby White in a 129-116 loss to the Chicago Bulls.
But the future is still bright in New Orleans thanks to Williamson and Ingram, who form one of the game's most exciting and explosive young duos.
What's Next?
Dallas will stay home to host the Portland Trail Blazers on Sunday at 7:30 p.m. ET. New Orleans will visit the Detroit Pistons on Sunday at 7 p.m. at Little Caesars Arena.
