The New Orleans Pelicans are still looking for the first win of the month after losing to the Dallas Mavericks 118-97 at the Smoothie King Center on Tuesday. The Pelicans are now 6-15 on the season.
Here was the good, the bad and the Ball from Tuesday’s game.
The Good: Luka Doncic
The Pelicans were the latest team to fail in their pursuit of slowing down second-year forward Luka Doncic. In just 28:29, Doncic scored a game-high 33 points on 9-18 shooting from the field, including 5-12 shooting from behind the arc. He also killed the Pelicans on the boards, grabbing 18 rebounds, more than the Pelicans’ two rebound leaders combined.
Saying he was “good” feels like a gross understatement.
The Bad: The Pelicans’ shooting
What’s been a strength of the Pelicans’ season failed them tonight, as they shot a lowly 26.8% from 3-point range on 41 attempts. Josh Hart led New Orleans in 3-point makes with three makes in six attempts. Jrue Holiday went 0-3 from behind the arc.
The Ball
Lonzo Ball ended his night with six points on 2-12 shooting from the field, including an abysmal 2-10 shooting from 3-point territory. The Pelicans allowed just 100 points per 100 possessions with Ball on the floor, but their offense was at its worst when he played. As a result, he ended the game with a -13.6 net rating.
The Pelicans will return to action on Thursday to take on the Phoenix Suns.