Mavs pass Pelicans, end eight-game slide
DALLAS -- Harrison Barnes and Wesley Matthews each found the hot hand in the fourth quarter to lead the Mavericks past the New Orleans Pelicans 91-81 Sunday, snapping Dallas' eight-game losing skid, the longest of the Mark Cuban era.
Matthews and Barnes combined for 23 of the Mavs' 31 fourth-quarter points to bring Dallas back from a 68-62 deficit early in the period.
Barnes, who signed a big-money deal with Dallas during the offseason, finished with 23 points, seven rebounds and four assists. His lone 3-pointer on four attempts with under five minutes to play came on the heels of Matthews burying one to start Dallas' finishing push.
Matthews scored 21 points and sank 6 of 8 from beyond the arc on a night when Dallas played an 11th time without Dirk Nowitzki (Achilles). The Mavericks (3-13) tasted victory for the first time since Nov. 8.
After Dallas went ahead 78-75 with 4:05 to play, New Orleans managed just six points the rest of the way.
The Pelicans (6-12) were led by All-Star forward Anthony Davis, who continued to put up MVP-like numbers with 36 points on 12-of-22 shooting, 13 rebounds, three assists, two steals and a block. But even an MVP needs help, and it simply didn't come. Guard Jrue Holiday, coming off the bench since his recent return, was the only other New Orleans player to score in double figures, finishing with 17 points in 31 minutes.
It as the Pelicans' second consecutive loss after stringing together a season-best four-game win streak.
Both teams had plenty of problems finding the basket for most of the game, and the inability to score kept it close. Dallas' 10-point winning margin was its largest lead of the game. New Orleans' biggest lead was six when it came out on a roll to open the final period.
The teams were tied 20 times and they swapped the lead 18 times.
The strong finish got the Mavs over 40 percent from the field and up to 37 percent from beyond the arc, a mark that was stalled out in the 20 percent range almost all night.
The Pelicans shot 39 percent from the floor and went 5 of 20 from beyond the arc.
Davis' tip-in at the first-half buzzer gave him 19 points and cut the Dallas lead to 44-42 at halftime. The Pelicans' other four starters combined for 19 points for the entire game on 8-of-20 shooting.
Dallas got bench scoring from Justin Anderson, who had 14 points and two 3-pointers on three attempts, and Seth Curry, who finished with 10 points.
NOTES: Mavericks F Dirk Nowitzki was held out of the game as part of a maintenance program to deal with his strained right Achilles tendon. Coach Rick Carlisle said Nowitzki did not have a setback since returning two games ago and that the big man could be in and out of the lineup during the coming weeks. ... Dallas PG Deron Williams (calf) was back in the lineup after playing 15 minutes in his return Friday. He scored nine points in 20 minutes. ... With the Mavs losing 13 of its first 15 games entering Sunday, owner Mark Cuban said his team will not tank. "One little roll and it could all be different," Cuban said. ... Pelicans F Dante Cunningham (right fibula fracture) missed his second game of what the team said will be a four- to six-week absence after he was injured in Wednesday's game against Minnesota. ... The Pelicans recalled rookie F Cheick Diallo from the Austin Spurs of the NBA Development League after sending him down on Nov. 10.