New Orleans Pelicans vs Dallas Mavericks Prediction & Match Preview - February 12, 2021 | NBA Season 2020-21
The New Orleans Pelicans are set to take on the Dallas Mavericks at the American Airlines Center on Friday night. The Pelicans’ four-game winning streak was snapped by the Chicago Bulls, on Wednesday, when Zach LaVine exploded for a season-high 46 points in a 129-116 win.
The loss brought the Pelicans back to earth ahead of their matchup with the Mavericks, who won a 118-117 nail-biter over the Atlanta Hawks on the same day. All-Star guard Luka Doncic recorded a triple-double with 28 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists in the victory.
The Dallas Mavericks have won three straight and four of their last five games heading into Friday's game versus the New Orleans Pelicans.
Match Details
Fixture - New Orleans Pelicans vs Dallas Mavericks | 2020-21 NBA Season
Date & Time - Friday, February 12th, 7:30 PM ET (Saturday, February 11th, 6:00 AM IST)
Venue - American Airlines Center, Dallas, TX
New Orleans Pelicans Preview
Friday's matchup with the Dallas Mavericks will be the second in a four-game road swing for the New Orleans Pelicans. Stan Van Gundy's team are slowly discovering their identity after a rough patch a few weeks ago when they lost eight of nine games.
Their defense was at its finest during the recent win streak until they surrendered 129 points to the Bulls on Wednesday. For the Pelicans to win against the Dallas Mavericks, they have to go back to the discipline they exhibited defensively prior to the Chicago game.
Key Player - Zion Williamson
There are those who believe Zion Williamson isn’t improving or playing up to his potential. In truth, he is barely scratching the surface and has already become one of the fastest players in league history to score 1,000 points in his career.
The New Orleans Pelicans forward barely has an entire season under his belt (47 career games) and already he’s an unstoppable force underneath. Though he has to diversify his game eventually, Williamson is playing to his strengths and providing stability for this young Pelicans squad.
He is currently averaging 23.8 points on 59.9 percent field-goal shooting and 7.0 rebounds per game this season. No one on the Dallas Mavericks can guard him one-on-one, so don’t be surprised to see them double-team him whenever he gets into positions down low.
New Orleans Pelicans Predicted Lineup
G Lonzo Ball G Eric Bledsoe F Brandon Ingram F Zion Williamson C Steven Adams
Dallas Mavericks Preview
The Dallas Mavericks were expected to be a title contender this season, especially with the new additions during the offseason. Instead, they have regressed and fallen into 11th place in the Western Conference (12-14) despite their recent winning streak.
Coach Rick Carlisle is struggling to get his team to play defense for 48 minutes and it has resulted in a number of losses this season. A meeting with the New Orleans Pelicans could prove disastrous unless they clamp down on defense and prevent this high-octane team from burying them offensively.
Key Player - Josh Richardson
Over his last five games, Josh Richardson has been averaging 14.8 points, 3.5 rebounds and 4.2 assists an outing. His shooting has improved slightly, which explains the jump in his scoring average (12.9) for the season.
Though he’s giving up a couple of inches to the New Orleans Pelicans star, Richardson may be assigned to guard Brandon Ingram, which is no easy task. One of the better two-way players in the game, Richardson has to be aggressive offensively to keep Ingram busy.
The 27-year old will have to be active on both ends of the floor to give the Dallas Mavericks a chance to win.
Dallas Mavericks Predicted Lineup
G Luka Doncic G Josh Richardson F Dorian Finney-Smith F Maxi Kleber C Kristaps Porzingis
Pelicans vs Mavericks Match Prediction
The New Orleans Pelicans (113.1, 25th) and Dallas Mavericks (113.4, 26th) are two of the worst defensive teams in the league, so expect a high-scoring game. But the Pelicans had discovered how to stop teams from scoring prior to Wednesday’s loss and should be in better shape defensively for this game.
The Mavericks, on the other hand, have been giving up 126.8 points a night to their opponents over the last five games despite winning four of them. Pretty soon, their defensive woes are going to catch up to them and it is possible it could happen in this game.
The New Orleans Pelicans are eighth in offensive rating, and when they face a poor defensive team like the Dallas Mavericks, expect them to outscore their opponent and win the game in the end.
Where to Watch Pelicans vs Mavericks?
The New Orleans Pelicans-Dallas Mavericks game will be covered nationally by ESPN and locally by FOX Sports New Orleans and FOX Sports Southwest Dallas. For international audiences, the game will be on NBA League Pass.
Also Read: 'We gotta get out of our comfort zone' James Harden on Brooklyn Nets' defensive struggles in 104-94 win against Indiana Pacers