New Orleans Pelicans vs Dallas Mavericks Prediction & Match Preview - December 3rd, 2021 | NBA Season 2021-22

The New Orleans Pelicans and Dallas Mavericks continue their two-game mini-series at the American Airlines Center on Friday. Dallas thrashed New Orleans just a few days ago, and will look to pile on the misery on the Pelicans.

Coach Willie Green’s team has been playing quite well in their last few games, but got absolutely clobbered by the Dallas Mavericks. The New Orleans Pelicans were helpless, as they watched Luka Doncic do his magic in the first quarter. New Orleans was down 41-23 at the end of the first quarter, and things only got worse from there.

Coming out with aggression and focus will be critical for the New Orleans Pelicans on the Dallas Mavericks’ home floor. Otherwise, another blowout loss could be staring them in the face.

The Dallas Mavericks are only 2-5 in their last seven games, including the shellacking they gave the New Orleans Pelicans in their last game. Before their last win, they were out of sync, particularly in their loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers.

To be fair, they have faced the Phoenix Suns and the LA Clippers twice, and the Washington Wizards and the Cavaliers once. All these teams have been playing solid so far, so it was expected that the Mavericks would have a tough time against them. The team just played out of sorts more than what many expected them to be.

Another match against the New Orleans Pelicans could be just what the Dallas Mavericks need right now.

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Match Details

Fixture: New Orleans Pelicans vs Dallas Mavericks | 2021-22 NBA season.

Date & Time: Friday, December 3rd; 8:30 PM ET (Saturday, December 4th; 7:00 AM IST).

Venue: American Airlines Center, Dallas, TX.

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New Orleans Pelicans Preview

The New Orleans Pelicans will have to become substantially better in defense to be more competitive against the Dallas Mavericks. [Photo: The Bird Writes]

After the New Orleans Pelicans’ loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves on November 22, they dropped to 3-16 on the season. They were in danger of grabbing the NBA’s worst record away from the Houston Rockets. However, they’ve made some strides, going 3-2 in their last five games.

The New Orleans Pelicans were also unfortunate enough to catch the Dallas Mavericks in the latter’s best game of the season. They could not do anything to stop Doncic from making mincemeat of their defense. The Slovenian magician finished with 28 points, 14 assists and four rebounds in only 27 minutes of game time.

New Orleans’ defense will have to do a better job of contesting his shots and cutting off passing lanes. Their communication in defense also has to be on point, or the All-NBA star will just carve it up again.

Key Player - Brandon Ingram

Brandon Ingram is averaging 21.8 points, 6.2 rebounds and 4.3 assists this season, despite all the double and triple teams Zion Williamson left behind. He has learned to be a professional’s professional. The one-time All-Star just rolls his sleeve and plays his best every game.

Where Ingram can really improve is in his defense. His 117 defensive rating is barely better than Didi Louzada’s, who has played 15 games less than him.

The New Orleans Pelicans are ranked second-last in the league in defensive rating. If the 24-year old can help more in defense, he could encourage the team to exert more effort at that end.

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New Orleans Pelicans Predicted Lineup

G - Devonte Graham | G - Garrett Temple | F - Brandon Ingram | F - Herbert Jones | C - Jonas Valanciunas.

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Dallas Mavericks Preview

The Dallas Mavericks are not yet the offensive force they were last season.

After facing some of the toughest teams in the last few days, the Dallas Mavericks got some respite with successive games against the New Orleans Pelicans. The Mavericks were struggling in offense, particularly when Doncic went down with an injury. Although the All-Star point guard has come back, they have yet to play with their usual cohesiveness and rhythm.

The Dallas Mavericks may just have addressed their offensive malaise after facing a dismal New Orleans Pelicans defense. As hot and as efficient as Dallas were in offense in their last game, the Pelicans’ sieve-like defense contributed a lot to that.

If the Pelicans continue to be lackadaisical in defense, the Mavericks will have to capitalize on the opportunities and not get sloppy with their execution.

Key Player - Luka Doncic

The 22-year old superstar’s ability to dissect NBA defenses was on full display against the New Orleans Pelicans. He knows how to exploit defenses that lack communication and effort.

It was almost painful to watch for a Pelicans fan, with the way the Mavericks ran roughshod over their lackluster defense.

Doncic’s numbers are slowly creeping into their usual figures just a little over a month into the season. He is now averaging 25.6 points, 7.9 rebounds and 8.6 assists per game.

His shooting efficiency is also inching its way back to last season’s numbers. The Dallas Mavericks are a dangerous team when Luka Magic is at full throttle.

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Dallas Mavericks Predicted Lineup

G - Luka Doncic | G - Tim Hardaway Jr. | F - Dorian Finney-Smith | F - Kristaps Porzingis | C - Dwight Powell.

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Pelicans vs Mavericks Match Prediction

Unless the New Orleans Pelicans can make a dramatic uptick in their defensive performance, they could get run out of the building by the Dallas Mavericks. New Orleans have five players averaging double digits in scoring. But that may not be enough to compensate for their dismal ability to stop opponents from scoring.

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Where to watch the Pelicans vs Mavericks game?

The NBA League Pass will stream the game live. Local coverage of the matchup is available via Bally Sports Dallas and Bally Sports New Orleans.