New Orleans Pelicans (26-26, 10th in the Western Conference) vs. Dallas Mavericks (27-25, sixth in the Western Conference)
Dallas; Thursday, 8:30 p.m. EST
BOTTOM LINE: Dallas hosts the New Orleans Pelicans after Luka Doncic scored 53 points in the Dallas Mavericks' 111-105 victory over the Detroit Pistons.
The Mavericks are 19-12 against conference opponents. Dallas ranks ninth in the Western Conference shooting 36.1% from downtown, led by Josh Green shooting 43.2% from 3-point range.
The Pelicans are 7-3 against the rest of their division. New Orleans scores 115.0 points while outscoring opponents by 1.3 points per game.
The teams meet for the third time this season. The Mavericks won 127-117 in the last meeting on Jan. 8. Doncic led the Mavericks with 34 points, and Jonas Valanciunas led the Pelicans with 25 points.
TOP PERFORMERS: Doncic is averaging 33.4 points, 8.9 rebounds, 8.3 assists and 1.5 steals for the Mavericks. Spencer Dinwiddie is averaging 18.9 points and 2.7 rebounds while shooting 45.7% over the last 10 games for Dallas.
CJ McCollum averages 2.9 made 3-pointers per game for the Pelicans, scoring 20.8 points while shooting 38.7% from beyond the arc. Valanciunas is averaging 15.8 points and 10.1 rebounds over the last 10 games for New Orleans.
LAST 10 GAMES: Mavericks: 4-6, averaging 113.2 points, 37.6 rebounds, 23.3 assists, 4.8 steals and 3.0 blocks per game while shooting 48.1% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 115.8 points per game.
Pelicans: 1-9, averaging 104.9 points, 39.5 rebounds, 25.2 assists, 8.5 steals and 3.9 blocks per game while shooting 46.1% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 115.0 points.
INJURIES: Mavericks: Maxi Kleber: out (hamstring), Christian Wood: out (thumb).
Pelicans: E.J. Liddell: out (right knee), Zion Williamson: out (hamstring), Dyson Daniels: out (ankle).
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The Associated Press
