Mavericks (3-13), Pelicans (6-12)
DALLAS – In a storyline similar to what took place often during the frustrating early portion of the schedule, New Orleans played Dallas evenly Sunday for three-plus quarters, but couldn’t close out a victory, instead dropping what had been a tight affair. The Pelicans were up 68-62 during the early stages of the fourth quarter, but the Mavericks went on an extended 27-12 run to take over the Southwest Division matchup. The struggling Mavs prevailed despite being without perennial All-Star forward Dirk Nowitzki.
New Orleans heads home to face the two Los Angeles teams this week, starting with the Lakers on Tuesday, followed by the Clippers on Friday.