Williamson and the Pelicans face the Mavericks

Posted March 27, 2021 7:00 am

By The Associated Press

Dallas Mavericks (23-20, seventh in the Western Conference) vs. New Orleans Pelicans (19-25, 12th in the Western Conference)

New Orleans; Saturday, 9 p.m. EDT

BOTTOM LINE: Zion Williamson leads New Orleans into a matchup with Dallas. He's eighth in the league averaging 26.0 points per game.

The Pelicans are 11-17 against Western Conference opponents. New Orleans is second in the Western Conference in rebounding with 46.4 rebounds. Steven Adams leads the Pelicans with 9.0 boards.

The Mavericks are 5-1 against the rest of their division. Dallas is the worst team in the Western Conference shooting 36% from 3-point range.

The teams meet for the second time this season. The Mavericks won 143-130 in the last meeting on Feb. 12. Luka Doncic led Dallas with 46 points, and Williamson led New Orleans with 36 points.

TOP PERFORMERS: Brandon Ingram is second on the Pelicans with 2.4 made 3-pointers, and is averaging 23.9 points while shooting 38.4% from beyond the arc. Adams is shooting 63.0% and averaging 8.1 points over the last 10 games for New Orleans.

Kristaps Porzingis leads the Mavericks with 8.9 rebounds and averages 20.4 points. Tim Hardaway Jr. is averaging three made 3-pointers and scoring 16.9 points over the last 10 games for Dallas.

LAST 10 GAMES: Pelicans: 4-6, averaging 113.9 points, 46 rebounds, 29.4 assists, seven steals and 4.8 blocks per game while shooting 49.2% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 112.1 points on 46.7% shooting.

Mavericks: 6-4, averaging 110.3 points, 46 rebounds, 22.3 assists, 5.2 steals and 4.4 blocks per game while shooting 48.2% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 103.3 points on 43.1% shooting.

INJURIES: Pelicans: Lonzo Ball: out (hip).

Mavericks: Nicolo Melli: out (not with team), JJ Redick: out (heel), Tyrell Terry: out (personal), Luka Doncic: out (low back), Willie Cauley-Stein: out (health and safety protocols).

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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

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