Mavericks 109, Pelicans 104
Chandler Parsons scored 20 points and Monta Ellis added 17 and seven rebounds as visiting Dallas defeated New Orleans.
Dirk Nowitzki also scored 17 points as the Mavericks won their second straight game after losing their opener. Brandan Wright added 12 points on 6-of-7 shooting and Devin Harris also had 12 points for Dallas.
Anthony Davis had 31 points and 15 rebounds and Jrue Holiday added 24 points and six assists for the Pelicans. Tyreke Evans contributed 22 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists but couldn’t prevent New Orleans from losing to Dallas for the eighth consecutive time.
The Mavericks trailed by four points early in the fourth quarter before Wright scored four points during an 8-0 burst that saw Dallas take a 98-94 lead with 8:03 to play. A basket by Ellis gave the Mavericks a seven-point lead midway through the quarter and Nowitzki drained a key shot in the final minute to help Dallas prevail.
Parsons scored 15 first-half points and Dallas shot 55.1 percent from the field while building a 66-52 halftime lead. Davis had 10 points in the third quarter as the Pelicans outscored the Mavericks 37-20 to take a three-point lead into the final stanza.
GAME NOTEBOOK: Pelicans G Eric Gordon went scoreless on 0-of-6 shooting in 34 minutes. … Wright is 14-of-16 from the field over the first three games. … Davis (three) and C Omer Asik (none) combined for three blocks after swatting away 14 in New Orleans’ opener.