The Dallas Mavericks walked into Smoothie King Center and, for the second straight road game, played well enough for long enough to believe a win was there to be taken.
For the second straight time, the fourth quarter said otherwise.
Dallas surrendered 40 points in the final period Monday night and fell 119–113 to the New Orleans Pelicans, continuing a troubling pattern after a similar late collapse in Philadelphia. The loss dropped the Mavericks to 11–19 overall and 3–10 on the road, while New Orleans extended its winning streak to five.
That fourth-quarter unraveling has become increasingly pronounced. Dallas has now led going into each of its last four fourth quarters, yet has lost three of those four games after decisive late swings. Over that span, the Mavericks have allowed 37, 31, 30, and 40 points in the fourth quarter while scoring 30, 19, 17, and 26, respectively. The cumulative result is a minus-46 scoring differential in those final periods, with Dallas being outscored by an average of 11.5 points per fourth quarter.
Those issues extend beyond this road trip. Dallas is now 9–14 in clutch games, the most clutch games played by any team in the league, and also the most losses in those situations. What has consistently put the Mavericks in position late has just as consistently left them exposed when execution tightens.
Despite a dominant return to New Orleans from Anthony Davis, Dallas could not close, undone by defensive breakdowns, turnovers, missed free throws, and uneven supporting production when the game tightened.
Anthony Davis Delivers, but the Fourth Quarter Undercuts It
Davis was booed throughout the night in the city where his NBA career began, but the reaction did nothing to slow him. He finished with 35 points and 17 rebounds, controlling the paint and anchoring Dallas through three quarters.
“I don’t care,” Davis said of the crowd reception. “It doesn’t really bother me.”
After New Orleans scored 36 points in the opening quarter, the Mavericks flipped the tone of the game. They held the Pelicans to 43 combined points in the second and third quarters, entering the fourth with an 87–79 lead. When Davis converted a driving basket and free throw early in the final frame to make it 90–81, Dallas appeared to be in control.
What followed was a decisive swing.
“There were a lot of plays we could have made—loose balls, tipped rebounds where they end up getting it and kicking it out for threes, late-quarter turnovers,” Davis said. “That was really the game right there. We also missed a ton of free throws tonight. You can’t give up 40 points in the fourth quarter.”
Defensive Stops Disappear as New Orleans Surges
New Orleans erased the deficit with a 15–4 run midway through the fourth quarter, tying the game at 98 and seizing control with downhill pressure and repeated trips to the free-throw line. The Pelicans shot a perfect 13-of-13 at the stripe in the fourth and finished the period shooting 57.1% from the field.
Head coach Jason Kidd pointed to the inability to get stops when the game reached its most critical stretch.
“I thought they attacked all night, and we did a really good job for three quarters,” Kidd said. “After that first quarter, I thought the second and third quarters were really good defensively. But in the fourth quarter, giving up 40 points—you’re not going to win that way. We had the lead, had some turnovers, missed opportunities. We got some good looks that didn’t go down, but for about four minutes we didn’t get a defensive stop. That’s tough. We still had opportunities and just came up short.”
The Pelicans’ interior pressure was led by Zion Williamson, who once again shifted the game’s tempo off the bench.
“He comes in looking to score, and he did that at a high level for them in the first and fourth quarters,” Kidd said. “He was able to get to the rim and get to the free-throw line. They shot free throws well, and we didn’t. That’s something we have to be better at.”
Davis echoed that assessment.
“He just goes,” Davis said. “Obviously. it’s been working for them with him coming off the bench—they’ve won five in a row. He plays to his capability: attacking downhill, quick first step, very athletic. Even if he misses, he can follow his shot and get his own rebound. Late in the game, when they clear out a side, we have to show help and not give him lanes.”
New Orleans also continued to benefit from rookie Derik Queen, who finished with 19 points and 11 rebounds and remained effective throughout the closing stretch.
“That was my first time playing against him,” Davis said. “He can really play. He’s very skilled, can pass, can put the ball on the floor, and make plays for himself and others. He’s going to be a really good player in this league.”
Turnovers, Free Throws and Supporting Cast Struggles
Dallas finished with 17 turnovers, several of them live-ball miscues in the fourth quarter that directly fueled New Orleans’ run. Those turnovers led to 20 Pelicans points, while Dallas shot a season-low 52.4% from the free-throw line.
“When we get shot attempts, it puts us in a much better position,” Kidd said. “But we had some careless turnovers in the fourth quarter. Overall, when you have 16 or 17 turnovers that turn into 20 points, that’s too many. When we take care of the ball, it puts us in a position to win.”
Asked whether pace contributed to the mistakes late, Davis disagreed.
“No,” Davis said. “I’d have to go back and look at some of them. I didn’t see a couple of the turnovers clearly. I don’t think the pace affected us. We like playing fast. Late in the game, you slow it down, get into sets, and get good looks. I don’t think pace was the issue.”
Hot Start, Uneven Finish
Dallas received a significant early lift from Klay Thompson, who scored all 20 of his points in the first half and knocked down five three-pointers. That production did not carry over.
“Both guys were rolling early,” Kidd said. “Anthony was playing great, and Klay was getting buckets in the first half. In the second half, I don’t think he made one. It happens. I thought he kept competing and finding guys because of his gravity. We just didn’t finish some shots in the paint tonight. We have to be better.”
Davis added, “He just missed shots. He had some of the same looks—some wide-open looks. Teams are going to run at him, try to take away his shot, make him put the ball on the floor or pass. He had great looks; they just didn’t go in.”
Rookie Cooper Flagg finished with 16 points, six rebounds and six assists, but struggled at the free-throw line, going 5-of-10, including misses during critical moments in the fourth quarter.
Role Player Production Falls Short Late
Outside of Davis, the Mavericks struggled to generate consistent support when the game tightened. Naji Marshall was the exception, finishing with 15 points, six assists and five rebounds on 7-of-10 shooting while providing steady two-way impact and connective playmaking during Dallas’ strongest stretches.
The rest of the supporting cast, however, was unable to sustain that level. Ryan Nembhard struggled to find efficiency as a scorer, finishing 2-of-13 from the field with five turnovers. P.J. Washington added eight points but also committed multiple turnovers that disrupted late possessions.
Off the bench, Dallas did not receive a meaningful offensive lift. Caleb Martin, Daniel Gafford, Brandon Williams, and Jaden Hardy combined for limited impact as New Orleans tightened defensively, further narrowing Dallas’ margin for error.
Closing Games Remains the Next Step
Kidd framed the ongoing issue as composure.
“Calmness,” he said. “There’s no reason to rush or panic. You get a stop, get a good look. We did some of that, but we didn’t get the stops. The second and third quarters were really good. The fourth quarter was not.”
For Davis, the result rendered everything else irrelevant.
“It’s nothing,” he said. “I want to win. It’s a game we should have had and kind of gave away in the fourth quarter—same with Philly. We’ve dropped the last two games in the fourth quarter, so we have to be better prepared and locked in late.”
Dallas now moves on with little time to dwell. The Mavericks conclude the back-to-back Tuesday night when they host the Denver Nuggets at American Airlines Center, with a quick turnaround offering limited margin to carry over the lessons from consecutive fourth-quarter losses.
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