Pelicans flunk big time against Mavericks

So much for momentum.

Having won three of four games, the New Orleans Pelicans were certainly on an uptick, playing better team basketball.

The uptick ended downtown at Smoothie King Center on Wednesday night as the Pelicans laid a huge egg and were scrambled by the visiting Dallas Mavericks, 139-107.

How do you explain it?

Surely, the Mavericks have proven to be a bad matchup for the Pelicans over the last couple of seasons.

New Orleans could not defend and could not shoot it well when it mattered most. It is truly as simple as that.

The 139 points were the most yielded by New Orleans this season. The 139 points were the most scored by the Mavericks in a game this season. Dallas blitzed New Orleans 60-38 in the paint.

The Pelicans got nothing in transition, scoring just five fast break points.

The Mavericks won every quarter.

The fourth quarter was pure garbage time.

Luka Doncic did not set foot on the floor in the final frame.

He did not have to with Dallas owning an insurmountable lead.

In just 27 minutes, Doncic dominated the game, dictating tempo and abusing the New Orleans defense to the tune of 28 points and 14 assists, though he did commit eight turnovers. It was the 100th career double-double in the career of the brilliant young star.

The Mavericks shot a ridiculous 68.7 percent from the field (57-of-83), which must be the best of any team in a single game this season upon first glance. That included 52.9 percent from 3-point range (18-of-34). The 68.7 percent from the field was the fifth highest field goal percentage in a game in NBA history.

Yes, Dallas was superb offensively, as the numbers would suggest but New Orleans was equally miserable defensively, as the numbers would suggest.

Brandon Ingram played just 31 minutes and pumped in 29 points. There really wasn’t anything else positive to point to.

Now 6-18, the Pelicans go to Dallas for the rematch Friday night.

Just when you were ready to get somewhat excited, engaged, interested, the Pelicans put forth the definition of a disinterested performance.

Call it what you want and the shoe fits. This was a clunker, a junker, a funker, a flunker and you cannot blame fans that came out to return to a bunker after this one as Dallas played dunker on the Pelicans.