In matchup headlined by young superstars on both squads in Luka Doncic and Zion Williamson, it was the Dallas Mavericks that came out on top in overtime.
For the Mavericks, the duo of Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis combined for 62 points while the duo of Seth Curry and Tim Hardaway Jr. knocked down 10 three-pointers en route to combining for 39 points.
This is the first time the New Orleans Pelicans have lost three straight or more since Dec. 18 and the first since Zion Williamson returned from injury. Today's game was the first back-to-back of Williamson's young career.
With that in mind, here's a look at the biggest takeaways from this game:
Mavericks' 1-2 punch takes over
With 30 points, 17 rebounds, and 10 assists, Doncic recorded his 22nd career triple-double - the most in Mavericks franchise history .
Luka Doncic is the first player in Mavs history with a 30/15/10 game.
— StatMuse (@statmuse) March 5, 2020
He joins Russell Westbrook, James Harden and Kobe Bryant as the only guards with that stat line since 2000. pic.twitter.com/VNBcGvvG7z
He joined an illustrious company of just five players in NBA history - Michael Jordan, Oscar Robertson, James Harden, and Russell Westbrook - to have recorded 10 or more triple-doubles in a single season .
Shooting 9-of-20 from the field, Doncic was having an off-game by his standards but he got it going in overtime. He scored or assisted on nine of the team's 15 points and then tipped this crucial loose ball after driving by Jrue Holiday with the fancy moves.
Luka blew past Jrue Holiday 🤭 pic.twitter.com/2Cms5cPJ78
— ESPN (@espn) March 5, 2020
He received plenty of help from Kristaps Porzingis who finished with 34 points, 12 rebounds, five blocks and three assists.
dsfKristaps Porzingis and Luka Doncic are the first pair of Mavericks teammates with 30 pts and 10 rebs in the same game since Dirk Nowitzki and Josh Howard in 2008.
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) March 5, 2020
Porzingis is also the first player with 30 pts, 10 reb & 5 blk in consecutive games since Shaquille O'Neal in 2000. pic.twitter.com/AQiBIVNw2d
Porzingis has been on fire since February 1st, recording shooting splits of nearly 49% from the field, 40% from beyond the arc, and 85% from beyond the arc.
Postgame, Doncic was taken to the X-ray room and while the results haven't been confirmed, the team is still referring to the injury as a sprained left thumb, as per ESPN's Tim MacMahon .
A mixed night for Zion
Zion Williamson extended his streak of scoring 20+ points to 13 games , tying the second-longest streak in franchise history and one game shy of Blake Griffin's record for a rookie since 2000.
He recorded 21 points and six rebounds on the night, on 9-of-18 shooting and 3-of-5 at the free-throw line, but he found the going tough against a well-organised Mavs defence.
Maxi Kleber turned in an impressive performance against the rookie, recording five of Dallas' season-high 13 blocks, with all five coming against Williamson.
Williamson still got to his spots in the back-and-forth battle, using his size to his advantage in the third quarter as he went straight through the German for this two-handed flush.
Zion just bullies his way into a Pelicans' lead 💪 pic.twitter.com/FmSeWCan9o
— New Orleans Pelicans (@PelicansNBA) March 5, 2020
Ingram and Ball stand tall
While all eyes were on Zion Williamson, Brandon Ingram and Lonzo Ball were the best players on the court for the Pelicans with the youngsters making an impact on both sides of the floor.
Ball had the hot hand from deep, tying his career-high with seven 3-pointers for the second game in a row on his way to 25 points, 11 rebounds, six assists, and two steals.
Over the past two games, Ball has shot 14-of-21 (66.7) from the three-point line.
On the defensive end, he had his work cut out for him staying in front of Doncic, but Ball was active and engaged, putting his length to good use as he forced the ball out of Doncic's hands in key moments.
Before fouling out in overtime, Ingram fueled the Pelicans offence all night, coming up with big shot after big shot in the fourth quarter to keep the Pelicans in striking distance.
Tough shot from Ingram extends the lead! pic.twitter.com/4Og2RU340b
— New Orleans Pelicans (@PelicansNBA) March 5, 2020
His ability to create off the dribble and finish through contact continues to impress and the Pelicans will need more tandem performances like this from the young duo if they're to continue keeping pace in the playoff race.
The playoff race is heating up
With this loss and their current losing streak, the Pelicans are now five games behind the eighth-seeded Memphis Grizzlies with both teams still having 20 games on their schedule.
To make matters slightly more difficult, as the Pelicans lost, both the Grizzlies and the Portland Trail Blazers picked up much-needed wins. However, as per tankathon , the Pelicans have the third easiest remaining schedule and the easiest among the teams competing for the eighth seed in the West.
On the other hand, for the Mavericks, this win keeps them in the hunt for the fourth seed in the West.
The views expressed here do not represent those of the NBA or its clubs.