NEW ORLEANS - The New Orleans Pelicans, playing without starters Zion Williamson, Brandon Ingram and Herb Jones, could have easily had a let-down game against the Dallas Mavericks on Tuesday night.
Instead, the Pelicans (3-1) punched first and held on late for a 113-111 win that included surviving a Luka Doncic game-winning three-point attempt at the buzzer.
"A lot of prayers on that last one because my angle, it looked good," Pelicans coach Willie Green said. "Thank God he didn't make it."
Without two of their top offensive players in Williamson and Ingram and their top defensive-stopper in Jones, the Pelicans had to tweak some of their game plan against Dallas.