Dallas Took 49 Threes and Made Ten. Somebody Drive to the Damn Basket.

The Mavericks took 49 threes, made 10 and lost to New Orleans 101–97. Twenty percent from beyond the arc. Dallas also turned it over 27 times. That is a nightmare offensive night by pretty much any standard, but the crazy part is the Pelicans still had to survive a Dallas fourth-quarter comeback. Preseason or not, this game gave both staffs plenty of film they probably don't want to watch twice.

New Orleans: Fears produced, Zion looked comfortable

Jeremiah Fears led the Pelicans with 16 points, five assists and three steals, shooting 6-for-11. That line tells me he's not just out there hunting highlight clips; he's contributing to how possessions start and how they end. Zion Williamson scored 10 on a perfect 5-for-5 in 18 minutes, and Yves Missi grabbed nine rebounds with four blocks. Karlo Matkovic added 11 points and knocked down three of four three-pointers.

The Pelicans were up 56–45 at halftime and 75–63 after three quarters. They created 14 steals, turned Dallas's mistakes into 27 points, scored 23 fast-break points and won the paint 50–38. Their defense made Dallas settle for a lot of perimeter shots, and their transition play kept punishing the giveaways. That's the good part.

Dallas: plenty of effort, very little offensive control

Tobi Lawal and John Poulakidas led the Mavericks with 16 points each. Poulakidas hit four triples, which made him a pretty lonely bright spot from outside. Seth Lundy added 13, and Sergio de Larrea scored 10 with six assists—but five turnovers. Dallas made only 36 percent from the field and got essentially nothing out of a huge portion of those perimeter possessions. This was an evaluation-heavy lineup with several main creators unavailable, including Kyrie Irving and Cooper Flagg, so it isn't a complete measure of Dallas at full strength.

Here's the part New Orleans shouldn't love: Dallas outscored them 34–26 in the fourth and got it down to four. The Mavericks collected 19 offensive rebounds compared with eight by New Orleans, and those extra chances helped keep them in the game. Dallas was awful from outside, but New Orleans still couldn't make its lead completely safe. That combination should bother the Pelicans coaching staff.

6ix Take: 49 threes? Drive to the damn basket

There is a point where modern basketball stops being smart and starts looking like dudes pressing the same broken button over and over. Forty-nine three-point attempts is fine when you're getting great looks and making enough of them. At 10 makes, what are we doing? You're letting the defense choose your offense. Dallas actually battled on the glass and forced a late push, which I respect. Now figure out how to create something closer than another rushed three.

I liked Fears's activity and New Orleans's ability to force turnovers. I didn't like the late wobble. If the Pelicans plan to be better this season, they can't spend three quarters building a lead and then spend the fourth looking for the exit. Both teams got useful preseason tape, but neither should confuse this with a clean performance.