Skidding Mavericks try to slow Pelicans' star Davis

DALLAS -- The good news for the struggling Dallas Mavericks is they are 22-3 at home all-time against the New Orleans Pelicans. The bad news is the Pelicans are finally playing better basketball and All-Star power forward Anthony Davis is playing at an MVP-level.

If the Mavericks (2-13) are going to snap an eight-game losing skid, they're going to have to find a way to slow down the 6-foot-11 Davis, who is averaging 33.0 points, 10.2 rebounds and 3.2 blocks in leading the Pelicans (6-11) to a 4-1 record in their last five games.

Dallas is in a skid the franchise hasn't seen since 1999 when Dirk Nowitzki was a wide-eyed rookie. They're coming off consecutive demoralizing losses to the Los Angeles Clippers, who led by 31 points in the third quarter, and to Cleveland Cavaliers, who were up by 40. Dallas was outscored by 57 points combined in the first halves of those two games.

While the Mavericks have been bit hard by the injury bug to key veterans, the mounting losses are becoming tough to stomach.

"It's embarrassing, man," Dallas point guard Deron Williams said. "We've had some embarrassing losses. We're pissed off. But we've got to get pissed off and do something about it."

At least the Mavs are getting healthier. Nowitzki is finally back after missing eight games with soreness in his Achilles' tendon. Williams returned in Friday's loss at Cleveland after missing all but 10 minutes of the previous eight games. He logged 15 minutes against the Cavaliers and had four points and five assists.

"We're getting healthier gradually," Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle told reporters following Friday's 128-90 loss at Cleveland. "But we have too many things we have to fix. And we've got to fix them in a short period of time."

The Pelicans had their four-game winning streak snapped Friday at Portland, but they come to Dallas still riding the momentum of a string of strong play for the first time since opening the season with seven consecutive losses.

The spark came from the return of guard Jrue Holiday, who had left the team to care for his wife, Lauren Holiday, a former U.S. national soccer team member, following the birth of their child and surgery to remove a tumor in her brain. Holiday has averaged 16.2 points and 6.6 assists in five games, while also giving New Orleans such needed floor leadership.

During the last five games, the Pelicans' offense has come alive, ranking seventh in the league in offensive rating 110.3), while also getting the job done on the defensive end, ranking sixth in defensive rating (99.0).

"Any time you win or any time you have a winning streak, you're kind of in a groove and you're feeling good as a team," Holiday said, according to ESPN.com. "It always feels great. Obviously, with where we are in the standings, in the Western Conference, it feels good just be included back in it."