Pelicans hold off Mavericks for second straight win

Saddiq Bey scored a season-high 22 points and the visiting New Orleans Pelicans won their second straight game after going 0-6 to open the season, beating the Dallas Mavericks 101-99 on Wednesday.

Jeremiah Fears and Jose Alvarado scored 13 points apiece for the Pelicans, who announced on Tuesday that star forward Zion Williamson would miss at least seven to 10 days due to a strained left hamstring. Herbert Jones had 12 points, while Derik Queen and Trey Murphy scored 11 apiece.

Cooper Flagg led Dallas with 20 points. P.J. Washington and Daniel Gafford each scored 15 points, Max Christie added 12, Klay Thompson had 11 and Brandon Williams chipped in 10.

Washington had 11 rebounds for the Mavericks, who have lost three straight.

Playing the second game of a back-to-back set, the Pelicans led 96-88 on Murphy's layup with 3:43 left in the contest.

Dallas responded with a 7-0 run to pull within 96-95 before Bey scored to make it a three-point game with 1:06 remaining.

After Flagg and Alvarado each made two free throws, Gafford scored with 32 seconds left before Queen converted one of two foul shots to give New Orleans a 101-99 lead with 11 seconds to play.

Dallas' comeback bid fell short when Flagg's jumper from the foul line missed the mark with four seconds left.

New Orleans opened the game with an 18-6 run and led 29-19 at the end of the first quarter.

The Pelicans moved ahead 40-27 on Kevon Looney's basket with 6:06 left in the second quarter and held a 52-49 advantage at the break.

Washington and D'Angelo Russell hit consecutive 3-pointers to give Dallas its first lead of the game at 58-57 with 8:55 remaining in the third quarter.

Bey scored 10 points in the third to help New Orleans end the period with a 78-77 lead.

Dallas played without Anthony Davis (left calf strain), Kyrie Irving (left knee surgery), Dereck Lively II (right knee sprain) and Dante Exum (right knee management).