Mavs-Pelicans preview: No Zion, but Luka looks good to go

Over the last eight games, in which the Mavericks have gone 7-1, Luka Dončić has played an average of 38.7 minutes.

That’s just a fraction below the 39.4 points he’s averaged in those eight games.

That incredible factoid is impressive by itself. But it has had some residual effects, too.

It is completely understandable that Dončić is running on fumes. His gas tank may not be completely empty, but it’s been in need of refueling often. And now, the Mavericks are facing back-to-back games, Saturday at 7 p.m. against New Orleans and Sunday at 6 p.m. at Oklahoma City.

Luka was listed early Friday as probable for Saturday’s game with left ankle soreness. He had a hot pad on his lower leg during the second quarter of the loss to Boston on Thursday.

But Luka has hit a nice run in his career where he doesn’t miss many games, except maybe for rest games.

Good thing. The Mavericks have been leaning on him harder than ever before and he’s been responding.

Yes, the Mavericks are coming off a clunker, a 29-point loss to the Celtics. But these things happen in an NBA season. Two nights before, the Celtics had been bashed by 33 points at Oklahoma City.

So don’t overreact to it. The Mavericks’ mission is to respond to it the same way the Celtics did to their loss to the Thunder.

But when it comes to getting Luka some much-needed rest, everything is on the table, coach Jason Kidd said.

“We talk to Luka and look at scenarios with the schedule,” he said. “We’re asking him to do a lot.”

And the question becomes when can the Mavericks get their superstar point guard a break. They want to keep an eye on the big picture, and they want to be as healthy as possible in April.

But Kidd knows like everybody else that anytime Luka sits, the Mavericks are at greater risk of losing games.

It will be an interesting dynamic to watch unfold, starting with this game against New Orleans, which is the first of six games in nine nights. The last five are on the road.

Challenging times, indeed.

Here’s what else to look for Saturday against New Orleans:

• The Pelicans will be without Zion Williamson (hamstring) and Brandon Ingram (toe), their two leading scorers. It will continue a confounding run of meetings when either Zion or Luka has been out. The pair haven’t played in a game against each other in two seasons. “At some point it will happen,” Kidd said Friday. “Unfortunately it doesn’t happen tomorrow. Zion before the injury was playing at a high level and so was New Orleans. But they’re still a good team and they’ve been able to play without him.”
• The Mavericks already have lost once to the Pelicans without Williamson and Ingram, having dropped a 113-111 decision in the first week of the regular season at New Orleans.
• The Mavericks have gone 3-4 on the first night of back-to-back games and 2-5 on the second night.
• Without Ingram or Williamson, the Pelicans will rely on CJ McCollum, who is averaging just over 20 points per game. The Mavericks should have an energy advantage as the Pelicans played Friday night at home against the Brooklyn Nets.
• NEW ORLEANS PELICANS (24-14) at DALLAS MAVERICKS (22-17)
• When: 7 p.m., Saturday.
• Where: American Airlines Center, Dallas.
• TV: Bally’s Sports Southwest.
• Radio:1 FM, 99.1 FM Zona MX (Spanish).
• Twitter: @ESefko