The Mavericks host the Pelicans on second night of back-to-back

Dallas hosts the New Orleans Pelicans tonight after playing in Miami last night.

What happened last time these two teams met?

The Mavericks have already faced this team twice this season, playing a home-and-away against the Pelicans in early November. The first game was a win for Dallas, the team's first home victory of the season, but a few days later New Orleans got their revenge. The Pelicans opened the season 0-6, but despite an Anthony Davis injury, they managed to outshoot Dallas on their way to their first win of the season in the teams' second meeting.

What have the Pelicans done lately?

The Pelicans have improved on their disastrous start, but not by much. Despite hopes that the team, helmed by Davis, would make a serious leap this year, New Orleans has taken a step (or several) backward. After fighting their way to the eighth seed last season, they're now above only the dismal Lakers in the West and have lost their last two games.

What do the Mavericks need to do to be successful?

The Mavericks are the better team, but New Orleans has already shown they can rally to take advantage of a poor shooting night. Despite being drained by last night's game in Miami, Dallas will need to find a way to score more than 10 points in the first quarter if they want to win this one.

New Orleans will be missing Quincy Pondexter, who has been out for the entire season, tonight.

How to watch

The game will be on Fox Sports Southwest in Dallas and Fox Sports New Orleans in New Orleans. As always, if you're not in either of those cities, you can watch on NBA League Pass. Tip off is at 7:30 p.m. Central.