DALLAS – Over the New Orleans Pelicans’ last 13 road games, Anthony Davis has been a leading scorer 11 times, with Ryan Anderson topping the offense in the other two contests. Perhaps not coincidentally, in the games where the Pelicans (10-22, 3-15 on the road) have gotten a big night from someone other than Davis, they’ve been much more competitive – including a Dec. 16 win at Utah and a tight 110-103 loss at Oklahoma City on Nov. 18.Although defense has been a big areas of focus in terms of trying to improve all season, New Orleans’ production on offensive sometimes has prevented it from having a chance to win away from the Big Easy. The Pelicans are 0-16 this season when they shoot under 44 percent from the field, with 12 of those instances taking place on the road. When shooting a decent percentage of 44-plus in away games, they are 3-3.”We had such a poor start because of the injuries we had,” Pelicans Coach Alvin Gentry said of an 0-7 start that was halted Nov. 25 at Phoenix. “Our confidence is a bit shaken on the road. The only thing you can do to get out of it is to play good basketball. It has to start on the defensive end. If you find a way to play well defensively and get some baskets, you can get out of it. But it’s been tough for us on the road.”Other notes from pregame at American Airlines Arena:Gentry on a Pelicans key of defending against Mavericks guard J.J. Barea, who may be in the best stretch of his NBA career right now: “He’s doing a great job and playing with such a sense of confidence right now. We’ve got to find a way to corral him and control his dribble penetration.” …Gentry on the Western Conference and New Orleans not wanting to see its margin for error be reduced in the race: “I think it’s frustrating because I think we could be in the thick of things right now. What I don’t want to have happen is get to the point where everything becomes so critical and you have to have the perfect storm to be able to stay in it. We have to start playing good basketball right now, translating it into wins and not close losses.”
