Mavericks 108, Pelicans 89: Monta Ellis collected 23 points, seven assists and four steals as host Dallas pulled away after New Orleans lost All-Star forward Anthony Davis to a sprained left shoulder.

Dirk Nowitzki scored 18 points and Vince Carter added 17 for the Mavericks, who have won four straight overall and seven in a row against the Pelicans. Shawn Marion contributed 10 points, eight boards and three of Dallas' season-high 15 steals.

Davis collected nine rebounds, six points and a pair of blocked shots in 13 minutes before he was hurt attempting to tip in his own miss with five minutes left in the first half. Eric Gordon scored 19 points and Brian Roberts had 17 as the Pelicans lost their fifth straight.

The Pelicans took a 39-37 lead on Gordon's 3-pointer seconds after Davis left the game but the Mavericks closed the first half on a 12-4 run to take a six-point advantage into the break. Nowitzki scored nine points in the third quarter to help Dallas stretch its lead out to 78-67 going into the fourth.

Darius Miller opened the scoring in the final stanza with a long jumper to get New Orleans back within single digits before Carter and Nowitzki teamed on a quick 6-0 burst to force a timeout. Miller scored once more but Dallas put it away with nine straight points to go up 22 midway through the fourth, coasting to its 10th win in 12 games.

GAME NOTEBOOK: Davis returned to the New Orleans bench in the second half with his left arm in a sling. ... Nowitzki also left the court less than a minute into the contest due to a shoulder injury but returned from the locker room moments later and re-entered the game. ... C Alexis Ajinca had 14 points and eight rebounds off the bench for New Orleans while G Wayne Ellington made 4-of-5 3-pointers en route to 12 points in a reserve role for Dallas.