It was good to see Dallas beat a bad team, something they hadn't done a great job of since Luka Doncic went down on Christmas Day with his calf strain, as they've suffered losses to teams like the New Orleans Pelicans (who Dallas plays Wednesday) and the Charlotte Hornets recently. Here are three takeaways from this blowout win.

Wizards Bilal Coulibaly – 16 points, 4 rebounds, 5 assists Jordon Poole – 15 points, 6 rebounds, 6 assists Top Performers – Mavericks Klay Thompson – 23 points, 4 assists, 7 3PM 21 PTS, 7 3PM in 1Q P.

Garbage time started early in Dallas as the Mavericks rode seven threes from Klay Thompson to a 26-point lead at the end of the first period. In other news, Klay Thompson is still playing in the NBA.

The New Orleans Pelicans suffered a tight home loss against the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday with a final score of 137-136. Trey Murphy III led the way for New Orleans with 32 points, as Murphy, Zion Williamson, Dejounte Murray, and CJ McCollum each scored 23+ in a losing effort.

J-Mac is wagering on the Mavericks to not make the postseason — and no, the play-in doesn't count. Find out why he's fading Dallas in this spot.

Meanwhile, New Orleans continues to struggle on defense, which has been a problem for the team all season long. The Pelicans rank 28th in defensive rating (117.5) and are dead last in defensive rebounding percentage. New Orleans is allowing opponents to score 117.7 ppg on the year and has allowed 10 straight opponents to score 110+ points.

The Mavericks came into the matchup with some extra motivation after the defeat they were dealt the last time these two teams faced off. We'll see if they're able to flip the script or if it'll just be more of the same.

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It's Lakers vs Wizards on Jan. 30 in the NBA. Here's how to watch, including time, channel, TV schedule and streaming info.