New Orleans showed who was the better team tonight with a convincing 96-83 win over Dallas. Although not exactly a blowout, New Orleans coach Bob and his players outplayed Dallas from start to end. "I was hoping for a better outcome," said Dallas coach Bob during a post-game interview. "But they just overpowered us, and there was nothing we could do to adjust. Bob's team was more talented and better-prepared, and it would have taken quite a bit of luck for us to overcome that."

The loss was tough on Dallas fans, who had expected great things from their team after some offseason moves. "I think reality is starting to sink in," said one team. "We didn't expect to see other teams outplaying us this badly, but New Orleans sure made their point."

New Orleans was led by Ensley (24 points, 1 assists, 2 steals, 2 blocks), Davis (12 points, 11 boards, 3 assists, a steal), Price (14 points). Dallas was led by Jenkins (17 points, 9 boards, 1 assists, a steal, 5 blocks), Cooper (5 points, 3 steals), Bernard (13 points, 7 boards, 1 assists).

New Orleans stand at 4-0 and 3-0 at home. They improve to #1 in the Southwest and improve to #1 overall in the Western Conference. Dallas drop to 2-2. They stay at #3 in the Southwest and move down to #8 overall in the Western Conference.

box score New Orleans roster Dallas roster