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Nov 9, 2015 - 4:09 PM A playoff team last season, the New Orleans Pelicans are still struggling to earn their first victory of this one.

Mired in their worst start in 11 years, the Pelicans try to avoid being swept in a home-and-home with the visiting Dallas Mavericks on Tuesday night.

Plagued by injuries and among the worst defensive teams in the NBA, New Orleans is 0-6 for the first time since dropping a club-record eight straight to open 2004-05.

"We have to come out and compete to a level where the game's over and we're drained," All-Star Anthony Davis said. "We're not doing that right now. We've got to find a way to compete for the whole 48 (minutes)."

Averaging 25.2 points, 9.3 rebounds and 2.8 blocks, Davis remains the most consistent bright spot for the Pelicans. However, he's seen more double-teams, resulting in a field-goal percentage of 46.3 that's the lowest through the first six games of his four-year career. Eric Gordon (17.8 points per game), Ryan Anderson (15.7) and Jrue Holiday (13.0) have the ability to score but none are shooting better than 42 percent.

After sitting out Saturday's 107-98 loss at Dallas (3-3), Holiday could return, then would likely sit Wednesday at Atlanta as he continues to deal with a leg problem. While it's uncertain when guards Tyreke Evans and Norris Cole will make their season debuts, center Omer Asik has been limited to one game and Kendrick Perkins will miss a fourth consecutive contest.

"Some of the guys that can help (Davis) are not healthy yet," Pelicans coach Alvin Gentry told the team's official website.

"We've got a lot of work to do. There's no easy way to put it. We've got to get things corrected."

That's especially true at the defense end, as New Orleans is allowing a league-high 114.7 points per game and opponents are shooting 48.9 percent.

Dallas enjoyed its best shooting night of the young season by making 47.6 percent overall and scoring 35 fourth-quarter points Saturday. Deron Williams had 16 of his 19 points in the second half and Dirk Nowitzki scored nine of his 18 in the final period to help the Mavericks record their first home victory in three tries.

Averaging 15.7 points in the last three games, Williams continues to feel better after missing the second game of the season with a sprained knee. Wesley Matthews enjoyed his most productive effort so far Saturday with 13 points in 29 minutes while continuing to work his way back from a torn Achilles suffered in March.

''We're still trying to figure things out and get healthy,'' Williams said. ''We had a lot of guys who missed a lot of training camp coming off injuries and were on minutes restrictions. We've got to balance all those things and get acclimated. Those things are going to take some time.''

Nowitzki has shot 51.3 percent while playing every game this season. He's averaged 22.7 points and shot 48.4 percent in his last nine at New Orleans, and scored 24 when Dallas suffered its only defeat in the last 12 meetings with the Pelicans, 109-106 on the road Jan. 25.

Davis has averaged 26.7 points and 12.7 boards in the last three at home against the Mavericks.