After the halftime break, both sides made adjustments to their starting lineups.
Bojan had been off tonight, so Stevens put Ariza back into the starting lineup.
For the Mavericks, Carlisle also pulled the targeted Nowitzki from the starting lineup and replaced him with the younger but equally capable scorer, Dwight Powell.
The two coaches were evenly matched.
Tang Tian scored another 15 points in the quarter, bringing his personal score to 35, higher than his season average score per game.
But by the end of the quarter, the Mavericks were still locked in a close battle with the Pelicans, 89 to 92.
Butler's fighting spirit, Harris's consistency, Conley's playmaking, Embiid's rim protection, and Nowitzki's offensive prowess.
This five-star Mavericks team had earned its current ranking entirely through pure strength.
Though their star power was not dazzling, they would be one of the favorites to win the championship in the new season.
A three-point gap was still negligible. The two teams were clearly headed for a fight down to the wire.
At the Start of the Fourth Quarter, the two coaches continued their game of wits. Both sides still had two starters and three reserves on the floor, though the lineups had changed again.
For the Mavericks, Carlisle sent Butler, who had played the entire third quarter, to the bench to rest. Harris and Nowitzki led the group on the court, alongside Seth Curry, Devin Harris, and McGee.
The Pelicans' core players remained unchanged, with Holiday and Jokic still leading the team, but there were changes among the reserves.
Besides Bojan, who had not started in the second half, and the regularly rotated David West, Deron was no longer in the lineup. The rookie Brogdon replaced him.
Deron had performed poorly ever since joining the Pelicans.
Stevens had previously respected him