Sights & Sounds From Mavs' Thrilling 137-136 Win vs. Pelicans
Kyrie Irving, P.J. Washington, Daniel Gafford and Klay Thompson each scored 20+ on Wednesday as the Dallas Mavericks notched their third win in four games.
NEW ORLEANS – The Big Easy is busier than usual, as it will host the Super Bowl between the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles in a little more than a week from now. The Dallas Mavericks’ second matchup against the New Orleans Pelicans at Smoothie King Center in two weeks was never going to match Super Bowl hype or excitement, but for an NBA game in late January, it ended up being one of the most entertaining games of the season.
In what was a back-and-forth barn burner, the Mavs pulled out a 137-136 win over the Pelicans on Wednesday night, improving their record to 26-22 and moving up to No. 8 in the Western Conference standings. Despite Luka Doncic and Dereck Lively II remaining out with injuries, the shorthanded Mavs have managed to win three of their last four games, with the only loss coming against the defending champion Boston Celtics.
Kyrie Irving didn’t play in the Mavs’ first visit to New Orleans—a game that ended on a controversial goaltending no-call on a Spencer Dinwiddie layup—but he made up for it this time, putting up 25 points, nine rebounds and six assists on 10-of-21 shooting from the field, including this post-up fadeaway jumper over Pelicans guard Jose Alvarado.
With 1:19 remaining in the game, Irving went one-on-one with Pelicans guard Dejounte Murray, driving to the rim and hitting a clutch, floating left-handed layup over the outstretched arms of Murray and rookie center Yves Missi to give the Mavs a 133-123 lead. Although the Pelicans came back to make the Mavs sweat in that final minute of play, that bucket by Irving had the home fans heading for the nearest exits.
Klay Thompson, coming off an electric performance against the Washington Wizards on Tuesday, where he scored 21 of his 23 points in the first quarter alone, followed that up by scoring 20 points in 29 minutes while shooting 6-of-11 from deep. After that sixth 3-pointer, a disappointed Pelicans fan and sports bettor sitting by me on the baseline got up and left the arena, yelling at the Mavs bench, “Klay ruined my parlay!”
Over his last five games, Thompson has averaged 12.4 points while shooting an eye-popping 54.5 percent from deep. There was initially some concern about how effective Thompson could be without playing alongside Doncic, but it appears that head coach Jason Kidd and the Mavs have ironed out those kinks.
Despite having a rough first half, at least in the turnover department, P.J. Washington shredded the Pelicans in the second half, finishing with 25 points, 14 rebounds and eight assists while shooting 10-of-20 overall and 4-of-7 from deep. Washington was tasked with guarding Pelicans star Zion Williamson, who finished with 29 points, six rebounds and seven assists while shooting 11-of-18 from the floor.
Williamson was able to overpower Washington with his size advantage at times, but Washington remained physical with him throughout the game and got some big-time stops when it mattered most in the fourth quarter.
Seeing Zion play the Mavs in New Orleans is a rarity. I believe this was my second time ever seeing him play Dallas at Smoothie King Center during his entire six years in the league. His battle with Washington didn’t disappoint.
Remember when Daniel Gafford’s name got brought up in trade rumors a week or so ago? If there was any truth to those rumors, the Mavs might want to reconsider having him on the trade block. Over his last 10 games, Gafford has averaged 17.2 points, 9.2 rebounds and 2.9 blocks while shooting 69.1 percent in just 26.5 minutes per game.
After posting a new career high in points the last time he played in New Orleans two weeks ago, Gafford was great yet again, finishing with 22 points on a perfect 9-of-9 shooting night with 12 rebounds (five were offensive boards), three assists and four blocks. The Pelicans had no answers for Gafford’s physicality and tenacity in the paint. With Lively set to miss the next two months or so, Gafford elevating his play to this level couldn’t have come at a better time.
Quentin Grimes and Spencer Dinwiddie didn’t join Irving, Thompson, Washington and Gafford in the 20-point club, but the Mavs likely wouldn’t have captured a win in New Orleans without their contributions. Grimes had 17 points in 20 minutes off the bench while shooting 6-of-8 overall and 3-of-5 from deep. Dinwiddie pitched in by scoring 11 points on 4-of-8 shooting from the field and dishing out seven assists.
Although the Pelicans are just 12-36 on the season, a Mavs win in New Orleans can’t be taken for granted. Before last night, Dallas had lost four of its last five games at Smoothie King Center. That “voodoo magic” arena has been a tough place for the Mavs to play in since Dirk Nowitzki’s prime days, so they’ll take what they can get. Dallas overcame 19 turnovers on Wednesday to pull out the win.
The Mavs now take a two-game winning streak to Detroit, where they’ll take on the much-improved Pistons and former Mavs shooting guard Tim Hardaway Jr., who was traded for Grimes last summer. Stay tuned to Mavs Step Back for weekly Dallas Mavericks coverage!
Below, you can view our “view from the baseline” photo galleries from last night’s game.
