The Dallas Mavericks played the second game of back-to-back games against the New Orleans Pelicans at the Smoothie King Center on Wednesday night. The Mavericks lost to the Pelicans 119-116. Dallas fell to 22-19 and suffered a three-game losing skid, while New Orleans improved to 10-32 and earned a two-game winning streak. New Orleans’ previous win was a 119-113 victory over the Chicago Bulls at the United Center on Tuesday night.
Daniel Gafford led the Mavericks with 27 points, 12 rebounds, and two assists. Jaden Hardy followed up with 21 points, five rebounds, and two assists. Spencer Dinwiddie added 20 points, five rebounds, and four assists. PJ Washington had 14 points, 14 rebounds, and two assists. Quentin Grimes scored 14 points, two rebounds, and two assists. Klay Thompson recorded 12 points, one rebound, and two assists.
Dallas Mavericks at New Orleans Pelicans Recap
The Dallas Mavericks and New Orleans Pelicans game was action-packed from start to finish. The Mavericks ruled out Luka Doncic with a left calf strain, Kyrie Irving with a lumbar back sprain, Dereck Lively II with a right ankle sprain, and Dante Exum with right wrist surgery. The Pelicans ruled out Brandon Ingram with a left ankle sprain, Herb Jones with a right shoulder strain, and Zion Williamson with a return-to-play reconditioning.
The Mavericks’ starting lineup featured Spencer Dinwiddie, Klay Thompson, Naji Marshall, PJ Washington, and Daniel Gafford. Dinwiddie returned to a starting role for the Mavericks due to Irving’s injury absence with a lumbar back sprain. Dinwiddie, a veteran floor general, has been averaging 15.9 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 5.9 assists per game when deployed in a starting role this season.
The first quarter was a high-scoring affair. Both the Mavericks and Pelicans poured in the points, with scoring plays, such as Jaden Hardy’s three-point shot and CJ McCollum’s rim shot. The Pelicans came out on top with a 33-27 at the end of the first. The second quarter resembled the first-quarter scoring, with PJ Washington’s field goal and Trey Murphy’s slam dunk. The Pelicans carried a 63-61 lead to the locker room at halftime.
The third quarter saw a slow start, but both the Mavericks and Pelicans picked up the pace as the minutes passed. Spencer Dinwiddie’s three-pointers made it rain, while Javonte Green’s head-above-the-rim dunk was a highlight-reel moment. The Mavericks led 91-87 through three quarters. The fourth quarter saw Klay Thompson’s string of three-pointers and Green’s three-pointer for the lead. The Pelicans won 119-116 in regulation.
Mavericks-Pelicans Highlights
The Dallas Mavericks and New Orleans Pelicans game featured multiple highlights, such as Mavericks Head Coach Jason Kidd not wanting to “solely” rely on Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving. Kidd told Mavs.com, “I think the big message is we got healthy, and I think we just took a step back with Kai [Kyrie Irving] coming back … We watched Kai play. It happens.”
For the Mavericks, there has been talk about Lively II’s health. The Smoking Cuban recently wrote an article that the Mavericks “need to” address Lively II’s health issue, even though the Mavericks need a backup power forward. Lively II’s recent injury has been concerning for both the NBA’s trade deadline in the present and then Lively II’s professional basketball career in the future.
And, for the Pelicans, ESPN commentator Stephen A. Smith recently claimed that Zion Williamson wants to leave the New Orleans Pelicans. In an episode of “First Take,” Smith said, “Zion [Williamson] doesn’t want to be in New Orleans, he doesn’t want to be there. He wants to be in a major market like L.A., New York, or whatever because he wants the marketability.”
Final Thoughts
Irving’s return was marred by Jamal Murray’s 45-point performance in the Denver Nuggets‘ runaway 118-99 win over the Dallas Mavericks at the American Airlines Center on Tuesday night. Irving returned to action, which sparked the beginning of good and bad news for the Mavericks. Murray dropped 45 points and the Nuggets plowed ahead to a 31-point lead in the third quarter and coasted to a 19-point win in the fourth quarter.
Lively II sprained his right ankle during Tuesday night’s game between the Mavericks and Nuggets. Lively II was reportedly “probably” out against the New Orleans Pelicans on Wednesday night. Lively II scored four points before he went down with a sprained right ankle and didn’t return to the Mavericks vs. Nuggets game. It’s important to note that Lively II’s skill set can lead to more triple-doubles in the future.
The Mavericks have reportedly reached the point that they have to hope and pray that this isn’t “one of those years,“ concerning their injury situation. They’ve had all their players expected in the preseason to be in the rotation available for zero games this season. All they can do right now is persevere, learn how to play with different lineups, and consistently pack away knowledge.
The Mavericks will return home to host the Oklahoma City Thunder on Friday at 7:30 p.m. Central. The Thunder won its third straight game with a 118-102 blowout of the Philadelphia 76ers at the Wells Fargo Center on Tuesday night. The Thunder will host the Cleveland Cavaliers at the Paycom Center on Thursday at 6:30 p.m. Central. That said, Oklahoma City might run out in the second game of back-to-back games.
