The Dallas Mavericks and New Orleans Pelicans played in their first game following the NBA All-Star break on Friday. The Mavericks defeated the Pelicans 111-103 at the American Airlines Center. Dallas improved to 31-26 and achieved a three-game winning streak, while New Orleans fell to 13-43 and failed to achieve a two-game winning streak.
Kyrie Irving led the Mavericks with 33 points, two rebounds, and four assists. PJ Washington followed up with 24 points, seven rebounds, and three assists. Naji Marshall added 17 points, 10 rebounds, and one assist. Max Christie had 16 points, four rebounds, and two assists. Klay Thompson scored 12 points, three rebounds, and two assists. Dante Exum tallied four points, two rebounds, and four assists.
Kessler Edwards recorded two points, four rebounds, and one assist. Olivier-Maxence Prosper earned one point, six rebounds, and one assist. Moses Brown’s Mavericks debut consisted of two points, four rebounds, and two assists.
Dallas Mavericks vs. New Orleans Pelicans Recap
The Dallas Mavericks vs. New Orleans Pelicans game was action-packed from start to finish. The Mavericks ruled out Anthony Davis with a left adductor strain, Caleb Martin with a right hip strain, Daniel Gafford with a Grade 3 right MCL sprain, Dereck Lively II with a right ankle stress fracture, and Dwight Powell with a right hip strain, and PJ Washington with a right ankle sprain.
The Pelicans ruled out Brandon Boston with a left ankle sprain and a non-COVID-19 illness, Dejounte Murray with a torn right Achilles tendon, Herbert Jones with a posterior labrum tear in his right shoulder, and Keion Brooks Jr. with a G League assignment. Multiple sources reported that Jones is expected to miss the remainder of the 2024-25 NBA season.
The Mavericks’ starting lineup presented Dante Exum, Kyrie Irving, Klay Thompson, PJ Washington, and Kessler Edwards. Edwards, 24, is a forward-turned-center who has helped save the Mavericks by making the most of the opportunity, not expecting to be part of the team’s rotation on a championship-level team, and not taking things for granted.
The Mavericks were happy that Washington returned to the court, while Moses Brown prepared for the first game of his 10-day contract. Washington hit an early three-pointer to assist the Mavericks’ first-quarter scoring. Both teams had short-lived ties. The Pelicans’ offense showed glimpses of potential, like when Yves Missi slammed down a huge dunk, but the Mavericks came out on top for a 32-22 lead at the end of the first.
The Pelicans opened the second-quarter scoring with an 11-5 run to make it a four-point game, 37-33, by the 7:52 mark. Zion Williamson had 13 points on 5-of-7 shooting in the first 10 minutes of the second quarter. The Mavericks’ defense showed signs of promise, such as Moses Brown successfully blocking Zion Williamson’s shot in traffic but not a whole lot. The Mavericks settled for a 56-53 lead at the halftime break.
Both teams saw a sluggish start early in the third quarter. However, New Orleans gradually picked up the pace before Dallas followed suit. Williamson reached 5,000 career points in 203 games, trailing just LeBron James with 197 games and Luka Doncic with 194 games. Naji Marshall was all buckets and smiles. The Mavericks accepted an 86-82 lead through three quarters.
The Mavericks jumped out to an 8-2 run to open the fourth-quarter scoring on a positive note and build up a 10-point lead, 94-84, by the 9:15 mark. However, New Orleans kept the game close for the most part with highlight-reel scoring plays, such as Trey Murphy scoring a rim shot off a Marshall turnover. The Mavericks won 111-103 in regulation.
Mavericks-Pelicans Highlights
The Dallas Mavericks vs. New Pelicans game featured multiple highlights, such as Davis receiving a crucial injury update after the break. Davis has been “making good progress,” but will miss at least two more weeks with a left adductor strain, the Mavericks announced on Thursday. The Mavericks’ statement was the first official update since Davis’ diagnosis.
For the Mavericks, the Mavericks reportedly suspended Assistant Coach Darrell Armstrong after he was arrested and charged with aggravated assault in Dallas. Armstrong has been an assistant coach for the Mavericks since 2009 after a 14-year career in the NBA. The former point guard once played for the Mavericks from 2004 to 2006, and was a part of the Mavericks’ 2005-06 roster who lost to the Miami Heat in the 2006 NBA Finals.
For the Pelicans, the Pelicans’ struggles are apparent, but there has been buzz surrounding the Pelicans. The chemistry between Trey Murphy and Zion Williamson continues to flourish. Murphy and Williamson’s two-man game has shown potential, such as in the Pelicans’ 137-101 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder on February 10, 2025. Murphy collected seven assists, three of which were to Williamson, and led the Thunder with 23 points.
Final Thoughts
Before the NBA All-Star break, the Dallas Mavericks met one of their old foes, the Miami Heat, in a 2011 NBA Finals rematch. Except this time, both teams were missing their key players, and Mavericks two-way player Edwards made clutch plays in the fourth quarter. Edwards and Dante Exum helped the Mavericks beat the odds and the Heat 118-113.
The Dallas Mavericks didn’t just beat the odds, they obliterated them. They took existing wisdom, slapped it against the wall, and got the last laugh on anybody who thought they’d wilt without their key players. The Mavericks played without Davis, Dereck Lively II, Daniel Gafford, and at times, Thompson, and Washington, winning four out of five games before the break.
The Dallas Mavericks will open a two-game West Coast road trip starting with a road game against the Golden State Warriors on Sunday at 12:30 p.m. Pacific. The Mavericks’ remaining schedule isn’t daunting, but 14 of their remaining games are against teams above .500. The pair of Los Angeles teams also have some tough assignments ahead, as the Lakers will play 19 of their remaining 30 against winning teams, and the Clippers will play 18.
