NEW ORLEANS — In a thrilling showdown, P.J. Washington delivered an impressive performance by scoring 25 points, including sinking all four of his 3-point attempts in the closing moments. Kyrie Irving matched his effort with 25 points and contributed six assists, leading the Dallas Mavericks to a narrow victory over the New Orleans Pelicans, finishing the game 137-136 on Wednesday night.
Washington had struggled from beyond the arc prior to the final quarter, missing his first three attempts, but quickly turned things around by netting three 3-pointers early on in the fourth quarter. Daniel Gafford also made a significant impact for Dallas with 22 points, going a perfect 9 of 9 from the field, alongside grabbing 12 rebounds and registering five blocks.
Klay Thompson added to the Mavericks’ offense with 20 points, shooting 6 of 11 from deep. Washington’s strong performance on the boards culminated in him recording his 12th double-double of the season with a total of 14 rebounds.
Dallas exploded offensively in the second half, where they scored a remarkable 80 points while shooting at an efficiency rate of 65.9% from the field.
On the other side, Trey Murphy led the scoring for New Orleans with a notable 32 points, while Zion Williamson contributed 29 points in just 28 minutes of play.
The Pelicans faced their fourth consecutive loss, but they made a late push, narrowing the gap to 137-136 with a 3-pointer from CJ McCollum right as the buzzer sounded. This milestone allowed McCollum to surpass Jrue Holiday to become the franchise’s all-time leader in 3-pointers made, finishing with a total of 23 points in the game.
The Mavericks took control of the match during the third quarter, outscoring the Pelicans 40-30 and utilizing a key 19-9 run that gave them a 97-93 lead heading into the last period. Quentin Grimes contributed nine points during this crucial third quarter.
In notable team updates, Naji Marshall made his return from an illness for the Mavericks but was limited to just five points in his 15 minutes of play against his former squad. Luka Doncic remained sidelined, missing his 18th consecutive game due to a left calf strain, with the Mavericks holding a 7-11 record in his absence.
For the Pelicans, rookie center Yves Missi, honored as the Western Conference’s rookie of the month for January, was included in the West’s Rising Stars team. Despite achieving four blocks, he did not score in the game. Brandon Ingram, who has not played for the last 24 games due to a sprained left ankle, continues to focus on his conditioning during pregame warmups.
A key moment in the match came when the Mavericks started the fourth quarter strong. Entering with a four-point lead, they hit five 3-pointers in just over four minutes, extending their advantage to 115-105.
Statistically, the Mavericks excelled with a 20-of-43 shooting rate from across the arc, while the Pelicans managed 15 of 31 in the same category.
Next up, Dallas will head to Detroit on Friday as part of a five-game road trip, while New Orleans prepares to host Boston.