The Dallas Mavericks secured a 137-136 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans in a fast-paced matchup on Wednesday night.
P.J. Washington scored 25 points and hit all four of his 3-pointers in the fourth quarter to help Dallas (26-22) hold off New Orleans (12-36). Kyrie Irving also had 25 points and six assists, while Daniel Gafford recorded 22 points, 12 rebounds, and five blocks. Klay Thompson added 20 points for the Mavericks, shooting 6 of 11 from beyond the arc.
Trey Murphy III led all scorers with 32 points for the Pelicans, and Zion Williamson contributed 29 points in 28 minutes. CJ McCollum finished with 23 points and set a franchise record with his 629th career 3-pointer for New Orleans.
Dallas erupted for 80 second-half points, shooting 65.9% from the field in that span. The Mavericks trailed by three at halftime but dominated the third quarter with a 40-30 edge to take a 97-93 lead. Dallas built a 10-point advantage early in the fourth by hitting five 3-pointers in the first four minutes.
Washington, who had missed his first three attempts from deep, drained three straight triples during that stretch. Quentin Grimes added 17 points off the bench for Dallas, while Spencer Dinwiddie had 11 points and seven assists.
McCollum’s 3-pointer at the buzzer cut the final margin to one but was not enough to force overtime.
The Mavericks shot 54.2% overall and went 20 of 43 from deep, compared to the Pelicans’ 15 of 31 mark from long range. Naji Marshall, returning from an illness, had five points in 15 minutes against his former team.
Luka Doncic missed his 18th straight game due to a left calf strain, and the Mavericks fell to 7-11 in his absence.
For New Orleans, rookie center Yves Missi went scoreless but recorded four blocks after being named to the Rising Stars team.
