The Dallas Mavericks extended their winning streak to three games with a 111-103 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans on Friday night.
Kyrie Irving led the way with 35 points, hitting 11 of 22 shots, including five three-pointers. He also went a perfect 8-for-8 from the free-throw line.
P.J. Washington Jr. added 24 points, scoring 20 in the first half, as he returned from an ankle sprain. The Mavericks, playing without their top three centers due to injuries, relied on Washington’s presence in the frontcourt.
New Orleans got 29 points from Zion Williamson, who also reached the 5,000-point career milestone in just 203 games. Only Luka Doncic and LeBron James reached that mark faster.
Trey Murphy III contributed 20 points, while CJ McCollum had 16, but the Pelicans struggled from beyond the arc, hitting just 8 of 27 three-pointers. Dallas, in contrast, made 16 of 44 from deep.
Kelly Olynyk made his debut for New Orleans after being acquired from Toronto. The veteran forward recorded four points, three rebounds, and three assists in 23 minutes.
The Mavericks built an early lead, outscoring New Orleans 32-22 in the first quarter. The Pelicans responded in the second, cutting the deficit to three at halftime.
Late in the fourth quarter, McCollum’s three-pointer brought the Pelicans within four points with under three minutes left. However, Naji Marshall hit a corner three, and Irving followed with another from deep to secure the win.
Marshall played a key role off the bench, finishing with 15 points and 10 rebounds. Max Christie also contributed 16 points in 31 minutes.
Dallas now holds an 8th-place record in the Western Conference at 31-26. Meanwhile, New Orleans remains in last place with a 13-43 record, losing 11 of its last 12 games.
