Washington leads the Mavericks to a 137-136 victory over the Pelicans
Posted/updated on: January 30, 2025 at 5:19 am
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — P.J. Washington scored 25 points, making all four of his 3-point attempts in the fourth quarter, and Kyrie Irving added 25 points and six assists as the Dallas Mavericks outlasted the New Orleans Pelicans 137-136 on Wednesday night.
Washington had missed all three of his long-range tries until he hit three in the first 4:16 of the final period. Daniel Gafford had 22 points, going 9 of 9 from the field, and added 12 rebounds and five blocks.
Klay Thompson had 20 points for Dallas, shooting 6 of 11 from deep. Washington grabbed 14 rebounds for his 12th double-double of the season.
Dallas scored 80 points in the second half, shooting 65.9% from the field.
Trey Murphy led New Orleans with 32 points, and Zion Williamson had 29 points in 28 minutes.
The Pelicans, who lost their fourth straight, closed to 137-136 on a 3-pointer by CJ McCollum at the buzzer. That gave McCollum the most 3s in franchise history (629), moving him past Jrue Holiday (628). McCollum finished with 23 points.
The Mavs pulled ahead with a 40-30 third quarter, using a 19-9 run to take a 97-93 lead into the final period. Quentin Grimes had nine points in the quarter.
Takeaways
Mavericks: Naji Marshall returned from an illness but was limited to five points in 15 minutes against his former team. … Luka Doncic missed his 18th consecutive game with a left calf strain. The Mavs are 7-11 in his absence.
Pelicans: Rookie center Yves Missi, selected the Western Conference rookie of the month for January, was added to the West’s Rising Stars team. He had four blocks but went scoreless. … Brandon Ingram, sidelined for the last 24 games with a sprained left ankle, continues to ramp up his conditioning work in pregame warmups.
Key moment
Leading 97-93 entering the fourth, the Mavericks made five 3s in the first 4:16 of the period to build a 115-105 advantage.
Key stat
The Mavericks went 20 of 43 from long distance compared to 15 of 31 for the Pelicans.
Up next
Dallas visits Detroit on Friday night, the second stop on a five-game trip. New Orleans hosts Boston.
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