Luka and the Mavs Outlast Zion and the Pelicans 127-123 in OT on a Star-Studded Night
DALLAS - Thanks to the Luka Doncic/Zion Williamson headline, it was no ordinary night at the American Airlines Center, as the stars were shining bright on the NBA's two biggest-name young players.
From Super Bowl Champion Patrick Mahomes to soccer megastar Eden Hazard, and two Dallas Cowboys legends in Dez Bryant and Michael Irvin, the buzz in the arena was on the level of a Hollywood-led Lakers game night at the Staples Center.
Only this time, instead of LeBron James and Anthony Davis, the world was watching the Mavs European duo of Doncic, and Kristaps Porzingis.
The night did not disappoint either, with the Mavs and Pelicans trading basket for basket in a tight overtime affair in which Dallas finally survived, 127-123.
“It was a playoff-caliber game, really from start to finish," Dallas coach Rick Carlisle said. "Close the whole way, crowd, national TV, back and forth, great plays both ways, a great experience for our guys. I thought it was a guts game for us with [Dorian] Finney-Smith going out early with a hip flexor problem; don’t know the seriousness or the extent, any kind of timetable. The guys that played, played well; even the guys that played short minutes. Great win.”
Porzingis came out firing early and often for the Mavs, scoring 34 points and hitting 14-of-28 from the field, while also adding 12 rebounds and five blocked shots for the evening.
Not to be outdone, Doncic, who cashed in a franchise record-setting 22nd career triple-double, had one of the best statistical games of his career, pouring in 30 points, grabbing 17 rebounds, and handing out 10 assists in 41 minutes.
“He did a great job," Carlisle said. "The step-back three was a huge shot. He got to the rim and made a couple of free throws, which were big. He’s running the show with KP – that’s how we play it. Every once in awhile, I’ll throw a play call out there for those guys if they’re looking for one, but this is where that group has to continue to grow and learn. They had great success tonight, which was great.”
Doncic, by the way, did all of that with that sprained thumb he continues to play with. Post-game X-rays were negative, but ...
“It’s going to hurt every game,” he said. "I know that.”
Seth Curry also added 21 points on 7-of-12 shooting from the bench, while Tim Hardaway Jr. connected for 18 points, Delon Wright scored 10.
Maxi Kleber had a stellar defensive night as well as the primary defender of Williamson, blocking five shots and adding seven rebounds with one steal and four assists.
“I thought that Kleber did as good a job as you can do holding ground and trying to make it difficult," said Carlisle. "We’re talking about a guy who has unprecedented strength and explosiveness and a great basketball feel. He’s a great, great young player. They do all of the right things in terms of how to him the ball and utilizing his quickness and speed in transition.”
Before fouling out of the game in the overtime period, Brandon Ingram led the way for the Pelicans, scoring 27 points on 50-percent shooting, and grabbing five rebounds with four assists.
Lonzo Ball also had a great night on the offensive end of the floor, scoring another 25 points with 11 rebounds, and six assists.
As for Williamson, the rookie netted his 13th-straight game with more than 20 points scored, finishing with 21 points and six rebounds on 9-of-18 shooting.
The Mavs (38-25) will look to continue their newfound home success on Friday night when Ja Morant and the Memphis Grizzlies (31-31) head to the American Airlines Center for the third matchup of the season between the two teams.
The Mavs are 1-1 against Memphis so far this season, with the Grizzlies taking the previous matchup 121-107 on February 5 at Fed Ex Forum. Kristaps Porzingis had 32 points and 12 rebounds in the loss.
“We are getting better," Mavs guard Delon Wright said. "We still have some things to work out offensively. Moving forward it’s going to be a learning process for us so we can not worry about things in the playoffs. Always after All-Star break, you want to work out your kinks and start focusing on things you can do that will carry over to the playoffs."
