3 takeaways from Mavericks' home win over Pelicans after All-Star Break

The Dallas Mavericks picked up a 111-103 win over the pesky New Orleans Pelicans on Friday night, as they started the post-All-Star Break sprint with a victory. The Pelicans wouldn't go away all game, and this was a back-and-forth battle for most of the night, seeing 13 lead changes and 11 ties. Even as the Mavs took multiple double-digit leads, the Pelicans had a response most of the night.

But a win is a win, and the Mavericks have now won five of the last six games. They have one of the easier schedules remaining among Western Conference teams, though this win over New Orleans bumped Dallas from the 19th toughest schedule remaining to the 13th because the Pelicans have that bad of a record. And the Mavericks play the Hornets next week, one of the last truly poor teams they play down the stretch.

Enough about the rest of the season, though. Here are three takeaways from this win over Zion Williamson and the Pelicans.

1. Three-point differential

PJ Washington and Jordan Hawkins — Dallas Mavericks forward P.J. Washington makes a jump shot over New Orleans Pelicans guard Jordan Hawkins during the second half at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

The biggest reason the Dallas Mavericks won this game was the three-point differential. Dallas was 16/44 (36.4%) from three as Kyrie Irving, Klay Thompson, PJ Washington, and Max Christie all hit multiple threes. Meanwhile, New Orleans was just 8/27 (29.4%). In an eight-point victory, getting an extra 24 points from behind the arc is a massive difference.

2. Dallas is lucky there wasn't one more player next to Zion Williamson

New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson (1) reacts to making a shot against the Dallas Mavericks during the second half at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Dallas has no center presence as they wait for Anthony Davis, Dereck Lively II, Daniel Gafford, and Dwight Powell to get healthy. Moses Brown is on a 10-day contract, but he wasn't very good in this game. Zion Williamson tore Dallas apart on the inside for 29 points on 11/15 shooting, and he only played 27 minutes. Had he played more, or if the Pelicans had another quality big, this game definitely could've gone the other way.

3. How long can Kyrie Irving keep this up?

Dallas Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving (11) makes a three point shot against the New Orleans Pelicans during the second half at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Kyrie Irving now has three straight 30-point games as he's the sole primary option on offense. How long can he keep this up? Because Anthony Davis won't be re-evaluated for another two weeks, teams will eventually start doing everything to take Irving out of Dallas' actions. He was superb in this game with 35 points, but he's also a month removed from a bulging disc in his back. The Mavericks likely hope he can keep it going for the rest of the season, but that may not be realistic.

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