Mavs Game Observations: Game 48 vs Pelicans

All that matters is the win...

Photo by Chris Graythen / Getty Images

The Mavericks opened their five-game road trip with a narrow 137-136 win over the Pelicans.

Given the state of their roster, with injuries piling up, they’ll take any win they can get—no matter how it looks. Facing a Pelicans team just as depleted in the frontcourt, if not more, and ranked as the second-worst defensive team in the NBA, the Mavericks once again lit them up for over 130 points, marking the second time they’ve done so in three meetings this season.

It was another fast-paced, run-and-gun shootout, and despite repeating some of the same early mistakes from the last matchup, the Mavericks hit enough shots and got just enough breaks to escape with the win. That’s what matters most. It eases the pressure and gives the Mavericks a little more breathing room as they continue their road trip.

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Today’s notes:

1. Outmuscling another undersized team 📊

2. Daniel Gafford turning around his, and the Mavericks' season 📊

3. P.J. Washington rewarding Jason Kidd’s unwavering trust with a dominant fourth quarter

4. Klay Thompson and Quentin Grimes matching the Pelicans' hot shot-making

5. Playing with fire, nearly falling to the same script

Bonus point: Kessler Edwards in a wing stopper role down the stretch

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1—Outmuscling another undersized team 📊

Several times this season, the Mavericks have shown they can bully smaller teams, dominating the glass and controlling the paint. Despite everything else that unfolded, that physical edge proved to be the difference last night.

Dallas had an offensive rebound rate of 42 percent, their second-highest mark of the season, and outscored the Pelicans 32 to 13 on second-chance points, a 19-point margin in a close game.

What made this performance stand out—more impressive than similar dominance on the offensive glass against an undersized Spurs team without Wembanyama, OKC without centers, or earlier wins over the Bulls, Pelicans, Warriors and Wizards—was that the Mavericks did it while being significantly deprived of size themselves, or more accurately, on the shoulders of just two bigs: Daniel Gafford and P.J. Washington.

2-Daniel Gafford turning around his, and the Mavericks' season 📊

The start of his second season in Dallas wasn’t ideal for the 26-year-old Gafford. He often looked lost on the defensive end and struggled to hold his own against bigger, stronger centers, which led me to place him far outside Jason Kidd’s circle of trust in my midseason check.

Things looked bleak when Dereck Lively II went down with a leg injury, putting even more pressure on Gafford to step up. But what a turnaround it has been. In the last eight games since Lively’s injury (followed by Dwight Powell and Maxi Kleber also going down), the backup big man has thrived in his expanded role and minutes, averaging 18.9 points, 10.6 rebounds, and 3.4 blocks.

Last night marked the third time during this stretch that Gafford scored 20 or more points, finishing with 22 points, 12 rebounds, and 4 blocks. It was also the second game in which he completely dominated the thin Pelicans' Yves Missi - Daniel Theis center duo.

Gafford was at the forefront of several key stretches where the Mavericks made their runs, using his hustle on the offensive glass and stepping up to contest Zion Williamson at the rim on his relentless attacks.

3- P.J. Washington rewarding Jason Kidd’s unwavering trust with a dominant fourth quarter

Unlike Gafford, Kidd's trust in Washington has never been in question—essentially from the moment he was traded to Dallas last February. With Dončić in street clothes, Washington has even more opportunities, shots, and freedom as an on-ball creator.