Kyrie Irving, Tim Hardaway Jr. Score Combined 83 Points, Lead Mavs Victory vs. Pelicans

The Pelicans started doubling Irving midway through the period, but he countered on a momentum-boosting play by giving up the ball, spacing on the weak side, and then letting it fly quickly on a catch-and-shoot look. His make from deep put the Mavs up 19-7 and forced a timeout with 4:07 left in the period. 

Tim Hardaway Jr. had a solid start to help set the tone, scoring 10 points in the first quarter, including a momentum-boosting 3-pointer to push the Mavs' lead to 33-17 before the end of the first quarter. It was a strong start for Dallas that did not last, with New Orleans scoring a game-high 42 points in the second quarter compared to just 26 for the Mavs, setting up the Pelicans to manage the game. 

The Pelicans answered quickly with Irving on the sideline early in the second period, cutting the Mavs' lead to 35-26 with 10:10 left before Irving returned to the lineup. New Orleans' momentum continued, taking a 36-35 lead at the 8:55 mark of the second quarter after pulling off a massive 19-2 run to start the period. Dallas went from leading by as many as 16 points to having it wiped away in about three minutes.

New Orleans was aggressive with hedging against small-small screens and double screening actions to make it harder for Irving to create an advantage. The Pelicans also deployed late doubles after switching. The goal was to mix it up throughout the game. Hardaway's shooting was instrumental, but the rest of the unit could not make a consistent impact to alleviate pressure. 

Irving began to find a rhythm late in the half, hitting a tough pull-up in the paint over Dyson Daniels, then playing out of triple threat with the jab for a corner 3-pointer. The sequence brought the Mavs within one point (52-51) with 3:24 left in the half. 

After an offensive rebound, A.J. Lawson converted from beyond the arc to give the Mavs a 57-55 lead late in the second quarter. The score ended up being tied 59-59 at the break, with Hardaway (24 points) and Irving (18 points) combining for 42 of Dallas' points, with none of their teammates reaching the five-point threshold.

Irving was fouled on a 3-point attempt and made all three free throws, pushing the Mavs back into the lead. He continued to make plays, converting a step-back 3-pointer, but the Pelicans had an answer for each of the Mavs' scoring plays. New Orleans led 90-82 after a breakaway dunk in transition, prompting Dallas to call a timeout with 3:58 remaining in the third quarter. 

After falling to grab a defensive rebound, the Mavs gave Jordan Hawkins a wide-open look from beyond the arc to put the Pelicans up by double figures late in the third period. Hardaway answered with a 3-pointer before the end of the frame, resulting in Dallas trailing 99-92 to start the fourth quarter. New Orleans managed to score 40 points or more for back-to-back periods. 

Irving and Hardaway provided their best effort to give the Mavs a spark offensively throughout the fourth quarter. The main push came midway through the period when a series of offensive rebounds from Lively and active player and ball movement created a catch-and-shoot 3-ponter from Hardaway. After knocking the shot down, Dallas trailed 111-109 with 4:52 still to play. 

Another make from Hardaway on a following possession put the Mavs in the lead. Grant Williams continued the run with a made 3-pointer, followed by Irving getting into short-range for a pull-up jumper to answer New Orleans' made basket on the other end. After Irving split a pair of free throws and Lively hauled in a defensive rebound to complete a defensive stop, Green hit a corner 3-pointer on the weak side to push the Mavs' advantage to 121-115 with 1:27 in regulation. 

Williamson managed to pull off an and-one using a floater to put pressure on the Mavs. However, after Ingram's short-range jumper cut it to two points with 43.1 seconds remaining, Dallas intentionally fouled Williamson, who then split a pair of free throws. Irving was intentionally fouled after receiving the inbounds pass, and he made both of his attempts, putting the Mavs up 123-120. A defensive stop on the other end on an Ingram 3-point attempt, followed by Kleber making two free throws, clinched the victory. 

The Mavs completed a seven-game homestand and will return to action on Wednesday when they face the Los Angeles Lakers in part of a two-game Western Conference road trip.