Mavs’ Irving, Hardaway Jr. Have 40-Point Performances In Win vs. Pelicans

The turning point came in the fourth quarter when Hardaway sank a decisive 3-pointer, contributing to his second career 40-point game, despite briefly leaving the court earlier due to a mild ankle sprain. Hardaway emphasized the team’s “next-man-up” mentality following the game.

“Opportunity presented itself,” Hardaway said. “We keep preaching next-man-up mentality. I wish I had a couple of those shots back. But 41 sounds good.”

Zion Williamson led with 30 points for the Pelicans but struggled at the free-throw line, only making 6-11 attempts. This included a critical miss in the final seconds, which could have tied the game. The Pelicans made 31-41 free throws overall.

Pelicans coach Willie Green stressed the importance of free-throw performance, acknowledging it as an area needing improvement.

“It’s going to impact every game,” Green said. “It’s something that we’re working on, but we’ve go step up to the line and make our free throws.”

CJ McCollum added 23 points for the Pelicans, who had won the series’ first game 118-110. Brandon Ingram also contributed but missed a crucial potential tying 3-pointer in the closing moments.

The Mavericks, trailing by seven midway through the fourth quarter, rallied back into the game, with Hardaway’s back-to-back 3-pointers pivotal in overtaking the Pelicans. Hardaway finished 9 of 15 from beyond the arc, just short of his career-best in 3-pointers. Irving, overcoming an early shooting slump, ended with a 13 of 28 shooting performance.

The duo’s free-throw prowess was also notable, combining for 23 of 25, as the Mavericks wrapped up their seven-game homestand with a 5-2 record.

Mavericks coach Jason Kidd praised Irving and Hardaway for their crucial contributions, highlighting Irving’s consistent leadership throughout the homestand.

“Timmy was huge for us. He made some big shots,” Kidd said. “But Kai was steady the whole afternoon. He’s been doing this on this homestand. He’s leading us, and guys are following.”

Josh Green was the only other Mavericks player to score in double figures, contributing 13 points, including a key 3-pointer late in the game. The Mavericks also saw a strong rebounding performance from rookie Dereck Lively II, who grabbed 12 rebounds, including seven offensive boards, after a five-game absence. Trey Murphy III and Larry Nance Jr. scored 14 points for the Pelicans.

Up next, the Pelicans will begin a four-game homestand against the Charlotte Hornets on Wednesday, while the Mavericks will face the Los Angeles Lakers in Los Angeles, starting a two-game West Coast trip.