Postgame wrap: Pelicans 118, Mavericks 108

More than one New Orleans player has recently described the team’s roster as “the deepest in the NBA.” Saturday’s visit to Dallas presented the Pelicans’ best opportunity of the season to verify that statement – and they delivered in a big way. Playing a Southwest Division rival without the services of top three scorers Brandon Ingram, Zion Williamson and CJ McCollum, as well as sixth man Trey Murphy, New Orleans relied heavily on rookie guard Jordan Hawkins and a series of other role players to beat the Mavericks. In addition to needing to overcome DNPs by four of the team’s top six performers, the Pelicans had arrived at their Dallas hotel at 4:30 a.m. Saturday morning, due to a late Friday tip-off in Denver and the Mountain time zone. “Just show us a basketball and a court, we’re going to hoop,” said Hawkins of his team’s mentality of being prepared to play, regardless of adverse circumstances. Hawkins capitalized on his 10th NBA start by registering a career-best 34 points, highlighted by 6/12 three-point shooting.

Lights-out night from 'Hawk.'
Hawkins, the No. 14 overall pick of the 2023 NBA Draft, drained three three-pointers in each half, helping keep New Orleans’ offense afloat early by scoring 14 first-half points. His 20-point second half featured 14 in the third quarter, a period the Pelicans won by a game-changing 39-27 margin. “This is no regular rookie right here!” guard Jose Alvarado yelled as Hawkins was about to be interviewed on postgame TV by Jen Hale. Indeed, Hawkins came within three points of matching the New Orleans single-game rookie scoring record (set by Marcus Thornton in 2009-10) and had Dallas’ defense trying to run at him all evening. “Unbelievable,” Naji Marshall said on postgame radio of Hawkins’ outing. “He willed us to victory, just the way he scores the ball. (Doing that) as a rookie is unbelievable. I’m just so proud of him. The future is bright for my dawg.”
Jonas Valanciunas, warrior.
Along with Dyson Daniels, Valanciunas has played in all 40 games this season for New Orleans. His 40th appearance of 2023-24 may have been his most memorable and impactful, consisting of 14 points, 12 rebounds and seven assists. But those statistics can’t even completely do justice to the yeoman’s work Valanciunas provided in the paint Saturday, yanking rebounds and loose balls away from the Mavericks, overwhelming them with size to score on dunks or putbacks, and drawing fouls. “He’s a vet’s vet,” Hawkins said of Valanciunas. “Every time he’s on the court, he’s going to take care of business. He’s a terrific player, and we wouldn’t be where we’re at without him.” As Antonio Daniels succinctly described on TV of Valanciunas’ reliably consistent toughness, “Jonas is a warrior.”
Many contributions.
A total of seven New Orleans players scored double-digit points, including reserves Alvarado (14 points, four assists) and Larry Nance Jr. (14 points, three assists, two steals). Across the board, Pelicans players seized upon the opportunity and responsibility to fill larger roles and log more minutes. As Marshall said of the team arriving in Texas in the wee hours of Saturday morning but still flourishing against the Mavericks, “We got in late last night, but I think that fueled us. We could be tired and go out there sluggish, make a bunch of excuses, but I feel like every time I do an interview, I say, ‘Next man up.’ That's exactly what happened tonight.”

11,000: NBA career points for Valanciunas after he sank a fourth-quarter free throw. According to Pelicans PR, the starting center is one of only six active players with 11,000 points and 7,500 rebounds.
2-1: New Orleans head-to-head record against Dallas this season. Monday's holiday matinee will be a chance for the Pelicans to clinch the tiebreaker on the Mavericks, as well as win the season series against them for the first time since 2018-19. Dallas may have All-Star guard Luka Doncic back in the lineup Monday, after he was sidelined Saturday, his second straight DNP due to injury.
12/30: New Orleans three-point shooting, which is 40 percent. The Pelicans only made four treys in the first half, seemingly struggling to adjust to not having their attention-drawing stars, but knocked down eight after intermission.