NBA: Pelicans lean on CJ McCollum to hold off Mavericks
CJ McCollum #3 of the New Orleans Pelicans reacts after scoring a three-point basket during the fourth quarter of an NBA game against the Dallas Mavericks at Smoothie King Center on March 08, 2023 in New Orleans, Louisiana. Sean Gardner/Getty Images/AFP
CJ McCollum scored 13 of his game-high 32 points in the final four minutes as the host New Orleans Pelicans held off the Dallas Mavericks, who lost Luka Doncic to a thigh injury, 113-106 on Wednesday night.
McCollum finished 6 of 8 on 3-pointers and made three straight during his late-game blitz to stem the Mavericks’ rally from a 19-point deficit.
Trey Murphy III added 16 points, Herbert Jones Jr. and Jaxson Hayes scored 14 each, and Brandon Ingram had 12 before leaving the game for good late in the second quarter because of a right ankle sprain.
Kyrie Irving scored 27, Tim Hardaway Jr. had 17, Luka Doncic had 15 before leaving the game for good late in the third quarter because of a left thigh strain, Christian Wood also scored 15, Dwight Powell had 12 and Jaden Hardy 11 to lead the Mavericks.
Murphy’s 3-pointer gave New Orleans a 64-45 lead early in the third quarter, but Dallas made a push.
16 straight points in Q4 to close out the W.
Good luck cooling CJ McCollum down 🥶 pic.twitter.com/n21OEhEv9Y
— NBA (@NBA) March 9, 2023
Irving made two 3-pointers and Hardaway added another as the Mavericks pulled within 69-61.
Later in the quarter, Jones and Willy Hernangomez scored four points each and the Pelicans held an 83-65 lead at the end of the third quarter.
Dallas used six 3-pointers, including Irving’s four-point play, and two three-point plays to close within 97-94 with 4:12 remaining, but McCollum answered by making five consecutive shots to preserve the lead and help put the game away.
Doncic had three assists as Powell scored the last six Mavericks points of an early run, producing a 16-8 lead.
The Pelicans turned the tables by outscoring Dallas 16-8, led by Jones’ five points, to forge a 24-all tie at the end of the first quarter.
McCollum and Naji Marshall both made a 3-pointer as New Orleans scored the first eight points of the second quarter and the lead grew to 39-28 on a 3-pointer by Josh Richardson.
The Mavericks pulled within six points on a three-point play by Wood, but the Pelicans scored the next six points to make it 47-35.
McCollum scored eight points and Hayes added four as New Orleans extended its lead to 59-43 at halftime.
