Category: Sports News

The Lakers survived an ugly, ugly fourth quarter of basketball to come away with a sixth straight win, knocking off the Rockets on the road, 100-92.

An absolute rock fight broke out between the two teams in the fourth as they combined for just 12 points in the first eight minutes of the period. The Lakers eventually found offense, opening up a multiple-possession lead that proved enough.

In the end, some big baskets from Deandre Ayton and a strong defensive showing in the fourth proved enough to come away with yet another big win against a fellow playoff contender.

The game began with Clint Capela splitting a pair of free throws. LeBron James and Luka Dončić were leading the Lakers early with four and nine points, respectively. Jabari Smith Jr. started well for Houston with four points. 

Both teams were shooting 60% from the field. The Rockets missed two 3-pointers, while LA made one. 

Los Angeles went on a run that put them ahead by two at the 6:40 mark. Luka entered double figures with 14 points. 

Kevin Durant started cooking with eight points. Rui Hachimura provided a nice spark off the bench with four points. At the 2:16 mark, the Lakers were up by three. The purple and gold allowed Reed Sheppard to score a fast five points, cutting the lead to just one for LA.

Austin Reaves opened the second period with a layup for Los Angeles. Smith Jr. responded on the other end with a triple. Reaves converted on another layup, giving him six points. After Jake LaRavia scored on a layup, Houston called a timeout. 

Out of the break, Dorian Finney-Smith drained a 3-pointer. 

In the battle of the bigs, Capela was winning so far with six points and three rebounds. Deandre Ayton had zero points with three rebounds and a steal. LaRavia and Reaves were both fouled a few times, converting on six free throws combined. 

At the 7:25 mark, LA was up by four. 

Houston jumped ahead after scoring four in a row. The Lakers retook the lead after Luka converted on a midrange jumper. Both teams started going back and forth, taking the lead. The Rockets were up by three with 2:45 left in the half. 

At halftime, the Lakers were down by six. 

Amen Thompson started the third period with a layup for Houston. Smart responded on the other end with a layup himself, pushing his point total to eight. The Rockets were shooting 60% in the quarter, while LA was shooting 44%. LeBron had five of Los Angeles’ 10 in the quarter. 

Luka began heating up, scoring a quick five points. 

Over a two-minute span, the Lakers put together an 11-2 scoring run that gave them a one-point lead. The run had expanded to 23-7 until Houston surged for four in a row to stop some of the bleeding. 

Heading into the fourth, Los Angeles was up by three. 

The final frame started with both teams turning the ball over. LeBron then dunked on the other end off an assist from Reaves. Houston responded to make it a two-point game. LA started missing their shots, but their aggressive defense kept them in the lead and forced 20 turnovers for the Rockets. 

Houston tied the game at the 6:52 mark.

The 23-5 margin in second-chance points was hurting the Lakers. The Rockets were on an 8-0 run. LeBron converted on free throws to cut the deficit to one for Los Angeles. Reaves had 15 points, but was a brutal 0-7 from behind the arc. 

Durant picked up his sixth turnover. 

After a rough seven-minute scoring drought for the Lakers, Ayton scored on a layup that was deemed a goaltend by Tari Eason. Luka then converted on a jumper to give LA a three-point lead. 

With 2:14 left, Los Angeles was nursing a one-point lead. 

Smart knocked down a big-time triple to put LA up by four. Ayton then ignited for two clutch buckets, pushing Los Angeles’ lead to eight with 43 seconds left. Reaves stole the ball and threw an assist to LeBron for a dunk that sealed the win. 

Key Player Stats

Luka finished with 36 points, six rebounds and four assists. LeBron ended with 18 points, five rebounds and five assists. Reaves scored 15 points with three rebounds, five assists and four steals. 

Smart notched 11 points. LaRavia pitched in with seven points and three steals. Hachimura had six points with three rebounds. 

The Lakers’ next matchup will be against the Houston Rockets on Wednesday at 6:30 PM PT.

You can follow Karin on Twitter at @KarinAbcarians.

With the Nets hosting Portland — and rising Trail Blazers star Deni Avdija taking on Nets rookies Ben Saraf and Danny Wolf — Monday marked the first time three Israelis ever faced off in the NBA. 

“Yeah, it’s special,” said Nets coach Jordi Fernández. “When other countries outside the US and Europe can be represented with three players here, it means the world, and it’s a special day that everybody has to enjoy. And I think they are already. …I don’t know Deni, but I’m sure he’s excited to play. I know Ben and Danny are. 

“And that’s good. It’s one of the two times that we’ll see this and hopefully for many years, see how these guys grow. Obviously Deni, a career year and how much better he has gotten. And then our two young guys, they’re getting better. And I want to see this matchup over the years and how interesting, how cool it is to see them play against each other.” 

Wolf started a third straight game with Michael Porter Jr. out. 

He came into Monday averaging 12.2 points and 6.2 rebounds over his prior ten games before Portland. 

Porter missed a third straight game with a sprained right ankle Monday vs. Portland, but has resumed on-court work and appears to be close to a return. 

“Yeah, I’m not qualified to talk about grades [on his sprain], but I can share that he did form shooting in the last game that we played, and [Monday] is going to be his first workout,” Fernández said before Brooklyn hosted the Trail Blazers. “So let’s see how he feels after it. He’s getting better, and then we’ll assess.” 

Porter has sat out four of the past five games. 

With 14 games left in the regular season, the Nets host the reigning champion Thunder on Wednesday. 

Backup center Day’Ron Sharpe (left thumb UCL tear) and rookie lottery pick Egor Dëmin (left plantar fascia injury management) have both already been ruled out for the season. Veteran Terance Mann missed Monday’s tilt with left Achilles soreness and Noah Clowney was simply rested. 

Saraf was available after having been listed as questionable with a left calf contusion. 

The Nets started rookies Wolf, Nolan Traore and Drake Powell, along with Ziaire Williams and Nic Claxton. 

Portland’s Damian Lillard and Shaedon Sharpe were both out. Chinese rookie Hansen Yang was with the G-League Remix.

There’ve been rumors going back to trade deadline about how the Nets plan to move beyond their deep rebuild next season, but Brian Lewis writes more in detail on the team’s plan, quoting sources knowledgeable about things.

Multiple league sources told The Post that the idea remains the same: The Nets intend to flip the switch and try to compete as soon as next season.

Just how aggressive their rebuild is, and exactly what it looks like, is going to be determined by four or five touch points over the next 18 months.

A year and a half timeframe would mean big decisions in the 2026 Draft and free agency as well as the 2027 Draft and free agency.

Each of said “touch points” will determine just how fast the Nets move as they accelerate in their rebuild must as they did in Sean Marks first rebuild between 2016 and 2019, going from 21 to 28 to 42 wins and with a mostly homegrown cast attract two of the NBA’s top stars and lay the groundwork for the addition of James Harden.

How the Nets rookies develop, what kind of lottery luck they get, what happens in the upcoming playoffs, if a star becomes available and free agency will all play roles in shaping how Brooklyn’s rebuild goes.

“Yes, it’s all of the above,” one source told The Post. “There’s going to be like five touch points where you go OK, where’s the team.”

This draft is loaded, and the Nets will be in the lottery; the 2027 free agent class could be stacked, and they’ll have flexibility. Whether they become aggressive this summer, next summer or the trade deadline in-between remains unclear. 

What’s crystal clear is they expect to compete sooner rather than later.  Think months, not years.

Lewis enumerates the Nets current situation including development of the Nets five first round rookies in 2025 and their lottery pick in June. (Brooklyn currently has three picks in the 2026 lottery, currently the third best odds at the top pick as well as picks at Nos. 33 and 44, putting them second in Tankathon’s draft power rankings.)

But one of the more intriguing aspects of Lewis’ intelligence dump is how they believe that the playoffs will determine how some of the league’s top stars react to various playoff scenarios.

Even though the Nets are nowhere near the playoffs, the postseason will shape their offseason. Underachieving can elicit breakups, and make stars available.

Sources told The Post that Brooklyn was interested in Giannis Antetokounmpo and Donovan Mitchell before entering their tank. If either became available — and the former is largely expected to — could the Nets circle back?

“They’ll have conversations [about stars],” one league source told The Post. “They already had conversations; they just weren’t quite the right time.”

Of course, Sean Marks & co. thought that those two superstars, specifically, would consider the Nets before but were wrong. Indeed, the Nets failure to pair Mitchell with his friend Mikal Bridges was one consideration in their willingness to trade Bridges to the Knicks and get their lottery picks back in 2025 and 2026.

Also, Lewis notes that beyond circumstances, there’s timing. As Lewis notes, the Nets may very well have to swap first round picks with the Rockets in 2027 which will put an end to tanking. Moreover, the 2027 draft is seen as mediocre at best. So, in the meantime, it will be about development and evaluation.

“Our wins are not just the ones you see in the standings, and we’ve had that clear from the beginning,” Lewis quotes Jordi Fernández. “I know at times it may sound foreign for other people, but we have a plan. We know what we’re doing, and we’re confident that we’re going to be good for a long time. It’s just [that] it’s a process.”

CHICAGO (AP) — Josh Giddey had 16 points, 15 rebounds and 13 assists for his fourth triple-double in five games, and the Chicago Bulls blew out Memphis 132-107 on Monday night to hand the depleted Grizzlies their eighth straight loss.

Giddey is third in the NBA with 12 triple-doubles this season, trailing Nikola Jokic (27) of the Denver Nuggets and Jalen Johnson (13) of the Atlanta Hawks. Giddey is averaging 17.9 points, 8.4 rebounds and 8.8 assists, all career highs. The fifth-year guard has been limited to 46 games this season by hamstring and ankle injuries.

Matas Buzelis led the Bulls with 29 points, including five 3-pointers. The second-year forward, who was the 11th pick in the 2024 draft, has logged three of the four highest-scoring totals of his career in just the last three weeks.

Tre Jones added 17 points and Rob Dillingham had 15 off the bench for the Bulls, who started a four-game homestand by winning for just the fifth time in their last 23 games. The Bulls, who are in 12th place in the Eastern Conference and six games out of the last play-in spot, outscored the Grizzlies 71-50 in the second half.

Cedric Coward led the Grizzlies with 17 points on 7-for-13 shooting, and Jaylen Wells and Taylor Hendricks each added 16 points. The Grizzlies, who have shelved standout Zach Edey for the remainder of the season and not had star Ja Morant play for nearly two months, were also without starters Ty Jerome (bruised shoulder) and G.G. Jackson (sore foot). Memphis is 3-15 in its last 18 games.

Up next

Memphis hosts Denver on Wednesday.

Chicago hosts Toronto on Wednesday.

___

AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA

The Golden State Warriors snapped a five-game losing streak on Monday night, getting a much-needed 125-117 win over the Washington Wizards. It was an entertaining game, with the Warriors at times flirting with turning it into a blowout, and at other times risking blowing a lead and suffering another gut-wrenching loss.

But in the end, it was the first win in 11 days for the shorthanded Dubs. So let’s grade the players who got the job done. As always, grades are based on my expectations for each player, with a “B” grade representing the average performance for that individual.

Note: True-shooting percentage (TS) is a scoring efficiency metric that accounts for threes and free throws. Entering Monday’s games, league-average TS was 58.0%.

Will Richard

32 minutes, 0 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, 3 fouls, 0-for-6 shooting, 0-for-4 threes, 0.0% TS, -2

Well … Steve Kerr ripped into Richard during Sunday’s loss for a turnover, and the rookie responded by playing 32 minutes without a single turnover. Unfortunately, it wasn’t a good game for him. He seemed out of rhythm, and couldn’t by a bucket. Still, not turning the ball over while playing the level of perimeter defense he plays means he was an asset, even in a down game. But hard to get a good grade when you’re a non-factor on one end of the court.

Grade: C-

Gui Santos

28 minutes, 18 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal, 1 turnover, 5 fouls, 7-for-10 shooting, 4-for-6 threes, 90.0% TS, +20

There was one big weakness in Santos’ game on Monday: he repeatedly got caught with his hand in the cookie jar. That meant he had to go to the bench early in the second quarter with a third foul, and it meant that one of the best players on the team played a few seconds shy of 28 minutes.

But other than that? Near perfection. While the team struggled to shoot from deep, Santos drained three after three when the Dubs needed it most. He shot 4-for-6 from beyond the arc … his teammates? 5-for-26. His defense was strong, his energy was infectious, and he always had a big play up his sleeve … when he was on the court, at least.

Grade: A
Post-game bonus: Best plus/minus on the team.

Draymond Green

29 minutes, 5 points, 8 rebounds, 7 assists, 2 steals, 3 turnovers, 1 foul, 2-for-8 shooting, 1-for-5 threes, 31.3% TS, -8

Green did some good stuff in this game and some bad stuff in this game. His defense wasn’t as good as it’s been in recent weeks, and he had some truly careless turnovers. He also had a masterful game boxing out, set strong screens, and had some great playmaking. A lot of key stuff, but it didn’t feel like he was one of their most impactful players.

Grade: B-
Post-game bonus: Led the team in rebounds and assists, worst plus/minus on the team.

Brandin Podziemski

28 minutes, 10 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, 1 turnover, 2 fouls, 3-for-11 shooting, 1-for-4 threes, 3-for-4 free throws, 39.2% TS, +8

Podz had a hard time getting his offense going in this one. I wouldn’t say he was forcing things, per se, but things weren’t easy, even though he got a lot of shots off. He also took a violent forearm to the face and seemed a little woozy, so hopefully he’s OK. As usual, he had some nice plays doing the small things, but ultimately the offense wasn’t there.

Grade: C

De’Anthony Melton

30 minutes, 27 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals, 3 turnovers, 12-for-17 shooting, 0-for-2 threes, 3-for-3 free throws, 73.7% TS, +10

A sensational showing by Melton. He didn’t play during the team’s loss on Monday to the New York Knicks, and in the first quarter, he was fittingly the only Warriors player who seemed to have his full legs. He brought much-needed energy until his teammates could catch up, and then he started to take over in the third quarter when the rest of the offense stagnated. He scored in double figures in that frame, which included a tantalizing poster dunk.

Hopefully Steph Curry can get back on the court soon, because I desperately want to see him playing alongside this version of Melton.

Grade: A

Gary Payton II

24 minutes, 15 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals, 1 block, 2 turnovers, 5 fouls, 7-for-10 shooting, 1-for-3 free throws, 66.3% TS, -6

GPII had an absurd game cutting without the ball. It seemed every time he was on the court, he made a remarkable backdoor cut and finished at the rim. He also played strong defense on Trae Young, and was a huge factor on the glass, as usual. He’s really been finding a groove lately.

Grade: A-

Pat Spencer

22 minutes, 10 points, 3 rebounds, 5 assists, 1 steal, 1 turnover, 3-for-9 shooting, 2-for-4 threes, 2-for-2 free throws, 50.6% TS, +2

A so-so game from Pat. Like Podziemski, he had a hard time getting separation and easy looks. But he also kept the offense rolling, with some really nice passes that got the offense into motion. He’s not always flashy, but he’s a good quarterback.

Grade: B

Kristaps Porziņģis

26 minutes, 30 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals, 3 blocks, 3 turnovers, 2 fouls, 8-for-13 shooting, 1-for-5 threes, 13-for-14 free throws, 78.3% TS, +7

This is the type of game that makes it abundantly clear why the Warriors traded for Porziņģis, and why I expect them to re-sign him this offseason. He was nothing short of a star, in every phase of the game. He scored more than a point per minute, and had five stocks while barely playing half the game. Washington’s defense was completely helpless against him, and was forced to foul, foul, and foul some more (you can see how Bam Adebayo did it, can’t you?). When the Warriors needed a bucket, they fed Porziņģis, and he was able to get them one. That’s something that has been sorely missing. He set massive screens, controlled the paint on defense, and looked like the only player that the Wizards had no game plan for. His best game as a Warrior, without a doubt.

Grade: A++
Post-game bonus: Led the team in points.

Malevy Leons

16 minutes, 8 points, 2 rebounds, 1 steal, 1 turnover, 2 fouls, 4-for-5 shooting, 0-for-1 threes, 80.0% TS, +2

A really solid game for Leons, who was the only one of the Warriors two-way players to get significant run in this game. He held his own on defense, and showed a lot of fight, hustle, and athleticism in his scoring, which included climbing the ladder for a highlight reel alley-oop.

Grade: A

Nate Williams

3 minutes, 0 points, 1 rebound, 0-for-2 shooting, 0-for-1 threes, 0.0% TS, +6

Just a short burst of minutes for Williams in this game. There will be more minutes for him in some other contests, especially given how frequently everyone on this team gets hurt.

Grade: Incomplete

Ömer Yurtseven

2 minutes, 2 points, 1 assist, 1 foul, 2-for-2 free throws, 113.6% TS, +1

And just a brief cameo for Yurtseven as well, in his second game with the team.

Grade: Incomplete

Monday’s inactives: Jimmy Butler III, LJ Cryer, Seth Curry, Steph Curry, Al Horford, Moses Moody, Quinten Post

WASHINGTON (AP) — Kristaps Porzingis scored 30 points, De’Anthony Melton added 27 and the Golden State Warriors snapped a five-game losing streak with a 125-117 victory over the Washington Wizards on Monday night, earning coach Steve Kerr his 600th career victory.

Golden State is without Stephen Curry (right knee) and Jimmy Butler (torn right ACL), and Seth Curry (left groin) and Al Horford (left calf strain) were also out Monday. The Warriors are almost assured of ending up in the play-in round in the Western Conference, but it matters where among that foursome you finish, and they were able to end their skid against the lowly Wizards.

Washington has dropped 12 in a row, but the Wizards still haven’t taken over last place in the East because Indiana has lost 13 straight.

The Warriors rested Draymond Green, Porzingis and Melton in Sunday’s loss at New York, and those three were able to help them on the second night of this back-to-back. Golden State led by 17 in the second quarter before the Wizards fought back to within two. It was 64-57 at the half.

Golden State led by 15 early in the fourth before the Wizards made one more push. They could draw no closer than five.

Trae Young scored 21 points in 21 minutes for Washington.

HAWKS 124, MAGIC 112

ATLANTA (AP) — Nickeil Alexander-Walker scored a career-high 41 points, Jalen Johnson had his 13th triple-double of the season and Atlanta rolled past the Magic, extending their winning streak to 10 games and snapping Orlando’s at seven.

The Hawks improved to 38-31 and reclaimed eighth place in the Eastern Conference, bumping Philadelphia back to ninth.

Johnson had 24 points, 15 rebounds and 13 assists in his second straight triple-double. Dyson Daniels added 15 points and 12 rebounds.

Alexander-Walker scored 24 points in the first half, helping Atlanta to a 67-50 lead at halftime. Alexander-Walker’s previous career high was 38 points against the Spurs earlier this season.

The Hawks kept momentum rolling after the intermission, scoring 23 points in the first 5:12 of the third quarter to extend their lead to 29 points. The Hawks totaled 37 points in the period and led 104-83 at the start of the fourth.

Orlando cut the deficit to 12 points with 3 1/2 minutes remaining before Atlanta put the game back out of reach.

Paolo Banchero had 18 points and 10 rebounds for the Magic. Desmond Bane also added 18 points.

TRAIL BLAZERS 114, NETS 95

NEW YORK (AP) — Deni Avdija and Toumani Camara each scored 18 points, and Portland coasted to a victory over Brooklyn.

Donovan Clingan finished with 14 points and 11 rebounds and reserve Scoot Henderson had 16 points for the Blazers, who never trailed and led by as many as 31.

Nic Claxton had 12 points and 10 rebounds for the short-handed Nets, who have lost four consecutive games and 14 of 16. Leading scorer Michael Porter Jr. (ankle) missed his third straight game and Noah Clowney (rest) was held out.

CELTICS 120, SUNS 112

BOSTON (AP) — Jaylen Brown had 18 of his 41 points in the fourth quarter and Jayson Tatum scored 21 in his fifth game back from an Achilles tendon injury to help Boston beat Phoenix.

Devin Booker scored 40 for the Suns, who have lost back-to-back games after snapping a four-game winning streak. Jalen Green scored 21 for Phoenix.

Derrick White, who was presented with February’s Eastern Conference’s Defensive Player of the Month Award before the game, had 21 points for Boston, and Payton Pritchard scored 19.

PELICANS 129, MAVERICKS 111

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Zion Williamson scored 27 points and New Orleans defeated injury-depleted Dallas.

Saddiq Bey had 23 points, while Jeremiah Fears and Trey Murphy III each added 17 to help the Pelicans win for the eighth time in 12 games.

Naji Marshall scored 32 points for the Mavs against his former team. Dallas rookie Cooper Flagg, the top pick in the 2025 draft, had 21 points, eight assists and seven rebounds.

BULLS 132, GRIZZLIES 107

CHICAGO (AP) — Josh Giddey had 16 points, 15 rebounds and 13 assists for his fourth triple-double in five games, and Chicago blew out Memphis to hand the depleted Grizzlies their eighth straight loss.

Giddey is third in the NBA with 12 triple-doubles this season, trailing Nikola Jokic (27) of the Denver Nuggets and Jalen Johnson (13) of the Atlanta Hawks. Giddey is averaging 17.9 points, 8.4 rebounds and 8.8 assists, all career highs. The fifth-year guard has been limited to 46 games this season by hamstring and ankle injuries.

Matas Buzelis led the Bulls with 29 points, including five 3-pointers. The second-year forward, who was the 11th pick in the 2024 draft, has logged three of the four highest-scoring totals of his career in just the last three weeks.

Tre Jones added 17 points and Rob Dillingham had 15 off the bench for the Bulls, who started a four-game homestand by winning for just the fifth time in their last 23 games. The Bulls, who are in 12th place in the Eastern Conference and six games out of the last play-in spot, outscored the Grizzlies 71-50 in the second half.

Cedric Coward led the Grizzlies with 17 points on 7-for-13 shooting, and Jaylen Wells and Taylor Hendricks each added 16 points. The Grizzlies, who have shelved standout Zach Edey for the remainder of the season and not had star Ja Morant play for nearly two months, were also without starters Ty Jerome (bruised shoulder) and G.G. Jackson (sore foot). Memphis is 3-15 in its last 18 games.

LAKERS 100, ROCKETS 92

HOUSTON (AP) — Luka Doncic scored 36 points to lead Los Angeles to a victory over Houston in the opener of a two-game series between teams fighting for Western Conference playoff position.

Los Angeles moved 1 1/2 games ahead of Houston for third in the West standings. There were 13 lead changes in a game that had a playoff atmosphere, but the Lakers ultimately won their sixth straight.

LeBron James found Marcus Smart for a corner 3-pointer that put Los Angeles up 94-90 with 2 minutes remaining. James finished with 18 points, five rebounds and five assists.

Doncic hit back-to-back 3-pointers in the fading minutes of the third quarter to give the Lakers an 83-80 lead after trailing 57-51 at halftime. Doncic was 4 for 12 on 3s in the game and needs 11 more to match D’Angelo Russell’s franchise record of 226 in a season.

Doncic had his sixth straight game with 30 or more points but fell just short of his 12th 40-point game this season. He went 14 for 27 from the field.

Jabari Smith Jr. led Houston with 22 points. Amen Thompson had 19 and Kevin Durant added 18 for the Rockets, who committed 24 turnovers compared with just 12 for Los Angeles.

SPURS 119, CLIPPERS 115

INGLEWOOD, Calif. (AP) — Victor Wembanyama had 21 points and 13 rebounds, and San Antonio overcame an early 14-point deficit before blowing most of a 24-point lead and recovering to hold off Los Angeles.

Stephon Castle had 23 points, eight assists and seven rebounds to lead the Spurs (50-18), who reached 50 wins for the first time since 2016-17 and trail the first-place Thunder by three games in the West. Devin Vassell added 20 points.

Fighting to secure a spot for the play-in tournament, the Clippers’ second straight loss dropped them back to .500 with Kawhi Leonard watching from the bench. The NBA’s sixth-leading scorer sat out with a sprained left knee.

Darius Garland led six Clippers in double figures with 25 points and 10 assists. Jordan Miller had 22 points off the bench, which outscored the Spurs’ reserves 57-30.

The Dallas Mavericks leaned further into the tank on Monday night, falling 129-111 to the New Orleans Pelicans in a game that never truly felt competitive down the stretch. Dallas showed brief life early, but couldn’t sustain it as the Pelicans controlled the pace and physicality for most of the night. Naji Marshall led the Mavericks with 32 points, continuing his strong stretch, while Cooper Flagg added 21 points, 8 assists, and 7 rebounds in another all-around performance. For New Orleans, Zion Williamson dominated with 27 points on highly efficient shooting, and Trey Murphy III chipped in 17 points as the Pelicans generated consistent offense and pulled away comfortably.

The Mavericks opened with good early energy, getting contributions across the board as P.J. Washington knocked down multiple threes and Cooper Flagg immediately impacted the game as both a scorer and playmaker, helping Dallas briefly grab control. Flagg was especially active early, finishing in transition and creating for others, while Marvin Bagley added efficient scoring with a three and a lob to keep the offense flowing. But that rhythm didn’t last, as the Pelicans—led by Zion Williamson’s relentless rim pressure and a scoring burst from Saddiq Bey—flipped the game by attacking the paint and getting to the line. Dallas’ offense stalled late in the first with missed shots and turnovers, while New Orleans consistently generated clean looks, shot 57.1% compared to Dallas’ 41.7%, and took control of the glass, leading to a 32-26 deficit.

The Mavericks tried to stabilize things in the second quarter, with Naji Marshall finishing inside and Max Christie knocking down a three to briefly spark the offense, but that push quickly faded. Zion continued to live at the rim while Trey Murphy III added timely shot-making, and New Orleans kept forcing Dallas into tough, late-clock looks. As the quarter went on, the Mavericks’ offense completely unraveled, with missed layups, blocked shots, and empty possessions piling up while the Pelicans generated second chances and free throws to extend the lead. Even when Dallas showed small flashes late, every run was immediately answered, and the execution gap remained clear. By halftime, it was 67-54, with the Mavericks still unable to find any consistent rhythm on either end.

The third quarter opened with Dallas trying to make a push, as P.J. Washington knocked down a three and Naji Marshall followed with a pull-up and transition finishes, briefly trimming the deficit to around 89-76 and giving the Mavericks some life. Marshall stayed aggressive early, scoring on multiple possessions and even setting up Washington, as Dallas showed a short stretch of rhythm. Still, that window closed quickly as Zion Williamson got downhill for layups and free throws while Trey Murphy III added a reverse finish and helped generate turnovers into easy points. Midway through the quarter, it fully unraveled—after a Washington dunk cut it to 96-82, Dallas had chances to build momentum but came up empty on a missed Washington three, a blocked Marshall layup, and a bad turnover from Derrick Queen, all in a short stretch. New Orleans immediately capitalized with a Matković three, Murphy layup, and Johnson finish, pushing the lead right back out and erasing any progress, and from there the Mavericks couldn’t convert stops into offense as missed jumpers and empty possessions piled up. By the end of the quarter, it had turned into an 86-103 deficit, and the fourth never offered any real energy or comeback window.

It quickly shifted into an extended run for the two-way and end-of-rotation guys, with Dallas opening on mostly empty possessions, including missed threes from Ryan Nembhard, while New Orleans calmly added points at the line through Jordan Hawkins. The Mavericks had a few scattered moments, like an A.J. Johnson alley-oop to Nembhard, but nothing that resembled a real run as stalled possessions continued. New Orleans didn’t need to do much, simply maintaining control with a Matković three and free throws from Saddiq Bey to keep the margin comfortable, and from there it fully turned into garbage-time basketball with both teams trading misses and turnovers. Dallas never seriously threatened, and it quietly closed as a 129-111 final, a finish that felt more like a formality than a comeback opportunity.

Another Good Loss

This loss matters more than it looks because Dallas is stuck in one of the most volatile spots on the lottery board, where every single result swings real odds. Right now, the Mavericks are sitting around 6th–7th in the lottery standings, tightly packed with teams like the Pelicans and Grizzlies, and even one win or loss can flip that order. From the Tankathon data, that difference is massive around this range; you’re talking roughly 8% odds at No. 1, but if you slide just a couple spots, those odds drop quickly, while your chances of falling out of the top tier increase.

That’s what makes games like this so important. The Pelicans are in a unique spot where they don’t even control their pick, so they have no real incentive to lose, which creates an opportunity for Dallas to pass them in the standings if they keep losing. At the same time, Memphis is right behind them, meaning the Mavericks are essentially in a three-team tug-of-war where every result reshuffles positioning.

So this isn’t just another late-season loss; it’s a direct movement in a crowded lottery race. Instead of risking a meaningless win and dropping a spot, Dallas stays in range of jumping higher, which matters because worse records mean more ping-pong ball combinations and better chances at a top-four pick. As the season winds down, this is the reality: the difference between the 5th and 8th lottery slot could be the difference between landing a franchise player or missing that tier entirely, which is why losses like this quietly carry real long-term weight.

Another Fun Flagg Game

Cooper Flagg was once again one of the few bright spots for Dallas, continuing what has quietly been a really strong stretch of basketball over the past week. He finished tonight with 21 points on 10-of-21 shooting, along with 8 assists and 7 rebounds, consistently creating offense even as the team around him struggled to find rhythm. What stood out wasn’t just the scoring, but how involved he was in everything, initiating sets, pushing in transition, and making the right reads when the defense collapsed. Over his last five games, Flagg has been steadily productive, putting up 27, 25, 13, 14, and 17 points, while maintaining solid efficiency and contributing across the board as a rebounder and playmaker.

More importantly, his impact goes beyond the box score. Even in losses like this, he’s been the one stabilizing presence, keeping possessions alive, generating looks for others, and showing flashes of control that you don’t usually see from a young player. The scoring has been consistent, the playmaking is trending up, and the all-around production is becoming the norm rather than the exception. As the Mavericks lean further into development down the stretch, Flagg isn’t just putting up numbers; he’s starting to look like the clear centerpiece of everything they’re building.