Jeremiah Fears celebrated his birthday in style Wednesday night.
Fears, who turned 20, led the way in the New Orleans Pelicans’ best showing of the preseason.
Fears finished with 16 points and 5 assists in the Pelicans’ 101-97 victory over the Dallas Mavericks at American Airline Center. Fears also had 3 steals and 3 rebounds.
It was the second straight year Fears had a big game on his birthday. He finished with 20 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists and 2 steals last season in a loss to the Houston Rockets. This year he stuffed the stat sheet and got the win to go with it.
“It’s just a great feeling being able to step on the court and play the game I love on a special day to me,” Fears said during a postgame television interview.
The Pelicans improved to 2-1 in the preseason.
Mosley used his third different starting lineup. The goal is to get his players accustomed to different roles.
“There were 31 different starting lineups last year,” Mosley said. “So these guys need to understand and we all have to keep seeing how these combinations work together. I think that’s so important.”
Wednesday’s starters were Fears, Bennedict Mathurin, Saddiq Bey, Karlo Matkovic, and Yves Missi. It was the first preseason start for Bey and Matkovic. Missi, the only Pelicans’ player to start all three games, finished with 6 points, 9 rebounds and 4 blocked shots. Matkovic made 3 of his 4 3-pointers and finished with 11 points.
In the first preseason game against the Oklahoma City Thunder, the Pelicans started Dejounte Murray, Herb Jones, Trey Murphy, Zion Williamson and Missi.
When they played the Miami Heat, the starters were Murphy, Missi, Williamson, Fears and Mathurin.
“Guys that originally started need to know what it’s like to come off the bench,” Mosley said. “And guys that come off the bench need to know what it’s like when you have to start a game. The intensity you have to have. The focus that you have to have. Those are great ways to do that now in the preseason.”
Fears understood the assignment, scoring his team’s first seven points.
Murray missed his second straight game dealing with a toe injury. But it didn’t matter as the Pelicans put forth their best defensive effort. They forced 25 turnovers and limited the Mavs to 35.3 % shooting from the floor.
“I thought our guys were very connected,” Mosley said. “They were communicating with one another. Flying around, covering for one another. Doing it without fouling. We had two or three shot clock violations. That’s just their ability to sit down and take on the challenge of being the most physical team early to set the tone of the game.
The Pelicans wrap up preseason play Friday when they host the Washington Wizards at the Smoothie King Center. The regular season begins Wednesday at home against the Indiana Pacers.