Zion Williamson scores 27 points to lead the Pelicans past the Mavericks 129-111

Zion Williamson scores 27 points to lead the Pelicans past the Mavericks 129-111

Zion Williamson scores 27 points to lead the Pelicans past the Mavericks 129-111

There’d be *** lot of good stuff to talk about tonight, but I was gonna start with Eve and, you know, 5 blocked shots and it’s really kind of disrupted things. Yeah, I thought he was fantastic. Really all our bigs were, but, uh, Eve specifically just impacting the rim, you know, uh, the way he’s rebounding out there, he affects, you know, our defense in so many ways, but love his energy, his spirit. He’s becoming that rim protector for us. He’s switchable. Uh, we’re using him *** number of ways defensively. Then he gets out and runs. Uh, he’s all over the offensive glass, so he’s made tremendous strides. He’s been fantastic, just great energy. Carlo brings great energy. Obviously Queen brings *** different dimension, uh, to the lineup when we go big again, but, um, I thought all our bigs played fantastic tonight, but he was really impressive. And Jeremiah Ps had I think was 17 points, but just like he had *** really good game. Yeah, those added up quick, you know, I, I didn’t feel 17 out there and then you look up and he’s got 15+, you know, every single night, but he’s just become more efficient, you know, taking the right shots. He’s doing *** lot of his damage in transition, you know, he, he finds us 4 to 6 to 8 points every game in transition somehow, some way. So, uh, he’s making the right play. Obviously *** couple of turnovers there that we’re cleaning up, but I think he’s playing in *** very mature, aggressive manner. Which I think that is the goal with him. So and then his defensive pressures really picked up as well. Before the game we talked about how much this offense has been sharing the ball, 6 guys in double figures, and it seemed like from like the second quarter on, like every time they would cut it to like 14 to 12, I would push it back to 20. Can you just talk about how efficient your offense was tonight? Yeah, I, I, I think you know I’ll watch it tonight, but it felt within the flow. The ball was moving. We were finding the right guy, playing together, sharing it, moving it. I think we’ve really grown in that area *** tremendous amount, you know, and we still have *** ways to go. It’s not near where I’d like to be, to be honest. I think we should be knocking on the doorstep of 30+ every night. That’s what that’s the strength of this team, multiple scores, multiple playmakers. And um I thought tonight was *** good example step forward doing that. Now we got another challenge here on on Wednesday against *** very good defense. Can we do it again, rep replicate this, moving the ball, sharing it, not turning it over, but I was really proud of the group tonight, uh, the way, the way they shared it. And Zion scored 25 of his 27 before the fourth quarter and that’s kind of really when you were, were pushing and, and making it *** 20 point game. Can you speak to just his ability to get to the hole line? Just very efficient again from the start, you know, got to the rim, you know, they’re missing some of their big guys. So, you know, obviously Zion’s one of the biggest rim pressure guys in the NBA. Certainly in the last 10 years, maybe one of the, you know, the best, uh, in the last, you know, 10 years, just putting pressure on the rim. Consistently and tonight was another good example just efficiently getting downhill, making the right plays, um, you know, I thought he started tonight with the right intentions to get, get us started downhill, making plays at the rim, and then sharing it when he needs to, you know, kicking it at the right time. He’s *** very unselfish player. You know, I think it’s, he likes to look at *** stat sheet and see, you know, 20+ and he, you know, nearing 10 assists and the rebounds as well, but, um, you know, he’s very aware. The thing I’ll, I’ll recognize about Z tonight, he’s very aware of his teammates, you know, even when he has it going like that, it’s even those timeouts when I’m drawing *** play for him, he’s really thinking about his teammates. It’s amazing like he, he’s *** really special, special individual that he’s got *** real unselfish spirit, team spirit. And uh I, I really respect that about him, especially on nights when he probably could go for 35, 40. He’s really aware of his team and making sure that they’re doing well. Guys got what they need. Hey, let’s get Murph *** touch. Let’s get Deke *** touch, you know, let’s get something here for our big guy. Um, that’s what makes him very special to me. How good was struggled. Yeah, it was great just to see him, you know, get back to his efficient self. So that was big for us. We’re going to need him. Here down the, down, down the home stretch, uh, just *** very efficient, you know, player again, but down low, um, got to his spots, raised up, made big buckets for us, so, um, it’s really good to see him get going again.

By Brett Martel, The Associated Press

Zion Williamson scored 27 points and the New Orleans Pelicans defeated the injury-depleted Dallas Mavericks 129-111 on Monday night.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.Williamson made 11 of 13 shots in 28 minutes. Often injured during his first six seasons since being drafted first overall out of Duke in 2019, Williamson has played in 52 games in his seventh NBA campaign, averaging 21.5 points.New Orleans led for most of the game and by as many as 19 points.P.J. Washington scored 18 for the Mavericks, who played without Klay Thompson (rest), Daniel Gafford (illness) and Caleb Martin (sore right foot). Max Christie had 12 points on four 3-pointers.New Orleans played without Dejounte Murray (illness), and coach James Borrego adjusted to the starting point guard’s absence by playing Murphy and Herb Jones in the backcourt and giving second-year center Yves Missi his ninth start of the season. Meanwhile, veteran guard Jordan Poole came off the bench for his first playing time in eight games.Missi grabbed 10 rebounds and blocked five shots. Pelicans reserve Karlo Matkovic had 13 points and 10 rebounds.Up nextMavericks: Host the Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday night.Pelicans: Host the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday night in the first of a two-game set between those teams on consecutive nights.

NEW ORLEANS —

Zion Williamson scored 27 points and the New Orleans Pelicans defeated the injury-depleted Dallas Mavericks 129-111 on Monday night.

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.

Williamson made 11 of 13 shots in 28 minutes. Often injured during his first six seasons since being drafted first overall out of Duke in 2019, Williamson has played in 52 games in his seventh NBA campaign, averaging 21.5 points.

New Orleans led for most of the game and by as many as 19 points.

P.J. Washington scored 18 for the Mavericks, who played without Klay Thompson (rest), Daniel Gafford (illness) and Caleb Martin (sore right foot). Max Christie had 12 points on four 3-pointers.

New Orleans played without Dejounte Murray (illness), and coach James Borrego adjusted to the starting point guard’s absence by playing Murphy and Herb Jones in the backcourt and giving second-year center Yves Missi his ninth start of the season. Meanwhile, veteran guard Jordan Poole came off the bench for his first playing time in eight games.

Missi grabbed 10 rebounds and blocked five shots. Pelicans reserve Karlo Matkovic had 13 points and 10 rebounds.

Up next

Mavericks: Host the Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday night.

Pelicans: Host the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday night in the first of a two-game set between those teams on consecutive nights.