{"id":663260,"date":"2026-03-17T17:06:39","date_gmt":"2026-03-17T17:06:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/663260\/"},"modified":"2026-03-17T17:06:39","modified_gmt":"2026-03-17T17:06:39","slug":"naji-marshalls-32-not-enough-as-mavericks-fall-to-pelicans","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/663260\/","title":{"rendered":"Naji Marshall’s 32 Not Enough As Mavericks Fall To Pelicans"},"content":{"rendered":"

Naji Marshall<\/a> scored 32 on Monday night on his old court. The Dallas Mavericks<\/a> had the New Orleans Pelicans down by 10 in the first quarter. The Pelicans\u2019 bench helped flip the game before halftime to win 129-111 at Smoothie King Center, handing the Mavs their 26th road loss of the season and dropping both clubs to 23-46 on the year.<\/p>\n

Marshall went 12-of-24 for 32 points, grabbed eight rebounds, and handed out seven assists. Cooper Flagg<\/a> added 21 points, five assists, and eight rebounds in his most complete two-way effort of the trip. Washington added 18, all threes. The starters competed, but the bench was outgunned once Jeremiah Fears<\/a> got going in the second quarter, and Dallas never recovered.<\/p>\n

It was the back end of a road back-to-back \u2014 last stop on a 14-day run that opened with six straight road games through two countries, squeezed in one home game, then closed with two back-to-back sets. Home Wednesday against Atlanta to start a three-game stand.<\/p>\n

Dallas Mavericks Jump Out to a 10-Point Lead in the First Quarter<\/p>\n

Washington hit three straight threes in the first seven minutes. Flagg threw down two running dunks in the same stretch. Up 23-13, Dallas had New Orleans calling a timeout and looking rattled.<\/p>\n

Kidd traced it back to Cleveland the night before \u2014 the same ball movement, the same early pace that carried over from a road win 24 hours earlier.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe were really good there in the first five minutes,\u201d Kidd said. \u201cThe ball was moving, P.J. was shooting the ball. That was everything. We had good looks that just didn\u2019t go down for us after that stretch. But again, that start was a carryover from Cleveland the day before, so there was a lot of good stuff.\u201d<\/p>\n

Getting different guys involved from the jump, Kidd said, is what makes this offense hard to scheme against.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think what we\u2019re doing is getting everyone involved early \u2014 P.J., Max, Naji,\u201d Kidd said. \u201cJust understanding how to play in front and get different guys\u2019 touches. That\u2019s important for us.\u201d<\/p>\n

Flagg put one word to what went sideways once New Orleans adjusted \u2014 stagnation.<\/p>\n

\u201cI thought we played with great pace out of the gates early,\u201d Flagg said. \u201cThen it got stagnant, and I think that was the biggest challenge for us throughout the game. We\u2019ve got to find ways to get the energy back in the ball and keep it moving.\u201d<\/p>\n

Saddiq Bey<\/a> ended it. With 3:11 left in the first, he scored 11 straight \u2014 a three, a layup, a free throw \u2014 and New Orleans was up 32-26. The Pelicans stayed in front the rest of the night.<\/p>\n

New Orleans Pelicans\u2019 Bench Decides the Second Quarter<\/p>\n

The second quarter came down to who had the better bench. New Orleans did, and it wasn\u2019t close.<\/p>\n

Fears checked in and scored 10 points in roughly two minutes. He drained a 28-footer, then read a Nembhard pass and finished a runout dunk on the other end 14 seconds later \u2014 41-35 in a blink. New Orleans pushed it to 47-37 from there. A game Dallas could still win turned into a comfortable Pelicans lead before the half.<\/p>\n

Borrego has watched Fears put up 17 enough times that the number itself doesn\u2019t move the needle \u2014 he notices where the points come from.<\/p>\n

\u201cThose added up quick,\u201d Borrego said. \u201cI didn\u2019t feel 17 out there. Then you look up and he\u2019s got 15-plus every single night. But he\u2019s just become more efficient, taking the right shots. He\u2019s doing a lot of his damage in transition. He finds us four to six to eight points every game in transition somehow, some way.\u201d<\/p>\n

Marshall spelled out the coverage dilemma New Orleans puts on a defense every night. Lay off, and they shoot threes. Apply pressure, and the drive opens up.<\/p>\n

\u201cBig guards, strong guards,\u201d Marshall said. \u201cA lot of them can shoot, so you\u2019ve got to pressure them, and then it opens up the drive. They\u2019re good at finishing. Shoutout to their staff \u2014 they\u2019re working with those guys every day.\u201d<\/p>\n

Matkovi\u0107 summed up the second unit\u2019s role in a few words.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe second unit always brings that energy,\u201d Matkovi\u0107 said. \u201cI think that\u2019s something that triggers us. We try to keep that pace every time we get in. Energy, high motor.\u201d<\/p>\n

Murphy III buried a 27-footer, and Williamson scored four in the final 45 seconds. New Orleans 67, Dallas 54 at halftime. Six Pelicans hit double figures. Borrego said the ball movement is what makes that kind of offensive distribution possible, and named where he wants this group to be.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt felt within the flow,\u201d Borrego said. \u201cThe ball was moving. We were finding the right guy, playing together, sharing it, moving it. I think we\u2019ve really grown in that area a tremendous amount. I think we should be knocking on the doorstep of 30-plus every night. That\u2019s the strength of this team \u2014 multiple scorers, multiple playmakers.\u201d<\/p>\n

Zion Williamson Dominates Dallas Mavericks in the Third Quarter<\/p>\n

Zion Williamson<\/a> was 11-of-13 for 27 points. Twenty-five of those came before the fourth. The third quarter was mostly him going left, finding the rim, and getting to the line \u2014 whatever Dallas threw at him, he had an answer.<\/p>\n

Borrego spent more time postgame on Williamson\u2019s unselfishness than his efficiency \u2014 specifically the timeout huddles where Williamson is already asking about getting Murphy III or Derik Queen<\/a> a touch instead of calling for the ball himself.<\/p>\n

\u201cJust very efficient again from the start,\u201d Borrego said. \u201cZion\u2019s one of the biggest rim-pressure guys in the NBA \u2014 certainly in the last 10 years, maybe one of the best just putting pressure on the rim consistently. He\u2019s very aware of his teammates, even when he has it going like that. Even those timeouts when I\u2019m drawing a play for him, he\u2019s really thinking about his teammates. He probably could go for 35 or 40 on a night like this, and he\u2019s still aware of making sure everybody\u2019s doing well.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sixty-eight points in the paint. Kidd didn\u2019t need long to explain it.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe didn\u2019t do a good job protecting the paint,\u201d Kidd said. \u201cZion dominated tonight. We\u2019ll go back, look at it, and see how we can be better. But when you look at their ability to get downhill \u2014 Zion especially \u2014 that\u2019s where they hurt us.\u201d<\/p>\n

Marshall kept it short.<\/p>\n

\u201cZion one-on-one is different,\u201d Marshall said. \u201cHe goes left, and nobody can stop him. He\u2019s like a freight train. Just a hard worker \u2014 shoutout to my boy.\u201d<\/p>\n

Flagg explained what makes guarding Williamson a problem without help \u2014 he goes through contact on purpose, which means trying to stay in front of him almost always puts a defender in foul trouble.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s really, really good at getting downhill and to his left hand, going through your body and creating contact,\u201d Flagg said. \u201cYou don\u2019t want to foul him, but it is tough to stop when he\u2019s coming downhill like that. I think we can be better at helping each other, shrinking the floor, and not letting guys get to their spots early.\u201d<\/p>\n

Yves Missi<\/a> started for an ailing DeJounte Murray and tied his career high with five blocked shots, making every trip to the rim uncomfortable for Dallas. He described the paint protection less as a system and more as a matter of knowing your teammates will be where they\u2019re supposed to be.<\/p>\n

\u201cDefense is just habits,\u201d Missi said. \u201cI know if my man goes and I can come over, just have each other\u2019s back, be there for each other. That\u2019s the main thing on defense \u2014 something that we\u2019ve emphasized lately. Being able to rebound, get stops, then just positioning.\u201d<\/p>\n

The blocks fed directly into the transition. Missi framed the whole thing as possessions.<\/p>\n

\u201cEvery time you get a stop, a steal, or even a block, you get something in transition,\u201d Missi said. \u201cAfter a block, you get a layup \u2014 just quick plays. Whoever gets the most possessions is most likely going to win the game.\u201d<\/p>\n

Borrego called Missi transformative.<\/p>\n

\u201cI thought he was fantastic,\u201d Borrego said. \u201cHe affects our defense in so many ways, but love his energy, his spirit. He\u2019s becoming that rim protector for us. He\u2019s switchable, we\u2019re using him in a number of ways defensively, and then he gets out and runs. He\u2019s all over the offensive glass. He\u2019s made tremendous strides.\u201d<\/p>\n

Matkovi\u0107 scored seven straight late in the third \u2014 the last a hook shot off his own miss \u2014 and it was 99-84. He finished with 13 points and 10 rebounds. When asked why the Pelicans generate so many easy transition baskets, he started with the defensive communicators on the roster.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have, like, one, two \u2014 two first-team All-Defense guys,\u201d Matkovi\u0107 said. \u201cThat helps a lot. They talk to us, they let us know. And definitely Yves Missi \u2014 his defensive presence too. Defense to offense actually works a lot for us, especially possessions. We\u2019re just trying to keep staying on it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Dallas never got within 13 the rest of the way.<\/p>\n

Naji Marshall Delivers a Complete Performance for the Dallas Mavericks<\/p>\n

Back in his old building for the first time as a visitor, Marshall was the one Maverick who kept New Orleans honest all night \u2014 driving, finding open teammates, playing hard when most guys would have coasted through a blowout.<\/p>\n

The gym felt like home the moment he walked in, he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cComfortability,\u201d Marshall said. \u201cI played here for quite some time, so just being comfortable with the arena, the gym, it felt good.\u201d<\/p>\n

When Dallas started attacking switches in the second half, Marshall said the adjustment was simple \u2014 stop holding, go get it.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe just started attacking the switches and stopped holding the ball,\u201d Marshall said. \u201cWe got to it right away. We were more aggressive in the second half, especially being down.\u201d<\/p>\n

Same read from Flagg\u2019s perspective.<\/p>\n

\u201cJust switch hunting,\u201d Flagg said. \u201cTeams were switching, so we wanted to find that mismatch, find the big, and attack them. Just trying to get downhill and make plays.\u201d<\/p>\n

Flagg called Marshall a true professional and said he\u2019s taken notice of what he does every night.<\/p>\n

\u201cI appreciate everything about Naji,\u201d Flagg said. \u201cHe\u2019s such a good basketball player all around \u2014 consistent. He shows up every single night, he\u2019s a true professional. Tonight was just another example of him impacting the game. What he can do out there is super impressive. I\u2019ve been really impressed with Naji.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kidd circled back to Marshall more than once \u2014 the way he competed when the deficit made competing pointless to anyone else in the building.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe character,\u201d Kidd said. \u201cWhen you talk about Naji, he just loves to play the game. He competes, he wants to win, and he\u2019ll do whatever it takes for his team. Tonight he did that. He kept playing no matter what the score was. He still believed we had a chance to win.\u201d<\/p>\n

Marshall didn\u2019t need long to explain where that comes from.<\/p>\n

\u201cJust being unbelievably blessed to be in this position and have this opportunity,\u201d Marshall said. \u201cI take full advantage of it. My love for the game, my love to compete \u2014 the game\u2019s never over until the last buzzer sounds. When I\u2019m out there, I just want to show how grateful I am with how hard I play.\u201d<\/p>\n

Even down big in the fourth, the trust within this group showed. Marshall talked about reads that happen before the play even develops.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey\u2019re great at sharing the ball,\u201d Marshall said. \u201cWe\u2019ve built some chemistry throughout the year, and I feel comfortable with them out there. I know where they\u2019re going to be on the floor, and it\u2019s the same for them with me. It\u2019s just comfortability.\u201d<\/p>\n

On the schedule grind, Marshall had no patience for the conversation.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s not. It\u2019s our job,\u201d Marshall said. \u201cIt\u2019s what we\u2019re here for. We\u2019ve just got to do what we\u2019ve got to do.\u201d<\/p>\n

On defense, he pointed to the previous two games as something real to build on.<\/p>\n

\u201cJust communication \u2014 talking more, getting better as a team,\u201d Marshall said. \u201cI think we\u2019ve been better the last two games than we were earlier in the season. It\u2019s about progress. You\u2019re not going to get it all in one day. Just keep stacking days and being there for each other through adversity.\u201d<\/p>\n

Cooper Flagg Battles Through Grueling Stretch<\/p>\n

Flagg finished with 21 points and made his presence felt in the second half, going right at switches, getting downhill, and hunting the rim. Fourteen days into a stretch that would test anyone, he said the body is holding up fine.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt feels pretty good. Definitely a little sore, a little banged up, but I feel pretty solid overall.\u201d<\/p>\n

The night before in Cleveland \u2014 front end of the same back-to-back, road win, ball moving \u2014 that\u2019s the version of this team Flagg wants to replicate every night out.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe did that in Cleveland the other night and early in this game,\u201d Flagg said. \u201cBut we\u2019ve got to sustain it. We\u2019ve got to continue to play with pace when teams are switching and trying to stall us out. As I said, just keep the energy in the ball and keep it moving.\u201d<\/p>\n

His reads in the pick-and-roll have gotten sharper. Flagg talked about recognizing what his gravity does to coverage before he even puts the ball on the floor \u2014 and trusting the open man that shows up when help comes.<\/p>\n

\u201cI feel good about it,\u201d Flagg said. \u201cGuys are knocking down shots, which definitely helps. But I think it\u2019s part of just using my gravity. I\u2019m starting to understand it more \u2014 collapsing the defense, they\u2019re coming to help, so you\u2019ve got to make the right play and find the open man.\u201d<\/p>\n

Max Christie<\/a> started and scored 12, his pair of second-quarter threes briefly cracking the door open. Khris Middleton<\/a> had six off the bench.<\/p>\n

What\u2019s Next for the Dallas Mavericks<\/p>\n

Kidd felt that losing Brandon Williams early to a head injury left Dallas in a challenging situation, and New Orleans is a different team when it gets rolling.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s just hard to get stops,\u201d Kidd said. \u201cIt\u2019s hard to play a lot of basketball like that. Losing guys hurt us too \u2014 not having another scorer or playmaker on the floor. But the guys did everything they could. We got off to a great start, but New Orleans is better when they get going like that.\u201d<\/p>\n

Dallas cut it to 14 at one point in the second half. Kidd said that\u2019s where the game slipped \u2014 no stop, no shot.<\/p>\n

\u201cI thought we got it down to 14 at one point \u2014 we were trying to get it to 10 \u2014 but we couldn\u2019t get a stop and we couldn\u2019t get a shot,\u201d Kidd said.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s been a long trip,\u201d Kidd said. \u201cBut at the same time, we\u2019ve got to play the schedule. There\u2019s things we can learn from it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Flagg is eager to get back home. <\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s going to feel great. I\u2019m very excited to go home, sleep in my bed, and get a couple of great nights of rest.\u201d<\/p>\n

Twelve games left, and Matkovi\u0107 said getting healthy is what changed everything for New Orleans \u2014 the whole roster finally together, figuring out what they can actually do.<\/p>\n

\u201cEverybody got healthy right now, so I think that\u2019s one thing,\u201d Matkovi\u0107 said. \u201cThat extra energy comes back. Everything kind of lines up together. We\u2019re kind of starting off late, but I think that\u2019s good for us to get it rolling for something that\u2019s coming up.\u201d<\/p>\n

Dallas opens its three-game homestand Wednesday against Atlanta.<\/p>\n

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