NEW ORLEANS – Sometimes, the hoop gods are on your side.
And that’s when you have to take advantage, because you know how fickle those basketball deities can be.
The shorthanded New Orleans Pelicans hauled a four-game losing streak into Sunday’s game with the Mavericks and this came after the Mavericks handed the reeling Los Angeles Clippers their fourth loss in a row on Friday.
Catching teams on a bad streak can be a fortunate development. And while you have to play the team, not the circumstances, the Mavericks took care of business again on Sunday night with a 136-124 victory over the Pelicans at Smoothie King Center.
Don’t be fooled by the final score. The Mavericks were up by more than 20 points virtually throughout the second half.
And so, the Mavericks got through their first 10 games of the marathon season with an 8-2 record, sitting atop the Southwest Division standings.
“It’s way better,” said Luka Dončić of the vibe surrounding the team compared to last season. “When you’re winning, everything’s great. There’s going to be some tough stretches, for sure. It’s a long season. So we got to keep the same energy. But so far, it’s been great. We’re having fun out there.”
Especially Luka and Kyrie Irving, who combined for 65 points against the Pelicans.
It was Irving who was unstoppable with 35 points, seven assists and six rebounds. He hit seven of 10 three-pointers.
“He said he was tired before the game,” Dončić said of Irving. That was, how you say, B.S.”
Irving begged to differ.
“He called B.S.?” Irving said, perhaps faking a little surprise. “I was tired. I was. I told him before the game I was tired to humanize what I was dealing with. I didn’t feel my absolute best. But I knew it would create some type of inspiration and motivation among the guys. I told them I needed to be picked up.
“Coming out of the gates, we got up and down a little, and my body started to warm up. I was tired before the game and once the game got going, I got into it.”
Luka wasn’t bad, either, with 30 points and nine assists – in less than three quarters. Really, the only blemish on his night was the last play he was on the court for when he tried to send a lob pass that had fans scurrying for cover in the seats behind the basket.
“What can I say? Probably the worst pass I’ve ever seen in my life,” he said. “That’s all I got to say.”
By then, the game was safely tucked away as Luka sheepishly bee-lined to the bench, where he would stay for the whole fourth quarter.
That was a benefit of not having any drama down the stretch. The Mavericks now have averaged 140 points in these past two games. No matter how much the opponent might be struggling, that’s impressive.
“Everyone’s being unselfish,” coach Jason Kidd said. “Looking at Luka and Kai, Kai didn’t have to finish the Clipper game and tonight, Luka didn’t have to finish this game. So our two leaders set the tone. Just unselfish. And our pace, this is different than what we’re used to. The guys have really bought into it and trusted that we can play faster.
“The pace, if I’m correct, we’re maybe in the top 10 and we’ve never been mentioned in the top-10 of pace. There’s going to be nights when we can’t make shots – but if we’re getting wide-open looks and we keep trust in one another, we believe this pace is good for us. And it helps to have depth and health and right now those are two things we have.”
Indeed, the Mavericks came into Sunday ninth in the NBA in pace and getting up 102 shots against the Pelicans won’t hurt that ranking.
Their efficiency was more than the Mavericks needed to win this opener of a two-game set in New Orleans.
The Mavericks and Pelicans will meet again Tuesday, a contest that will carry a bit more weight as it is one of their in-season tournament games. The Mavericks are 1-1 so far in the inaugural event. A win would keep their hopes alive to reach the quarterfinals of the tournament next month.
A loss will effectively eliminate them from any chance of getting out of group play.
But one thing is certain for now, the Mavericks have gotten off to a great start in the standings.
And the vibes are just as good as the record.
“(We’re) 8-2, we’re not satisfied,” Irving said. “We know we won’t win the championship off of the first 10 games and we still have some things to clean up. It’s no time to be super-happy about these wins. We know what’s coming down the line. And also how important this next game is for the in-season tournament.”
And that tournament game on Tuesday will come with the Pelicans still trying to pull out of their tailspin as they play the second of a six-game home stand.
“Every game’s important,” Luka said. “I don’t know if they’ve been struggling or not, but they have a great team. It’s not as easy as it seemed today. They’re very dangerous.”
Before the game, coach Jason Kidd said he tries not to dwell so much on what the other team is doing when preparing for a game.
“We don’t talk about the winning streak or the losing streak,” he said. “You have to be prepared. You have to be ready to take their best shot.”
X: @ESefko
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