Break’s over, everyone!
Welcome back, everyone! The NBA’s annual All-Star Break has come and gone, and it’s time to get back to work. The Dallas Mavericks (30-26, 8th in the Western Conference) are hosting the New Orleans Pelicans (13-42, last in the Western Conference) in the fifth and final game of this homestand that started over two weeks ago.
Like horses turning for home at the Kentucky Derby, the Mavericks are into the stretch run of this season and there’s no slowing down now. Wins are desperately needed and hard to come by, so this game against a Cooper Flagg sweepstakes contestant is one they must win. Here’s what you should know before the unofficial second half of the season tips off.
The big conundrum
The Mavericks currently have two available players who are over the height of 6’7. One of them is Kylor Kelley, who is currently on a two-way deal and cannot buy himself time on the floor even with the injuries Dallas is going through. The other? Freshly acquired Moses Brown, who may not even be available for this game. Yes, that is the same Moses Brown from the 2021-22 Mavericks. And he can only be here for 10 days because the Mavericks do not have enough salary cap space below the first apron to sign him for any longer.
This will use up 10 of the 14 days of salary that Dallas has left under their first-apron hard cap.
That’s means the Mavericks won’t be able to sign another player until April 10. https://t.co/0BIMjMKSLN
— Keith Smith (@KeithSmithNBA) February 19, 2025
So that begs the question: Who in the world is going to match up with the Pelicans big frontline of Zion Williamson and Yves Missi? PJ Washington should be back after missing the final few games before the break with an ankle sprain. However, with all due respect to the remaining members of the Mavericks frontcourt, they don’t have the facilities to match up with the Pels’ duo. Washington, who will likely play the five for the Mavs, surely will draw Zion, but that leaves Missi with a huge mismatch. It’ll take some creative work by the Mavericks coaching staff to neutralize that threat.
Skating by
Both of the last two meeting between these two teams have been decided in the final seconds. Dallas took a horrific 119-116 loss in New Orleans on Jan. 15, which you might remember for a certain goaltending non-call after the Mavericks blew a fourth quarter lead. Just two weeks later, Dallas escaped with a 137-136 win after nearly blowing a 10-point lead with just two minutes left. All that to say, while the Pelicans have been the only team more snake-bitten than the Mavs this year, they’re plus-two in the aggregate scoring when Luka Doncic has been unavailable. I’m not saying, I’m just saying!
The Luka effect
Speaking of the aforementioned Doncic, this game was originally slated to be a nationally televised broadcast on ESPN, with an 8:30 p.m. local start time. However, shortly after the trade was announced, ESPN announced that they were flexing out of this game and into the Minnesota Timberwolves at Houston Rockets game instead. Safe to say, that will not be the last time this happens. The Mavericks had somewhere near 30 nationally televised games this year. That will not be the case going forward. But, hey, look at the bright side, at least the Mavericks finally got rid of that locker room cancer Luka Doncic and have established the culture they were after!
A message from @luka7doncic to Los Angeles. pic.twitter.com/fhoa30nIjY
— Luka Dončić Foundation (@LD77Foundation) February 10, 2025
How to watch
Because ESPN flexed out of this game, it’s now a 7:30 p.m. start from the American Airlines Center, with KFAA Channel 29 and Mavs TV having the coverage or NBA League Pass if you live outside the Mavericks local TV region. You can also catch our guys on Playback!