Via Mavs.com
NEW ORLEANS — Staging an epic rally before capping off their first win of the new year and a double-overtime classic on point guard Deron Williams’ three-pointer as time expired, the Dallas Mavericks now hope to have something left in the tank Wednesday night as they conclude a back-to-back in New Orleans.
Trailing the Sacramento Kings by seven with 1:20 left in the second overtime period, the Mavericks (20-15) admit that the situation looked bleak Tuesday in front of their home crowd. However, while finishing the game without small forward Chandler Parsons due to a right hip injury, the Mavs continued to battle in the face of adversity to set the stage for Williams’ heroics.
And after The Colony native’s clutch three-pointer to close out an 8-0 run and a 117-116 double-overtime win, the Mavericks will try to carry over the momentum into the start of a three-game road trip.
“You know, I think that’s what it’s about as a point guard, having the ball in your hands late and being about to make a decision. Whether it be take the shot or get somebody else involved,” Williams said after swishing the three for the win.
“I mean, we had those two (losses) that we just let get away, so this was huge,” he added as the Mavs responded to back-to-back defeats with a much-needed victory. “We didn’t want to go into a three-game road trip with a loss on our hands. It was ugly, it was not how we would draw it up, but it’s a win. And it was very important for our morale and this team.”
Looking to even the season series with the Pelicans (11-22) on Wednesday night, the Mavericks will now have plenty of motivation as the two teams meet for a fourth and final time this season in the Southwest Division rivalry.
Capturing a 107-98 victory at home over the Pelicans on Nov. 7, the Mavs then fell victim to a previously winless squad three nights later while suffering a 120-105 defeat when the scene shifted to New Orleans. The Pelicans then once again got the better of the Mavericks last Saturday night, sprinting to a 105-98 road victory at American Airlines Center behind All-Star big man Anthony Davis’ 31 points and 14 rebounds.
And with hopes of knotting the season series with a win, the Mavs will try to muster up enough energy following their double-overtime thriller.
“You know, we already lost twice to New Orleans, so it’s a game we would love to have,” 13-time All-Star Dirk Nowitzki explained.
He added: “You know, we’ve got our hands full again (Wednesday) against a team that’s probably a lot better than their record shows. They’ve got an MVP-caliber player, they’ve got some good guards and they’ve got shotmaking with (Ryan) Anderson. They played us really well here a couple of nights ago, so we’ve got our hands full.”
Note: The Mavericks will now conclude a back-to-back Wednesday night in New Orleans, wrapping up the season series against the Southwest Division rival Pelicans. New Orleans leads the season series 2-1. The game will tip off at 7 p.m. CT, airing locally on Fox Sports Southwest and 103.3 FM ESPN.
The Mavs return to American Airlines Center next Tuesday night, hosting the Cleveland Cavaliers. The game will tip off at 7:30 p.m. CT, airing locally on Fox Sports Southwest and 103.3 FM ESPN. Tickets are still available and can be purchased by visiting Mavs.com, or by calling (214) 747-MAVS.
Injury Update:
Chandler Parsons (right hip injury) — questionable
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