DALLAS — The Dallas Mavericks defeated the New Orleans by a final score of 111-103 on Friday night. It was a quality way to return from the All-Star break, as Dallas now holds a 31-26 record. Kyrie Irving and PJ Washington led the way in the victory. Kyrie recorded 35 points, four assists and two rebounds, while PJ had 24 points, seven rebounds, three assists and two steals.
It is safe to say that Washington has impressed Irving.
“When he’s not in the lineup we miss him out there,” Irving said of Washington following Friday’s Pelicans-Mavs game. “We’re able to go small… Being a play-maker, stretching out the opposing centers to the three-point line… We just need him to stay aggressive. He’s a budding star for our team. He’s showcasing that. His numbers have showcased that. So I think it’s time we start furthering that conversation about PJ Washington consistently doing these things.”
What does a future Hall of Famer such as Irving calling Washington a “budding star” mean to PJ?
PJ Washington responds to Kyrie Irving calling him a “budding star”#MFFL https://t.co/xwtGV2ffbv pic.twitter.com/H2AUzZhxZc
— Joey Mistretta (@JoeyMistretta_) February 22, 2025
“It means a lot obviously coming from a guy like Kai,” Washington said. “He’s been a superstar in this league for a while. Credit to him for saying that and obviously just being like a big brother to me and helping me in every way he can since I got here. Obviously it’s great for me to be here and play with him.”
Kyrie Irving, PJ Washington lead Mavericks against Pelicans
Despite battling injuries, as Anthony Davis, Dereck Lively II and Daniel Gafford were among the Mavs who did not play, Dallas played hard and found a way to win. Max Christie added 16 points while Naji Marshall scored 15 points in the victory. However, it was Irving and Washington who led the way on Friday.
Mavs head coach Jason Kidd said he has seen Washington’s scoring potential since last season.
“I thought it started last year,” Kidd said. “The opportunities to go in the post and play through him in the post, I thought gave him confidence. Also it gave us another weapon that we didn’t have or didn’t recognize early when we got him. In the playoffs, we started to put him in the post and it started to get him going offensively. But we’ve always looked at him as making the big three in the corner or being able to guard, but now he’s added being able to roll and play-make. And also being able to score.
“I think he’s shown he’s worked on his left hand, he’s using his left a lot so it shows that he’s added something to his game. He’s playing at a high level, we need him to score.”
The Mavericks are now set to embark on a two-game road trip on the west coast. They will play the Golden State Warriors on Sunday before heading to LA for a highly-anticipated matchup with Luka Doncic and the Lakers. Doncic was recently traded from the Mavs to the Lakers, so Tuesday’s contest will be his first clash against his former team.
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