The Mavericks are 7-4, riding a three-game win streak into Wednesday’s slate, and Kyrie Irving has been a major reason why. After topping 20 points just once in his first four games, he’s caught fire over the last five, averaging 26.8 points and 4.8 assists while shooting .485/.442/.864.
Irving also knows his name will be out there in trade chatter, but he made it clear he doesn’t want that noise bleeding into the locker room. He addressed the team directly about it, telling them not to let the rumors get in the way of what they’re building.
“ I let the team know out of my own mouth that these trade rumors, anything that’s going on with me, do not let this infiltrate our locker room,” Irving said. “ Don’t let this get in the way of what we have building here.
We have a lot of depth. We have a lot of youth, and we should use that to our advantage.
But we should not allow any external distractions or any external voices that don’t support us unconditionally or want to see us do well to infiltrate our locker room.”
He also praised first-year head coach Dusty May, crediting him for helping shape the team’s identity and keeping players accountable when they fall short of the standard.
Another big piece of Dallas’ early success has been Cooper Glagg, the 19-year-old wing who erupted for 43 points, 10 rebounds, six assists, and three steals against the Pacers on Monday. That made him the first teenager since Kevin Durant to post at least 40 points and 10 rebounds in a game.
Irving had plenty to say about the young standout: “ We keep calling him a teenager, but he plays way beyond his years,” Irving said. “ … The way he’s always in attack mode, the way he sees the game and he gets others involved - very selfless.
It helps out our team a lot, including myself. Just seeing him being able to make plays for others, but also when he’s calling his own number, he’s getting in that paint and trying to get the most efficient shot possible.
”
Flagg has also drawn attention for being spotted eating a peanut butter and jelly sandwich on the sideline during multiple games, and he said that’s part of his push to add weight and muscle. “ Just trying to get my calories and stay ahead of it and be ready for another one [Monday], ” Flagg said.
Out West, Victor Wembanyama has carved out a place in some rare company. There have been only 10 games in NBA history in which a player has finished with at least 40 points, 10 rebounds, and eight blocks, and Wembanyama has accounted for two of them in a four-game stretch.
That made him just the second player ever to do it twice in a single season, joining Wilt Chamberlain. Wembanyama said his approach has been about choosing his spots and not forcing the issue.
“ I got the chance that opponents can’t really put me in a situation where I cannot do the answer,” Wembanyama said. “ So now, all I have to do is not beat myself.”
The Pelicans, meanwhile, endured a night they’d rather forget Monday, taking a 51-point loss to the Warriors for the worst defeat in franchise history. It was the kind of unraveling that head coach Jamahl Mosley was hired to prevent, and it only got worse as the game went on.
From the second half of the previous matchup against the Clippers through the end of the Warriors game, New Orleans allowed at least 35 points in six straight quarters. “ It’s two nights in a row we’ve allowed our offense to dictate our defense,” Mosley said. “ 139 (points Sunday) night, 138 tonight.
And to understand how we want to play, sometimes you got to get hit in the dang mouth. And we got hit in the mouth twice.
How we will respond is going to say a lot about us, and that’s all of us.”
In Other News...
Jamahl Mosley Addressed Derik Queens Awkward Exit During Pelicans Blowout
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Jamahl Mosley later addressed the awkward optics, explaining that the route Queen had to take at Chase Center made the trip look more dramatic than it was. Mosley acknowledged it was not an ideal look, but said the move was tied to Queens injury treatment, not anything else, which helped put a strange sideline moment back into its proper context. [Read more 🡒]
Pelicans Just Hit A Low Point Fans Can No Longer Ignore
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It was another night of frustration for a roster that has been searching for answers, with several players turning in rough performances and the crowd letting its displeasure be heard at the finish. The defeat also deepened a stretch that already had the feel of a breaking point, leaving the Pelicans with a lot to sort through before the next game and no easy way to explain how a season can tilt so fast. [Read more 🡒]
Pelicans Hit Another Low As Miserable Homestand Keeps Getting Worse
The homestand has turned into a slog for New Orleans, and Sunday brought another rough reminder of how far off track things have gone. After the loss to Golden State, the Pelicans were hammered at home by Brooklyn 145-111, with Zion Williamson leading the way with 29 points while the Nets spread the damage around and had eight players finish in double figures.
Brooklyn set the tone early and never let the Pelicans get comfortable, turning the night into a long chase that never really got closer. New Orleans was already thin because of injuries, and the lineup absences only added to a stretch that has left the team scrambling for answers while the losses keep piling up. [Read more 🡒]