The Dallas Mavericks welcomed a Zion-less Pelicans team last night at the AAC. After a blowout loss to the Celtics, Luka Doncic and the Mavs were determined to start the game hot and the did just that. Christian Wood scored 9 of the team’s first 13 before Doncic took over to score the final 11 en route to a 34-15 lead after one quarter of play.
By the end of the night Luka Doncic had yet another triple double performance with 30 points, 10 rebounds, and 11 assists. Tim Hardaway Jr. quietly contributed 18 points and 2 steals with a very efficient shooting night.
After a hot start Christian Wood added 28 points, 6 rebounds, and 2 blocks in only 24 minutes of play.
Two pleasant surprises came in the form of veteran center JaVale McGee and rookie guard Jaden Hardy. After struggling to find minutes for both players early in the season Jason Kidd managed to give both players extended time on the court. McGee had maybe his most encouraging night since returning to the Mavericks with 6 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 blocks in 15 minutes of play. Jaden Hardy added 15 points on 7-9 shooting with 2 steals in 21 minutes. Before the game Mavericks Head Coach Jason Kidd told the media that he would be looking to find minutes for Hardy after showing great energy on the court during the blowout loss to the Celtics. He wasn’t lying. Hardy played minutes with several different lineups and managed to look good in every situation he was placed. Mavericks fans have to be encouraged by this game after they watched Hardy be thrown back and forth between the end of the main roster bench and the G league for the first 30+ games of the season. After two games in a row of Hardy performing at a high level and showing an ability to adapt to many different lineups you have to imagine he’s earned a spot in the rotation going forward.
After the game Hardy said “That’s just me staying true to my work and hours I put in the gym, and sticking to it. Doing the same thing I do in my workouts. Not being scared of anybody, just hoopin’. I’ve been doing this my whole life.”
Jason Kidd said of Hardy “"He’s worked extremely hard. He’s learning what it means to be a pro. You can see the product on the floor in the sense that he’s not scared. He’s a young man surrounded by a megastar, and he feels like he fits right in. That’s kind of cool.”
Kidd isn’t the only one who is encouraged by Hardy’s performance as of late Luka said after the game “It was amazing. He gave us the pace. It was just downhill all the time, they couldn’t stop him. He is a great player, and you can see it.”
When asked if he was ready for more playing time Jaden Hardy said “I feel like I’m ready. I feel like I can help the team in a lot of ways. Defensively, I feel like I can help the team too. Me being able to shoot the ball and be on the play-make, and play off of Luka Dončić.”
The Mavericks travel to Oklahoma City on Sunday to take on the Thunder who have won 2 of their last 3 games.