The Dallas Mavericks’ locker room was a cauldron of frustration and disbelief after a 119-116 loss to the New Orleans Pelicans that may have hinged on a controversial non-call in the final seconds. With Dallas trailing by one and looking to take the lead, Spencer Dinwiddie drove to the hoop and lofted a layup that was swatted away by the Pelicans’ Trey Murphy III. To the Mavericks, it was a clear case of goaltending.
But the whistle never blew, no replay was triggered, and New Orleans held on for the narrow victory on their home court. It was a gut-punch ending for a Mavericks squad already reeling from the absence of injured superstars Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving. Now, the Mavs find themselves mired in a three-game skid and rapidly fading from the Western Conference playoff picture.
A Crucial Moment, an Absent Whistle
With just over 15 seconds remaining and the Mavericks down 117-116, Dallas’ P.J. Washington made a clutch steal near midcourt to give his team a chance to take the lead. The Mavs pushed the ball ahead to Dinwiddie, who drove hard to the basket. His layup attempt looked to carom off the backboard before Murphy made contact, but the officials deemed it a clean block.
The league wants to get it right. The referees have a tough job. They clearly did not get that right, and it cost us maybe the game.
– Mavericks coach Jason Kidd
Dinwiddie, who poured in 20 points on the night, was adamant that he had deliberately banked the shot off the glass to avoid a potential block — a maneuver he’s used to great effect throughout his career. But without the luxury of a timeout or an official replay review, the Mavericks were left with no recourse to challenge what appeared to be a missed goaltending call.
Pelicans Escape Despite Mavs’ Heroic Efforts
Even without their top two scorers and starting center Dereck Lively, who sat out with a right ankle injury, Dallas gave the Pelicans all they could handle. Battling on the road in a hostile environment, the Mavericks got a career-best performance from backup big man Daniel Gafford:
- 27 points on near-perfect 12-of-13 shooting
- 12 rebounds in 27 minutes off the bench
But it wasn’t quite enough to overcome New Orleans, who rode 30 points from guard Dejounte Murray and outlasted Dallas despite resting their own injured superstar, Zion Williamson. The win was just the 10th of the season for the struggling Pelicans, who remain near the bottom of the West standings.
Costly Loss Extends Mavericks’ Misery
For Dallas, the loss was their eighth in the last 10 games, a skid that has seen them tumble down the conference rankings. Once firmly in the playoff mix, the Mavericks now find themselves slipping perilously close to play-in tournament territory:
| TEAM | RECORD | CONF. SEEDING |
| Mavericks | 25-23 | 8th in West |
With each mounting loss, the pressure intensifies on the Mavericks to right the ship. But as long as Doncic and Irving remain sidelined, wins are likely to be few and far between. And if Wednesday’s heartbreaker is any indication, Dallas may need more than just their superstars’ healthy return — they might need a few favorable whistles to go their way as well.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
