The Dallas Mavericks were on the wrong end of a bad call in their last trip to the Big Easy exactly two weeks ago. That wasn’t the case this time around. Dallas started their longest road trip of the season on a positive note and succeeded by gutting out a 137-136 win over the New Orleans Pelicans on Wednesday.

P.J. Washington scored 25 points, making all four of his 3-point attempts in the fourth quarter, and Kyrie Irving added 25 points and six assists as the Dallas Mavericks outlasted the New Orleans Pelicans 137-136.

A return to the Smoothie King Center wasn’t enough to get the New Orleans Pelicans back on the winning track. Big games from Zion Williamson and Trey Murphy weren’t enough either.  A night CJ McCollum entered the franchise record books wasn't enough either.

Willie Green and the New Orleans Pelicans have no excuses for some recent losses. Collectively, fans can be forgiven for tuning out given the circumstances. The team cannot though and individual player development is the best place to look for silver linings amid an otherwise lost season.