Elfrid Payton Records Fifth Consecutive Triple-Double as Pelicans Beat Mavs

Elfrid Payton recorded his fifth consecutive triple-double as the visiting New Orleans Pelicans beat the Dallas Mavericks in overtime on Monday night.

The Pelicans managed to snap a six-game losing streak on a night where Dirk Nowitzki passed Wilt Chamberlain for sixth place on the NBA's career scoring list and Mavs rookie Luka Doncic turned in a triple-double of his own with 29 points, 13 rebounds and 10 dimes.

Pelicans forward Julius Randle scored a game-high 30 points in the victory.

Payton logged 19 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds in the 129-125 win. He is the fifth player in NBA history to post five straight triple-doubles. Chamberlain, Michael Jordan, Oscar Robertson and Russell Westbrook have also accomplished this feat.

Elfrid Payton has become just the 5th player in NBA history to record a triple-double in 5 consecutive games.

Russell Westbrook set the NBA record earlier this season with an 11-game streak.

h/t @EliasSports pic.twitter.com/jdLyMuQ2Kj

— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) March 19, 2019

Pelicans head coach Alvin Gentry praised Payton for his recent stretch of dominance.

"To be a point guard and be able to come up with double-digit rebounds night after night after night, that is really tough to do," Gentry said. "Any time they mention you in the same breath as Westbrook, you have to feel really good about it. If they mention you in the same breath as Oscar Robertson, that is another whole area."

Payton will look to register his sixth consecutive triple-double on Wednesday night in a road tilt against the Orlando Magic. The 25-year-old Payton spent the first 3.5 seasons of his career with the Magic before it traded him to the Phoenix Suns at the 2018 NBA trade deadline. He played just 19 games for the Suns, before signing with the Pelicans in free agency this summer.

Pelicans Lose Davis to Injury, Beat Thunder

Anthony Davis left Thursday night’s home contest versus the Oklahoma City Thunder with a left shoulder injury, but the New Orleans Pelicans managed to secure an upset win.

Without Davis, forward Julius Randle and guard Jrue Holiday led the way. Randle finished with 33 points, 11 rebounds and six assists, while Holiday had 32 points, five rebounds and seven assists in the 131-122 victory. Holiday defended Thunder All-Star forward Paul George and held him to 11-of-29 shooting—including 3-of-17 from three-point territory. George scored 28 points with seven rebounds, six assists, one blocked shot and one steal.

Davis exited the Smoothie King Center with his agent, Rich Paul, in the second half. MRI results revealed the All-Star suffered a muscle contusion but "nothing too bad," according to ESPN. Davis will get treatment on the shoulder over the next few days. He will see how he feels before deciding whether he can play in Sunday’s All-Star Game in Charlotte.

Pelicans head coach Alvin Gentry had no interest in discussing Davis—who publicly requested a trade but was ultimately not dealt before the NBA’s trade deadline—and shifted his focus on his players who carried the team to a victory.

"I'm gonna talk about the guys that play," Gentry said. "They did a great job. We found a way to win the game. That's what's important."

Gentry lauded his players for stepping up and winning a game against one of the best teams in the Western Conference, in spite of all the drama surrounding his squad.

"I'm happy for all of them," Gentry said. "Because to tell you the truth, this whole thing has been a dumpster fire. We want guys to be professional and we want them to do this, but it's hard for guys to go through what they've been through. And to be able to come out and beat a team of that quality, I'm happy for all the guys. I just thought they did a great job."

Thunder guard Russell Westbrook accomplished two incredible feats in the defeat. He increased his triple-double streak to 11 games—an NBA record—by scoring 44 points, grabbing 14 rebounds and dishing out 11 assists. Despite the loss, Oklahoma City is 9-2 during Westbrook’s streak. In addition to increasing his triple-double streak, Westbrook became the all-time leading scorer in Sonics/Thunder franchise history. He surpassed Gary Payton (18,207 points) and now has accumulated 18,247 points in his storied career.

Anthony Davis Reportedly Wanted DeMarcus Cousins off Pelicans

Anthony Davis wore DeMarcus Cousins’ jersey in the All-Star Game—but he reportedly will not miss his former teammate, after all. According to Andrew Doak, a New Orleans sports anchor for WWL-TV, Davis did not want Cousins—who signed with the Golden State Warriors on Monday—to re-join the New Orleans Pelicans in free agency.

The Pelicans went on a roll after Cousins tore his Achilles in January. Davis, in particular, thrived in the absence of Cousins, posting 30.2 points and 11.9 rebounds per contest for the remainder of the regular season.

Davis shifted to the center position and led the Pelicans to the No. 6 seed in the Western Conference and spearheaded an upset over the Portland Trail Blazers in the first round. The Pelicans then lost to Golden State in the Conference Semifinals. In nine playoff games, Davis averaged 30.1 points, 13.4 rebounds, 2.3 blocks and two steals.

Anthony Davis donned DeMarcus Cousins' uniform at the 2018 All-Star Game. (TNT Photo)

Playing far better without Cousins, it makes perfect sense that Davis steered the Pelicans away from re-signing the controversial big man, especially if he felt the locker room was in better shape when Cousins was away from the team.

Cousins has long been seen as a locker room enigma going back to his days with the Sacramento Kings. He played for six coaches in his six-plus seasons with the franchise. He got the infamous label of “coach killer” and was viewed as a difficult player to get along with for the front office and the coaching staff.

The improved play of the Pelicans in the wake of a season-ending injury to Cousins, a toxic locker room presence, coupled with the fact that Davis heavily recruited newly-signed power forward Julius Randle to New Orleans, gives credence to Doak’s report. Davis could have urged management to bring back Cousins, but he clearly had no interest in re-uniting.

Cousins will not be returning from his Achilles tear until December or January at the earliest. Coming back from an injury of that magnitude is an arduous task for any player—and the reclamation process back into the fold of the team's offensive and defensive strategies would have been even more challenging for New Orleans (had they re-signed him) with a contentious figure like Cousins. It’s no wonder why Davis wanted him out of New Orleans.