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Mavericks

The USA Men&rsquo;s National Basketball will face arguably their biggest threat in the Olympics in Team Canada on July 10 in Las Vegas. This Canadian team features a multitude of NBA talents, just like Team USA. Led by 2024 NBA MVP finalist Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and 2023 NBA Champion Jamal Murray, Team Canada is poised to give Team USA all the headaches and possible roadblocks in its pursuit of gold.&nbsp;
With all things considered, here&rsquo;s what Team USA could do to stamp their dominance against their neighboring rivals up North and send a message to the rest of the world eager to challenge their throne.
Dump the ball to Joel Embiid and let him go to work
Perhaps the most dominant basketball player in the world right now, there&rsquo;s probably nobody who could guard Joel Embiid one-on-one today on God&rsquo;s green earth. A 7-foot-2 big man blessed with skill, size, finesse, and power, Embiid&rsquo;s complete game will be a main problem for Team Canada. Among the frontliners they could throw at Embiid are Dwight Powell, Kelly Olynyk, and Trey Lyles but none of them - on paper and quick eye test - are quick or strong enough to deter Embiid and his dominance. Embiid dominated some of the league&rsquo;s best defensive players, putting up 50 points on 4-time DPOY Rudy Gobert and scoring 70 points in phenom Victor Wembanyama&rsquo;s head last season.
Team USA should quickly take advantage of this opportunity and run the offense through Embiid and make Team Canada send double teams at him. That&rsquo;s when advantages and opportunities will open up to the rest of the guys like LeBron cutting to the rim or Durant and Curry spotting up for wide-open threes. It could be a pick-your-poison type of game where Team Canada could let Embiid play one-on-one and destroy them inside the paint or double him and risk putting two on the ball creating opportunities for the rest of Team USA.
Get into lots of screening actions to create advantages and confuse the defense
Team Canada&rsquo;s biggest strength will be their on-ball perimeter defense. Among Dillon Brooks, Gilgeous-Alexander, Lu Dort, and Nickeil Alexander-Walker, they will have long wings that could disrupt passing lanes and wreak havoc on the perimeter, creating easy baskets in transition. Canada&rsquo;s a relatively young team with most players in their athletic prime so they would definitely take advantage of their biggest strength and make it their main style of play.
To counter this, Team USA could involve their players in more screening actions to create advantages on offense and confuse Canada&rsquo;s defense. They should also incorporate slips and slides in those screens and in the pick and rolls for cutters and shooters to get open shots. By doing this, Team USA will negate Canada&rsquo;s biggest strength and create easy and quality looks against their vaunted perimeter defense.
Play defense
It&rsquo;s no secret that Team USA&rsquo;s core players are aging and nearing the end of their athletic peaks. Although being the superstar basketball players that they are and still being at the top of their offensive games, Team USA&rsquo;s defense will be suspect here and would probably be the main attacking point of their opponents. Jrue Holiday, Anthony Edwards, and Derrick White will have their work cut out for them in the perimeter right from the get-go as Team USA could be punished by a guard-heavy offensive team like Team Canada.&nbsp;
Team USA might outscore everyone, but you can make them work on the other side of the floor, and this could be Canada&rsquo;s main mindset coming into the game. Despite the top-end talent and superstar-level shot-making on offense, Team USA should put more effort on the defensive end of the floor if they want to win this game.

The USA Men’s National Basketball will face arguably their biggest threat in the Olympics in Team Canada on July 10 in Las Vegas.

USA vs CAN preview: 3 things Team USA could do to win exhibition game against Canada

Minnesota Timberwolves point guard Mike Conley Jr. has been named the 2023-2024 NBA Twyman-Stokes Teammate of the Year, the league announced Wednesday night.
Conley, 36, tightly won the race. The Twyman-Stokes Teammate of the Year award featured 10 players nominated across the league. This includes the Brooklyn Nets&rsquo; Mikal Bridges; New York Knicks&rsquo; Jalen Brunson; Indiana Pacers&rsquo; TJ McConnell; Cleveland Cavaliers&rsquo; Georges Niang; Boston Celtics&rsquo; Al Horford; New Orleans Pelicans; Larry Nance Jr.; Oklahoma City Thunder&rsquo;s Jalen Williams; Denver Nuggets&rsquo; Kentavious Caldwell-Pope; Dallas Mavericks&rsquo; Dwight Powell; Sacramento Kings&rsquo; Harrison Barnes; and Orlando Magic&rsquo;s Markelle Fultz. Conley Jr. finished with a total of 1172 points with 51 1st place votes (equivalent to 10 points), 45 2nd place votes (seven points), 49 3rd place votes (five points), 23 4th place points (equivalent to three points), and 33 5th place votes (equivalent to one point).&nbsp;
Conley Jr. has now won the award for the second time, having previously earned the honor in the 2018-19 season.
The 36-year-old point guard was recognized as the player who was deemed the best teammate based on selfless play, on- and off-court leadership as a mentor and role model to other NBA players, and commitment and dedication to the team.
Behind Conley&rsquo;s good play, the Timberwolves finished 3rd in the Western Conference with a 56-26 record this season.

Minnesota Timberwolves point guard Mike Conley Jr. has been named the 2023-2024 NBA Twyman-Stokes Teammate of the Year.

Mike Conley Jr. secures 2023-2024 NBA Twyman-Stokes Teammate of the Year

This article is part of a two-part series preview for the upcoming 2023-2024 NBA Playoffs.
With the 2023-2024 NBA Playoffs starting, all eyes will be on all teams competing for the championship as fans and players look on for a taste of postseason action. As eight playoff teams in each conference gear up for what promises to be an intense battle for the title, each team faces its own set of unique challenges. In this article, we take a closer look at the biggest question facing each Western Conference team heading into the playoffs, from injuries and roster changes to key matchups and strategic decisions.
<h3>Oklahoma City Thunder - How far can their youth and inexperience take them in the playoffs?</h3>
The Thunder got away through the regular season with historic from MVP frontrunner Shai Gilgeous Alexander, an impressive rookie season by Chet Holmgren, a star sophomore leap by Jalen Williams, and a coaching masterclass in a genius coach Mark Daigneault.
However, the playoffs as we know it is a different beast &ndash; will Mark Daigneault be able to sustain the good coaching he has done with his team throughout this regular season?
How much of this youth and inexperience be a factor for them to advance deeper in the playoffs; will they be able to use it to their advantage? Or will it be a hindrance against other experienced teams when they face each other in these tight situations? Most of the time, these situations require patience and discipline &ndash; teams with playoff experience have shown over time and have done it time and time again on their way to a deep playoff run.
<h3>Denver Nuggets - Can they go back to back?</h3>
There&rsquo;s really no other question for a team like the Nuggets at the peak of their powers: Can they win back-to-back titles? There has not been a back-to-back champion in the NBA for the past 5 years, with the last one coming in 2017 and 2018 when the Warriors won it all.
Like Boston, it is a title or bust status with Denver as of now. They have been fairly healthy throughout the regular season, have a mostly intact roster that won it all last year, and have the best player in the world in Nikola Jokic in his absolute prime. Denver this year has again all the necessary pieces to win &ndash; the right amount of shooters, defensive guys, scoring in the paint &ndash; which are all the makings of a championship team.
A couple of questionable factors though would be how much of an impact the loss of Bruce Brown would have in these playoffs. Brown was arguably the 5th, or 4th best player in their championship run last year &ndash; maybe even the 3rd in some games. He was essential on offense and defense, guarding the opponent&rsquo;s best perimeter threats while providing off-ball scoring and cuts that fit perfectly with Jokic.
Second, they&rsquo;ll be facing championship-caliber teams with hunger and drive to defeat them, and all have been competitive with the Nuggets this season. The Lakers, although the Nuggets swept them last year in the Western Conference Finals, still have LeBron James and Anthony Davis, and they won&rsquo;t take that lightly &ndash; likely coming back with a vengeance.
The Suns have won the season series with the Nuggets 2-1 and they pose a threat to the Nuggets with their formula of having three elite shotmakers that can explode anytime &ndash; which the Nuggets may not cover all at the same time.&nbsp; The Wolves, who perhaps have the best lineup suited to defeat them, are lurking in the same bracket waiting to pounce on them at sight.&nbsp;
These are all challenges a defending champion must go through to achieve a rare feat because the playoffs are supposed to be hard.
<h3>Minnesota Timberwolves -&nbsp; Will they finally break through after years of heartbreak?</h3>
This has already been a win of a season for the Timberwolves, achieving their second most wins in franchise history (56) since 2004 when they won 58 wins and reached the conference finals.
However, this has not stopped them from wanting more, and the wolfpack is not satisfied nor contented with just this achievement &ndash; they want more.
Minnesota wanting to go win that first playoff series like a hungry pack of wolves has been evident since trading for 3-time Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert. Although they fell short last season due to untimely injuries to key players, the Wolves ran it back and have proven their little experiment with two bigs in star Karl Anthony Towns and Gobert would work.&nbsp;
Led by their resurgent young superstar Anthony Edwards equipped with the best defense in the league, Minnesota certainly hopes this team would be the one &ndash; the one to end the longest playoff series win droughts in the league for quite some time now.
<h3>Los Angeles Clippers - Will they be able to meet the expectations this time around?</h3>
The Clippers trading for James Harden signaled one thing for the franchise: They are going all in with Kawhi Leonard and Paul George and surrounding them with all the help they can get. They are far from a perfect team, but the Clippers want to have the best possible results this season before transferring to their new arena next year.
The Clippers have only appeared in the conference finals once in the Leonard-George era after being plagued by several injuries during their different playoff runs. Due to that, people haven&rsquo;t been able to see what the team is capable of when their two stars are fully healthy in a playoff run.
However, this year might just be their year. Their core of Harden, George, and Leonard have been mostly healthy all season long. The front office has also surrounded them with complementary pieces to help them win. LA now has usable bigs in Zubac, Plumlee, and Theis; they have Terrance Mann as their designated stopper; Norman Powell being the sixth man off the bench microwave scorer; a 3-and-D wing in Amir Coffe; and Russell Westbrook as the spark plug that gives them the boost and the energy off the bench.
After being just the &lsquo;second team in LA&rsquo; and &lsquo;that other team in LA&rsquo; for years, the Clippers aim to prove the doubters wrong and change the perception that surrounds the team as they pivot into a new era of Clippers basketball.&nbsp;
<h3>Dallas Mavericks - Will Luka finally fulfill the promise he has been showing so far in his career?</h3>
Throughout his young NBA career, Luka Doncic has had one of the best starts since LeBron James statistically. He has been in constant range of breaking or matching LeBron&rsquo;s records in points scored, triple-doubles, assists, and rebounds. However, this has not always translated into wins with Doncic just appearing in just one conference finals in the first six years of his career. But that might change this season.&nbsp;&nbsp;
This year, the Mavericks have put up arguably the best roster on paper that Luka has had in his career &ndash; arguably even better than the 2022 team that made the conference finals.
Alongside Doncic&rsquo;s MVP act is a true partner in crime in Kyrie Irving; shot-blocking and rim-rolling vertical threats in Daniel Gafford and Lively; rugged forwards that can shoot in PJ Washington, Dante Exum, Josh Green, and Derrick Jones; a microwave off-the-bench scorer in Tim Hardaway Jr; and veteran bigs that have been in Dallas for quite some time now and you can count on in always with Maxi Kleber and Dwight Powell.
Can Luka finally overcome the Clippers? This season was one for the books with an MVP caliber and worthy year by averaging close to 34 points a game with 9 rebounds and 9 assists per game. Doncic has taken his game to another level in the regular season &ndash; this time, can he take his playoff game to another level as well?
All great young players have to go through someone as the stepping stone to reach newer heights &ndash; and Luka has lost to this Kawhi Leonard and Paul George-led Clippers team twice already in his career in the playoffs.
LeBron had to go through the Celtics, Jordan had to go through the Pistons. Could it be Luka&rsquo;s turn to get through this Clippers team that has tormented him for two playoff series?
<h3>Phoenix Suns - Will this new formula take them over the top?</h3>
The Suns have experienced substantial playoff success over the past three years by having a Finals appearance and reaching the conference semifinals twice. However, those groups fell short, with the feeling of something lacking or something missing that could take them over the top.
So lo and behold, Phoenix scrapped it and took a different approach this season &ndash; ditching the point guard spot and getting a rugged and physical big that could set screens and not demand the ball much on offense.
In its place came through as the Suns traded for Bradley Beal &ndash; going with a new formula by having three shot creators and shotmakers on the floor at the same time &ndash; pairing him with Kevin Durant and Devin Booker. They also traded away former no.1 overall pick DeAndre Ayton for Jusuf Nurkic, a wide-bodied center whose job is to set screens, rebound, and get their three creators open in the lane or for jump shots.
They added an elite shooter in Grayson Allen to space the floor alongside those three, or sometimes Royce O&rsquo;Neale comes in for more defense against the opposing perimeter threats.
The Suns&rsquo; new approach and formula to the game make it incredibly hard to defend because you have to have three elite defenders to contain those three shot-creators, who can explode and get buckets at any point in the game. Although their defense is still suspect at times, the main point of this lineup is not to outscore &ndash; but to out-create teams and have a variety of options to dissect and defeat defenses.
If this new strategy works and could take the Suns to the promised land in these playoffs remains to be seen.
<h3>Los Angeles Lakers - Will they have enough this time around?</h3>
Despite a strong run to the Western Conference Finals as a 7th seed, the Lakers fell short last year vs the Nuggets after being swept 4-0. Throughout the season, the Nuggets&rsquo; dominance of the purple and gold continued, and now they have lost eight straight games against this Denver team.&nbsp;
However, there is optimism that the Lakers will turn it around and have a different result vs the Nuggets. Superstar LeBron James, even at 39 years old, looks to prove that he still has something left in the tank. Although they got outplayed and outcoached last in that series by the Nuggets, James can make those adjustments being the cerebral and high IQ player that he is.
James is perhaps one of the best if not the best tactically sound players of all time, so it would make sense &ndash; if they were to defeat Denver, he needs to be able to outsmart Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets this time around. Superstar tandem Anthony Davis will also be vital to the series having to defend the &lsquo;Joker&rsquo; and producing buckets himself.
The Lakers will also feature some new bench pieces this year that could be difference makers in the series Taurean Prince, Spencer Dinwiddie, and Gabe Vincent, all of whom could defend and hit those spot-up threes if needed.
Then there&rsquo;s a hungry D&rsquo;Angelo Russell who had a bad series vs Denver last year raring to bounce back along with an always-solid Austin Reaves to be the stabilizer.
<h3>Pelicans - How will they fare without Zion Williamson?</h3>
The New Orleans Pelicans start and end with their young star Zion Williamson. After going out with what is to be believed a left hamstring strain, everything now hinges on his health.&nbsp;
The Pelicans obviously need him no matter what and whether or not he&rsquo;s healthy for their first-round series vs the Thunder will likely be the answer if they win it or not.
We&rsquo;ve seen what Williamson is capable of doing, scoring 40 points and grabbing 11 rebounds in his first taste of postseason action in their play-in game vs the Lakers. The burly forward bullied the Lakers&rsquo; defense and he showed his once generational type of body and scoring prowess come together after finally being healthy for a full season in his five years in the NBA.
New Orleans has fallen short a lot of times in the playoffs, either failing to make it or to win a series, and it is clear that Zion is the difference that separates them from winning or losing a playoff series.

s eight playoff teams in each conference gear up for what promises to be an intense battle for the title, each team faces its own set of unique challenges.

2024 Western Conference Playoffs: Each team’s biggest question heading into the playoffs

Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving put on a scoring clinic on Sunday night to lead the Dallas Mavericks to a victory over the No. 1 seed in the West, the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Doncic had 34 points, 8 rebounds and 6 assists to continue his push for this season's MVP award, while Irving scored 35 points built on 6 three-pointers, including two late threes in the fourth quarter to steal the game from Minnesota.
The Wolves were leading 106-100 with four minutes left before Irving made the game-tying and go-ahead three-pointers with 2:59 and 2:05 remaining in the contest.
Dallas squeezed out this win despite playing severely undersized, with only one big in Dwight Powell playing all game against Minnesota's&nbsp;towering frontcourt. The Mavs were without 7-foot rookie Dereck Lively II (sprained right ankle) and German center Maxi Kleber (left toe dislocation).
It was an important win for the Mavs, who lost the first two meetings between the two teams. They currently have the sixth-best record in the Western Conference (22-15).
Anthony Edwards was spectacular yet again for the Wolves, finishing with 36 points and 10 rebounds despite the loss. Karl-Anthony Towns added 24 and 7, while Rudy Gobert pulled down 17 boards as the Wolves dropped to 25-10 for the season. Minnesota is still sitting in first place in the West, but the Denver Nuggets are just one game back.

Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving put on a scoring clinic on Sunday night to lead the Mavericks to a victory over the top-seeded Timberwolves.

Luka Doncic, Kyrie Irving combine for 69 points as Mavs defeat Wolves

NBA free agency has died down and the 2023-24 NBA season is nearly three months away. This is why August is known as the dog days of the NBA calendar.
However, NBA fans will be able to watch some of their favorite players in action very soon, as the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup tips off tomorrow.
From Nov. 2021 through Feb. 2023, 80 countries battled for a spot in the World Cup but only 32 national teams qualified. There are a ton of NBA players participating, as Team USA has a talented young roster and they'll be facing stars such as Luka Doncic, Karl-Anthony Towns, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Lauri Markkanen and Rudy Gobert.
Here's everything you need to know about the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup.
WHEN IS IT?
World Cup games will be played Aug. 25 through Sept. 10. There have been a number of warm-up games in recent weeks, but the real action tips off tomorrow.
First Round (Group Phase): Aug. 25-30 Second Round (Group Phase): Aug. 31 - Sept. 4 Quarterfinals: Sept. 5-6 Semifinals: Sept. 8 Final: Sept. 10 Third-Place Game: Sept. 10
The <a href="https://www.nba.com/news/fiba-basketball-world-cup-2023-schedule" target="_blank" rel="noopener">full schedule of games can be found here</a>.
WHERE IS IT?&nbsp;
For the first time ever, the FIBA Basketball World Cup will feature three host countries: the Philippines, Japan and Indonesia.
WHICH COUNTRIES QUALIFIED?
These are the 32 countries that will be participating in the 2023 FIBA World Cup: Angola, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Cape Verde, China, Cote d&rsquo;Ivoire, Dominican Republic, Egypt, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Iran, Italy, Japan, Jordan, Latvia, Lebanon, Lithuania, Mexico, Montenegro, New Zealand, Philippines, Puerto Rico, Serbia, Slovenia, South Sudan, Spain, United States and Venezuela.
These are the groups for the first round:
Group A:&nbsp;Angola, Dominican Republic, Philippines, Italy
Group B:&nbsp;&nbsp;South Sudan, Serbia, China, Puerto Rico
(Groups A and B will play their games at Araneta Coliseum in the Philippines)
Group C:&nbsp;Team USA, Jordan, Greece, New Zealand
Group D:&nbsp;Egypt, Mexico, Montenegro, Lithuania
(Groups C and D will play their games at Mall of Asia Arena in the Philippines)
Group E:&nbsp;Germany, Finland, Australia, Japan
Group F:&nbsp;Slovenia, Cape Verde, Georgia, Venezuela
(Groups E and F will play their games at Okinawa Arena in Japan)
Group G:&nbsp;Iran, Spain, Cote d&rsquo;Ivoire, Brazil
Group H:&nbsp;Canada, Latvia, Lebanon, France
(Groups G and H will play their games at Jakarta Arena in Indonesia)
WHICH NBA PLAYERS ARE COMPETING?
There are quite a few NBA players participating in this tournament. The <a href="https://www.nba.com/news/fiba-world-cup-roster-tracker-2023" target="_blank" rel="noopener">full list can be found here</a>, but below are the national teams that feature notable NBA players:
Group A
Dominican Republic: Karl-Anthony Towns (Minnesota Timberwolves), Lester Quinones (Golden State Warriors)
Philippines: Jordan Clarkson&nbsp;(Utah Jazz)
Group B
China: Kyle Anderson&nbsp;(Minnesota Timberwolves)
Serbia: Bogdan Bogdanovic (Atlanta Hawks), Aleksej Pokusevski (Oklahoma City Thunder), Nikola Jovic (Miami Heat)
Group C
Greece: Thanasis Antetokounmpo (Milwaukee Bucks)
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United States: Paolo Banchero (Orlando Magic), Mikal Bridges (Brooklyn Nets), Jalen Brunson (New York Knicks), Anthony Edwards (Minnesota Timberwolves), Tyrese Haliburton (Indiana Pacers), Josh Hart (New York Knicks), Brandon Ingram (New Orleans Pelicans), Jaren Jackson Jr. (Memphis Grizzlies), Cameron Johnson (Brooklyn Nets), Walker Kessler (Utah Jazz), Bobby Portis (Milwaukee Bucks), Austin Reaves (Los Angeles Lakers)

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Group D
Lithuania: Jonas Valanciunas (New Orleans Pelicans)
Montenegro: Nikola Vucevic (Chicago Bulls)
Group E
Australia: Josh Giddey (Oklahoma City Thunder), Patty Mills (Atlanta Hawks), Matisse Thybulle (Portland Trail Blazers) Josh Green (Dallas Mavericks), Joe Ingles (Orlando Magic), Dyson Daniels (New Orleans Pelicans), Dante Exum (Dallas Mavericks), Jock Landale (Houston Rockets), Xavier Cooks (Washington Wizards)
Finland: Lauri Markkanen (Utah Jazz)
Germany: Franz Wagner (Orlando Magic), Dennis Schroder (Toronto Raptors), Moritz Wagner (Orlando Magic), Daniel Theis (Indiana Pacers),&nbsp;
Japan: Yuta Watanabe (Phoenix Suns)
Group F
Georgia: Goga Bitadze (Orlando Magic), Sandro Mamukelashvili (San Antonio Spurs)
Slovenia: Luka Doncic (Dallas Mavericks)
Group G
Brazil: Raul Neto (Cleveland Cavaliers)
Spain: Santi Aldama (Memphis Grizzlies), Usman Garuba (Atlanta Hawks)
Group H
Canada: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Oklahoma City Thunder), R.J. Barrett (New York Knicks), Dillon Brooks (Houston Rockets), Lu Dort (Oklahoma City Thunder), Nickeil Alexander-Walker (Minnesota Timberwolves), Dwight Powell (Dallas Mavericks)
France: Rudy Gobert (Minnesota Timberwolves), Nicolas Batum (Los Angeles Clippers), Evan Fournier (New York Knicks), Frank Ntilikina (Charlotte Hornets)
Latvia: Davis Bertans (Oklahoma City Thunder)
HOW TO WATCH
FIBA recently announced that all 92 World Cup games will be available across ESPN's platforms. Six games will air on ESPN2 (including Team USA's three first-round games), while the other 86 games will be available on ESPN+.
FIBA&rsquo;s official streaming service, <a href="https://www.courtside1891.basketball/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Courtside 1891</a>, will also air the games live and on-demand. If you're interested in Courtside 1891, FIBA is offering our readers 20% off their World Cup bundle. Follow the instructions below if you'd like to use the 20% discount:
<ul style="font-weight: 400;">
<li><a href="https://www.courtside1891.basketball/choose-a-package" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Click this link</a> and you&rsquo;ll get a prompt to register</li>
<li>You&rsquo;ll then be redirected to the choose-a-package page</li>
<li>Select the &lsquo;Max &ndash; World Cup Bundle&rsquo;&nbsp;</li>
<li>Use the discount code FIBAWCAK to get 20% off</li>
</ul>
Enjoy the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup, and hopefully the dog days of summer will fly by quickly!

The 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup tips off tomorrow. Here's everything you need to know about the tournament.

Everything you need to know about the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup

Exactly two months ago, the Dallas Mavericks were the fourth seed in the Western Conference and all eyes were on them after their blockbuster acquisition of Kyrie Irving.
The Mavericks thought they'd found the perfect co-star for Luka Doncic, someone who could help them make another deep playoff run after advancing to the Western Conference Finals the year before.
However, on Friday night, the Mavericks were officially eliminated from the postseason after opting to sit Irving, Christian Wood, Josh Green, Tim Hardaway Jr. and Maxi Kleber against the Chicago Bulls, and resting Doncic after the first quarter.&nbsp;
Dallas prioritized their draft pick over potentially making the play-in, as they owe their first-round pick to the New York Knicks (as part of the Kristaps Porzingis trade) but it's top-10 protected, and losing to the Bulls gave Dallas the 10th-best lottery odds in the league.
While much of the conversation about the Mavericks&rsquo; uncertain future has centered around Irving&rsquo;s upcoming free agency and whether Jason Kidd will return as head coach, ESPN&rsquo;s Tim MacMahon <a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/36111588/the-end-dallas-mavericks-season-marks-beginning-franchise-altering-questions" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reports</a> that sources within the Mavericks fear that "Doncic, who publicly and privately expressed extreme frustration this season, could consider requesting a trade as soon as the summer of 2024 if Dallas doesn&rsquo;t make significant progress by then.&rdquo;
MacMahon <a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/36111588/the-end-dallas-mavericks-season-marks-beginning-franchise-altering-questions" target="_blank" rel="noopener">adds</a> that &ldquo;there&rsquo;s a strong sense of urgency within the organization to expedite the process before Doncic loses faith in the Mavs&rsquo; ability to build a contender around him.&rdquo;
While the Mavs have Doncic on a five-year, $215 million supermax contract, he could still request a trade in the near future if he's unhappy. There&rsquo;s no question that Doncic was frustrated throughout this season.
"I think you can see it with me on the court," Doncic said following a disappointing loss to the shorthanded Charlotte Hornets last month. "Sometimes, I don't feel it's me. I'm just being out there. I used to have really fun, smiling on the court, but it's just been so frustrating for a lot of reasons, not just basketball."
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Recently, Doncic admitted that the Mavs&rsquo; chemistry declined &ldquo;a lot&rdquo; from last season to this year, while acknowledging that losing Jalen Brunson in free agency played a significant role in the team&rsquo;s drop off.&nbsp;
The hope was that Irving could help fill the hole left by Brunson's departure and give Dallas the perfect running mate for Doncic. However, as MacMahon <a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/36111588/the-end-dallas-mavericks-season-marks-beginning-franchise-altering-questions" target="_blank" rel="noopener">noted</a>, the Mavs went 5-11 when Doncic and Irving were both in the lineup, the worst winning percentage (.313) that a pair of All-Star teammates have posted since the NBA-ABA merger in 1976-77.
Dallas enters this offseason with some big decisions to make. They have a number of key players hitting unrestricted free agency including Irving, Wood and Dwight Powell. Mark Cuban told reporters that the priority is to keep Irving long-term.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s not Kyrie or bust, but we want to keep him,&rdquo; Cuban <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/mavs-cuban-says-keeping-irving-is-priority-supports-kidd" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>. &ldquo;I want him to stay for sure, and I think we have a good shot. I think he&rsquo;s happy here. He told me he&rsquo;s happy here.&rdquo;
Cuban also stressed that the team will be looking to add defenders over the summer, so they can be more competitive on that side of the floor.
&ldquo;We&rsquo;ve got the best offensive rating, I think, with those two guys when they play together,&rdquo; Cuban said. &ldquo;We could not find a way to get stops in close games. I don&rsquo;t think you can point to any one thing, but we&rsquo;ll have to make changes, obviously, to be able to get better defensively.&rdquo;
While there&rsquo;s been plenty of speculation that the Mavs may replace Kidd, Cuban told reporters that he doesn&rsquo;t blame Kidd for the team&rsquo;s struggles, so perhaps a coaching change isn&rsquo;t coming.
&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t think it&rsquo;s J-Kidd&rsquo;s problem that we didn&rsquo;t have an identity,&rdquo; Cuban <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/mavs-cuban-says-keeping-irving-is-priority-supports-kidd" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>. &ldquo;The game changed in ways we didn&rsquo;t expect it to change. So I blew it. It was on me personally because the game changed in terms of the &lsquo;take&rsquo; fouls and the speed of the game and where you need to be defensively.&rdquo;
As for Doncic&rsquo;s future, it remains to be seen if the Mavericks can put the right pieces around him and become a perennial contender. Several days ago, Cuban was asked about Doncic&rsquo;s long-term optimism and whether he&rsquo;ll be the new Dirk Nowitzki, who spent 21 seasons with the Mavs.
&ldquo;Players don&rsquo;t talk like that, &lsquo;Hey, I&rsquo;ll be here for the next 17 years,&rsquo;&rdquo; Cuban <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/mavs-cuban-says-keeping-irving-is-priority-supports-kidd" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>. &ldquo;He&rsquo;d like to be here the whole time, but we&rsquo;ve got to earn that.&rdquo;

The Mavs are reportedly worried that Luka Doncic may request a trade as soon as next year if they can't make significant progress.

Mavs fear Luka Doncic may request trade unless they build contender

DALLAS (AP) &mdash; Kyrie Irving scored 25 of his 31 points during a second-half rally, and the Dallas Mavericks stayed in the race for the final play-in spot in the Western Conference playoffs with a 123-119 victory over the Sacramento Kings on Wednesday night.
Luka Doncic had 29 points and 10 rebounds as the Mavericks (38-42) matched Oklahoma City&rsquo;s record for the 10th seed in the West with two games remaining.
The Thunder own the tiebreaker, so Dallas, which reached the West finals last year, needs at least one Oklahoma City loss to have a chance at another playoff run.
Facing the brink of postseason elimination with a loss, the Mavericks rallied from 13 points down in the third quarter, when Irving started and finished a 12-0 run with 3-pointers for an 82-78 lead.
Doncic and Tim Hardaway Jr., who scored 24 points, had the other two 3s on the run as Doncic and Irving won for the fifth time in 16 games together since the blockbuster trade that brought Irving from Brooklyn.
Dallas ended a three-game losing streak with just its second victory in its past nine games.
De&rsquo;Aaron Fox scored 28 points and Domantas Sabonis had a triple-double with 19 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists for the Kings, who have already ended a 16-year playoff drought and are all but locked in to the third seed in the West.
Irving put Dallas ahead for good with a jumper midway through the fourth quarter, and the lead was three when he hit a high-arching 3 from the corner for a 120-114 lead with two minutes remaining.
Sacramento had a season-high 22 offensive rebounds for a 30-14 edge in second-chance points, but the Mavericks had the biggest one of the game when Christian Wood grabbed a miss from Irving and five seconds later hit a 3-pointer for a 123-114 lead with a minute to go.
Wood scored 14 points despite 5-of-15 shooting.
TIP-INS
Kings: All five starters scored in double figures. Harrison Barnes had 16 points against his former team, Kevin Huerter scored 14 and Keegan Murray added 11.
Mavericks: Starters Reggie Bullock and Dwight Powell combined for just five points on just four shots. ... Josh Green had 10 points and nine rebounds.
UP NEXT
Kings: Golden State in home finale Friday.
Mavericks: Chicago visits Friday.

The Mavericks (38-42) matched Oklahoma City’s record for the 10th seed in the West with two games remaining.

Mavs keep play-in hopes alive with 123-119 win over Kings

SAN ANTONIO (AP) &mdash; Christian Wood had 27 points and 13 rebounds and the Dallas Mavericks overcame a series of blunders at the end regulation to beat the San Antonio Spurs 137-128 in overtime Wednesday night without injured All-Stars Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving.
Dallas&rsquo; Maxi Kleber threw an inbounds pass out of bounds on a full-length heave with 1.8 seconds remaining in regulation. Keldon Johnson, who missed a pair of free throws with 1.8 seconds, tied it 121 on an alley-oop dunk off an inbounds pass from Malaki Branham.
Wood had five points in overtime as Dallas fights to remain in the top 10 in the Western Conference. The Mavericks entered the game in ninth place with the same record as the 10th-place Los Angeles Lakers and a game ahead of the Utah Jazz and New Orleans Pelicans.
Dwight Powell and Jaden Hardy had 22 points each and Josh Green added 21 points for Dallas, which snapped a three-game skid.
Johnson had 27 points to lead the short-handed Spurs.
Playing the second game of a back-to-back, the Spurs were without starters Devin Vassell Jeremy Sochan and Zach Collins along with Keita Bates-Diop and Charles Bassey. But as they did in setting a franchise record with 22 3-pointers in a rousing victory over Orlando on Tuesday night, San Antonio responded with a balanced scoring effort.
Branham had 20 points, Romeo Langford had 17 points and four others scored in double figures.
TIP-INS
Mavericks: Dallas has won six straight against San Antonio. The Mavericks&rsquo; previous loss to the Spurs was April 11, 2021, in San Antonio. &hellip; Doncic and Irving were both in attendance, sitting at the end of the Mavericks bench. &hellip; Jaden Hardy has scored 20 points in all three of his career starts for the Mavericks. In a back-to-back set against Memphis, Hardy had 22 points on March 11 and 28 points on March 13.
Spurs: San Antonio confirmed that C Charles Bassey suffered a non-displace fracture in his left patella. The injury occurred at the close of the first quarter of Tuesday&rsquo;s victory over Orlando. Bassey will miss the remainder of the season. &hellip;. San Antonio is 2-1 during its six-game homestand. &hellip; Of the 13 games the Spurs have remaining, 10 are against a team in the playoffs or play-in tournament if the season ended today. &hellip; Johnson made his 200th career start in 219 career games with the Spurs. Only Tim Duncan, David Robinson, Tony Parker, Willie Anderson and Sean Elliott have 200 starts in fewer games for the Spurs.
UP NEXT
Mavericks: At Los Angeles Lakers on Friday night.
Spurs: Host Memphis on Friday night.

Christian Wood had 27 points and 13 rebounds as the Mavericks beat the Spurs 137-128 in overtime on Wednesday night.

Christian Wood has 27 points, 13 rebounds in Mavs’ OT win over Spurs

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) &mdash; Kyrie Irving hadn&rsquo;t arrived yet and Luka Doncic was out, so it was time for the Dallas youngsters to shine.
Josh Green and Jaden Hardy each scored career highs of 29 points and the short-handed Mavericks stunned the Utah Jazz 124-111 on Monday night after completing a trade for Irving.
&ldquo;Luka (and Irving) are going to have their amazing nights, but if we want to be a championship team it&rsquo;s about the rest of us being able to step up,&rdquo; Green said.
The Mavericks acquired the eight-time All-Star along with Markieff Morris from the Brooklyn Nets in exchange for Spencer Dinwiddie, Dorian Finney-Smith, a 2029 first-round pick and two future second-round picks.
Irving and Morris arrived in Dallas on Monday to undergo physicals and were not available for the game. But their new team rallied behind Green, who averages 8.1 points, and Hardy, who scores 5.6 per game.
&ldquo;We believed we could win this from before the game even started,&rdquo; Hardy said. &ldquo;The Jazz didn&rsquo;t seem like they were taking it seriously. They came out late before the game to warm up, all nonchalant.&rdquo;
When Green was on the court, the Mavericks outscored the Jazz by an astonishing 39 points and won their first game in eight tries without Doncic, their leading scorer with 33.4 points a game.
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&ldquo;The guys believed and Josh set the tone,&rdquo; Dallas coach Jason Kidd said. &ldquo;He understands how to play and he&rsquo;s not afraid of the moment.&rdquo;
Doncic (heel bruise) missed his third game in 10 days. The Jazz beat the Mavs 108-100 on Jan. 28, when the Slovenian star was out with a sprained ankle. This time the Mavericks bested the Jazz in nearly hustle category, including a 49-37 advantage on the boards.
&ldquo;It was exemplified when (5-foot-11) McKinley Wright was boxing out (Utah&rsquo;s 7-foot-1 Walker) Kessler. The physicality for us tonight was high, no matter how small we were out there,&rdquo; Kidd said.
After scoring 12 total points over six games, Hardy broke out for his career night and Dwight Powell added 12 points and a career-best 16 rebounds.
&ldquo;It was super fun,&rdquo; Hardy said twice with a smile that didn&rsquo;t leave his face for a long while.
Jordan Clarkson paced Utah with 26 points on 7-for-19 shooting and Lauri Markkanen added 19 &mdash; the first time he has failed to reach 20 points in the last 21 games.
&ldquo;They played better than us. They played harder than us. Give credit to them, but I don&rsquo;t think we were ready to play,&rdquo; Markkanen said.
The Jazz are now 7-5 on a stretch where they&rsquo;re playing 11 of 13 games at home, when they hoped to gain ground on teams like Dallas, but are now two games behind the Mavs.
The Jazz struggle when their 3s aren&rsquo;t falling and they often fail to get back on defense. The upstart Mavs led the Jazz 27-4 on fast break points.
&ldquo;This is the first game all season where I just feel disappointed in our focus,&rdquo; Utah coach Will Hardy said. &ldquo;We just did not have the necessary focus and attention to the little things. They had 27 points in transition and 24 second-chance points and that&rsquo;s how we lost the game.&rdquo;
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As could be expected with different rotations and the end of the bench getting significant minutes, the Mavericks looked out of sync at times. But they started running at every opportunity and went on a 23-6 run bridging the second and third quarters to take a 75-66 lead.
The Jazz trimmed the lead to a single possession in the fourth quarter but could never catch the Mavs.
TIP-INS
Mavericks: Wright finished his first start with a career-high 10 points. &hellip; Davis Bertans (left calf strain) and Maxi Kleber (right hamstring tear) were out. &hellip; Dallas outscored Utah on second-chance points, 24-12
Jazz: Jarred Vanderbilt, the subject of persistent trade rumors, missed his second game with back spasms. &hellip; Mike Conley, who had a game-high 11 assists, turned his ankle in the fourth quarter but continued to play after a timeout. &hellip; Utah went 6 of 31 from 3-point range but had a 62-42 edge in the paint.
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Josh Green and Jaden Hardy each scored career-highs of 29 points and the short-handed Mavericks stunned the Utah Jazz 124-111.

Green, Hardy help Mavs surprise Jazz 124-111 without Doncic

Trust me, I know.
Following the blockbuster trade that <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/mavericks-owner-mark-cuban-breaks-silence-on-kyrie-irving-trade" target="_blank" rel="noopener">sent Brooklyn Nets guard Kyrie Irving to the Dallas Mavericks</a>, much of the conversation surrounding the deal focused on risk &mdash; how Irving's presence may affect the Mavericks' locker room, and especially, Luka Doncic; how the Mavericks would (struggle to) pivot if Irving were to walk in the offseason; how Kevin Durant is feeling in Brooklyn, seeing his co-star total drop from two to zero in a calendar year.
All of those concerns are valid.
There's a reason we immediately got a report from Bleacher Report's Chris Haynes saying the Phoenix Suns &mdash; who offered a package headlined by Chris Paul for Irving &mdash; are ready to push their chips in for Durant if he becomes available again.
The Mavericks absolutely should be keeping an eye on Doncic's long-term happiness. And with Irving, he hasn't been the beacon of reliability or availability. (That's putting it conservatively, for the sake of this piece and this piece only.)
Let's put that to the side for just a moment.&nbsp;
From an on-court perspective, the Mavericks have added a really good basketball player. The entire reason they made this gamble is because of the ceiling-raising that Irving's talent signifies. Let's take a look at what things could look like.
ON-BALL USAGE
Frankly, this should be pretty seamless.
Irving is one of the best isolation scorers of the modern era. His free-verse handle allows him to get wherever he wants to, whenever he wants to get there. He's quick enough to speed past off-balanced defenders, mixes in deceleration to keep defenders off balance (and flow into pull-ups on a dime) and has the body control and dexterity to create finishing angles out of mid-air.&nbsp;
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Over the past four seasons, trips featuring an Irving isolation have generated 1.12 points per possession (PPP). That's first in the NBA among 38 players with at least 1,000 isolations during that time frame. Drop the requirements to 500 isolations, expanding the field to 81 players, and Irving barely trails Zion Williamson (724 isolations, 1.123 PPP) despite having 463 more reps.
This season alone, trips featuring an Irving isolation have produced an absurd 1.21 PPP &mdash; third in the NBA among 88 players with at least 100 clear-outs under their belt. It's worth noting that the two players ahead of Irving &mdash; Lauri Markkanen (1.22 PPP) and D'Angelo Russell (1.213 PPP) &mdash; have combined for 214 isolations, while Irving is at 328 by himself.&nbsp;
I start with pure isolations because that's what the Mavericks have leaned into this season. They lead the NBA in isolations in whatever way you'd like to measure it: Total (1,397), per game (25.8) or per 100 possessions (26.9). Naturally, Doncic paces the league in total isolations (673) on elite efficiency to boot (1.14 PPP).
Even if you project this to be the most blatant my-turn-your-turn pairing in the leauge &mdash; and I don't, but we'll get into that shortly &mdash; these two are good enough to make that offense fruitful.&nbsp;
Irving's scoring chops also help him in ball-screens. Drop coverage is untenable because of his ability to chew up space. He's also, quietly, a pretty creative interior passer. Diverting too much attention to him can lead to a nice mix of pocket passes, dump-offs and lobs.
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Irving made sweet music with Nicolas Claxton in pick-and-roll this year (1.09 PPP). There shouldn't be a steep learning curve receiving screens from Dwight Powell or Christian Wood, assuming the latter is on the roster.&nbsp;
Also, prepare yourself to watch Doncic screen for Irving sometimes. Doncic is setting nearly three on-ball picks per 100 possessions this year, a career-high for him, though pretty low overall. If I had to guess, that number should perk up.
On-ball screens from Doncic have mostly been used to manufactor favorable matchups. That was more of a given when screening for Spencer Dinwiddie since they're close to the same size. Switching was, per Second Spectrum, easily the most common coverage that two-man pairing saw.&nbsp;
With Irving, that could shift a bit. Irving's defenders tend to be smaller than Dinwiddie's; this is an imperfect measure, but per NBA.com's matchup data, Irving has been <a href="https://www.nba.com/stats/player/202681/by-position?Matchup=Offense" target="_blank" rel="noopener">defended by guards</a> roughly 69% of the time, <a href="https://www.nba.com/stats/player/203915/by-position?Matchup=Offense" target="_blank" rel="noopener">slightly higher</a> than Dinwiddie's 61.8% clip.
At almost 6-foot-6, it would make sense that teams would feel more comfortable stashing wings and forwards on the latter. While throwing size on Irving makes sense in theory, even asking traditional wings to navigate screens or mirror Irving in space is a tall task.
(Yes, the joke was intentional.)
By the way, it's worth keeping an eye on how Irving deals with blitzes. To say he gets overwhelmed is overselling it, but there can be a bit of catch-hold-read-then-pass to those situations that may not vibe well with how slowly the Mavericks play. The short-roll playmaking on this roster continues to be a subplot worth following.
Because Irving can generate high-level offense, the Mavericks should be able to breathe easier in non-Luka lineups. Prior to the trade, the Nets were outscoring opponents by 44 points (plus-4.2 net rating) in the 676 minutes Irving played without Durant this season, <a href="https://www.pbpstats.com/wowy/nba?Season=2022-23&amp;SeasonType=Regular%2BSeason&amp;TeamId=1610612751&amp;Type=Team&amp;0Exactly1OnFloor=202681&amp;1Exactly1OffFloor=201142" target="_blank" rel="noopener">per PBP Stats</a>. The Mavericks have <a href="https://www.pbpstats.com/wowy-combos/nba?TeamId=1610612742&amp;Season=2022-23&amp;SeasonType=Regular%2BSeason&amp;PlayerIds=203915,1629029" target="_blank" rel="noopener">lost the Dinwiddie on/ Doncic off minutes</a>, though you can shoot some bail based on the sheer volume of talent missing in some of the games Doncic hasn't been available.&nbsp;
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OFF-BALL VALUE
This is where the on-court hand-wringing begins offensively, and honestly, I'm not sure where the major concern comes from.
It's very much true that Irving and Doncic like the ball in their hands. It's especially true for Doncic, who <a href="https://www.nba.com/stats/players/touches?CF=GP*GE*30&amp;dir=D&amp;sort=TIME_OF_POSS" target="_blank" rel="noopener">leads the NBA</a> in average time of possession (9.6 minutes) and seconds per touch (6.39), ranks second to Trae Young in dribbles per touch (5.59) and fourth in touches per game (90.5) overall.
Irving isn't close to any of those marks. Would it shock you to learn that the Dribble Gawd himself ranks 22nd &mdash; in a tie with Dinwiddie, oddly enough &mdash; in time of possession (5.7), 41st in seconds per touch and 53rd in dribbles per touch (3.77)? You're welcome, friends.
But seriously, it feels like people are extrapolating some of Irving's iso exploits and turning him into a heliocentric nightmare that can't fit alongside Doncic. It couldn't be further from the truth.
On a basic level, Irving's ability to shoot &mdash; and opponents treating him like a top-of-the-line threat, which can't be said for Dinwiddie &mdash; should open up the floor for other Mavericks.&nbsp;
Jason Kidd isn't the NBA's Andy Reid, nor should he be confused as such; he won't be drawing up fancy screen designs to confuse defenses. It became a running joke in Dunker Spot watch parties (<a href="https://www.playback.tv/thedunkerspot" target="_blank" rel="noopener">rock with us, folks</a>) that fan pleas for more off-ball movement led Kidd to essentially respond with, "Here's a stagger for Tim Hardaway Jr. &mdash; enjoy!"
As bland as the movement stuff for Dallas can be, Irving can operate within those concepts. The Mavs love "Chicago" action, a common set in the league where a player receives a pindown before flowing into a handoff.
Josh Green misses the assignment in the first clip, but you can see the Nets run it for Irving in the second.
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That basic stagger for Hardaway? They'll run it for Dinwiddie too, in order to get him a head start downhill. With Irving's downhill funk and pull-up chops, it's easy to envision him cooking more in that setup.
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What stands out about Irving is how smart of a cutter he is. That bodes well considering the amount of double-teams Doncic draws in the post. But even in off-ball actions designed for him, he's fine going off script to find a better opening.
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And speaking of Doncic: Get ready for Irving to set screens for Doncic too, particularly during clutch time.
Irving has plenty of experience screening for bigger ball-handlers. He's done so for LeBron James during their Cleveland years together. The Nets were generating good looks out of the Durant-Irving inverted ball screen this season, even if the numbers behind it (0.88 PPP) were underwhelming. Screening for Doncic should be money.
As mentioned earlier, Irving likely being defended by smaller players may make it less enticing for defenses to switch that action. If teams opt to throw two defenders at Doncic, that'll open up short-roll opportunities for Irving. That doesn't seem ideal.
Off rip, Doncic is a&nbsp;much&nbsp;better passer than Durant, meaning Irving should have earlier, more fruitful short-roll opportunities than he saw in Brooklyn. Beyond that, Irving's best traits &mdash; pull-up mid-range shooting, rim finishing, dump-off passes &mdash; are highlighted in this setup.
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Have fun dealing with that.&nbsp;
The cloud hovering over all of this is, of course, how often we'll see Irving, period. Beyond that, it's fair to wonder what the defense will look like.
Irving is a more stout on-ball defender than Dinwiddie by my eye, though that isn't the highest bar. For whatever it's worth to you, Irving grades out as a slight positive (plus-0.2) according to DunksAndThree's Estimated Plus-Minus (EPM) metric, while Dinwiddie is firmly negative (minus-1.9). The size difference may hurt, especially once teams get into mismatch-hunting mode as the postseason nears.&nbsp;
But in a Western Conference that feels up in the air, I understand why the Mavericks made the gamble. When examining the on-court fit, I'd argue it's a pretty good one.

Nekias Duncan analyzes how Kyrie Irving will mesh with Luka Doncic and the Mavericks following the trade from Brooklyn.

Examining Kyrie Irving's basketball fit with the Dallas Mavericks

PHOENIX (AP) &mdash; Luka Doncic&rsquo;s early injury on Thursday night gave the Dallas Mavericks a very valid reason to lose on the road.
Instead, Spencer Dinwiddie responded to the adversity with a season-high 36 points, Dorian Finney-Smith added 18 points and 12 rebounds, and the Mavs held on for a 99-95 victory over the Phoenix Suns.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s just an all-around great team effort,&rdquo; Finney-Smith said. &ldquo;Once we found out (Luka) was out, we just stepped up.&rdquo;
Dinwiddie&rsquo;s hot shooting helped the Mavs thrive without Doncic, who limped to the locker room early in the first quarter with a sprained left ankle and didn&rsquo;t return. The veteran guard shot 10 of 18 from the field, including 5 of 6 on 3-pointers. He also made 11 free throws.
The 29-year-old didn&rsquo;t shy from taking the lead scoring role after Doncic went down. It was the first game the Mavs won this season when Doncic was injured.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s just a shift in mindset in understanding the volume&rsquo;s going to come and I&rsquo;ve got to be more aggressive,&rdquo; Dinwiddie said.
The Mavs led the entire second half but Suns guard Chris Paul made a layup with 19.7 seconds left to cut the deficit to 96-95. The Mavs were able to close it out when Dwight Powell got fouled after grabbing an offensive rebound and sank his two free throws.
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&ldquo;It was the whole group defensively,&rdquo; Mavs coach Jason Kidd said. &ldquo;To hold a team like Phoenix under 100 points is a big deal. The guys in that locker room should be proud.&rdquo;
Dinwiddie made tough shots all night, including a long 3-pointer with a few seconds left in the third quarter to give the Mavs a 76-69 lead going into the fourth. He banked in another 3 with 3:32 left that put them up 95-86.
Cam Johnson and Paul led the Suns with 22 points apiece. Deandre Ayton scored 19 points and grabbed 20 rebounds, but made just 6 of 20 shots. Paul added 10 assists.
&ldquo;I thought we were a bit happy on the farm to be honest with you,&rdquo; Suns coach Monty Williams said. &ldquo;We did not bring the same juice, energy and focus we had been bringing.&rdquo;
The Mavs pushed to a 54-48 halftime lead. Dinwiddie led all scorers with 20 points before the break while Johnson had 13 for the Suns.
The Mavericks snapped a six-game losing streak against the Suns in the regular season, though they beat Phoenix in the Western Conference semifinals in seven games in last year&rsquo;s playoffs.
Phoenix had its four-game winning streak snapped.
&ldquo;Tonight was a battle even though Luka went out,&rdquo; Ayton said. &ldquo;I hope he is OK, but those dudes put up a fight man. We were supposed to take advantage of this.&rdquo;
DONCIC HURT
Doncic played just three minutes before limping to the locker room during a timeout. The 23-year-old, who was voted an All-Star for the fourth straight season earlier Thursday, came into the game averaging 33.8 points, 9.1 rebounds and 8.6 assists.
He was trying to make a move close to the basket against Johnson, but stepped on Mikal Bridges&rsquo; foot before passing the ball and limping away. Kidd called for a timeout and the 6-foot-7 guard slowly made his way to the locker room.
Kidd said Doncic was in &ldquo;good spirits&rdquo; after the game.
&ldquo;He looked good, he looked fine,&rdquo; Kidd said. &ldquo;But we&rsquo;ll see how he feels as we go forward.&rdquo;
TIP-INS
Mavericks: F Maxi Kleber (hamstring) and F Christian Wood (thumb) were out.
Suns: Guards Devin Booker (groin), Cameron Payne (foot) and Landry Shamet (foot) were out. ... Hosted their 52nd straight sellout. ... Williams used 13 players.
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Spencer Dinwiddie scored a season-high 36 points and the Dallas Mavericks held on for a 99-95 victory over the Phoenix Suns.

Dinwiddie scores 36, Mavs top Suns 99-95 after Doncic hurt

DALLAS (AP) &mdash; Kyle Kuzma scored 30 points and made one of two free throws to break a tie with 4.2 seconds remaining, lifting the Washington Wizards to a 127-126 victory over Dallas Mavericks on Tuesday night.
Luka Doncic had 41 points and 15 rebounds for the Mavericks. Doncic still had on the jersey he ripped when he missed a free throw that would have put Dallas in front with 12.5 seconds to go when he bumped Kumza on a drive along the sideline.
The Mavericks challenged, but the call was confirmed. Kuzma missed the first free throw but swished the second.
&ldquo;I think there was some debate about whether he stepped out, whether he (was) fouled,&rdquo; Wizards coach Wes Unseld Jr. said. &ldquo;Thankfully, fouled. Those types of situations happen fast. You&rsquo;ve got to make a split-second decision.&rdquo;
Doncic tried twice to pass to Spencer Dinwiddie out of a double team on the final possession. The Wizards knocked the first out of bounds, and former Maverick Delon Wright stole the second to seal the victory.
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&ldquo;Luka had the right intention, was making the right play,&rdquo; Dinwiddie said. &ldquo;Delon just made a good play with his hands, something he&rsquo;s known for.&rdquo;
Kristaps Porzingis was out with an ankle injury in his first trip to Dallas since the Mavericks traded him to the Wizards last February for Dinwiddie and Davis Bertans.
The 7-foot-3 Latvian, whose pairing with Doncic never worked the way Dallas envisioned, received light applause after a video tribute during the break between the first and second quarters.
It was Washington&rsquo;s first game since sending Rui Hachimura to the Los Angeles Lakers for Kendrick Nunn and draft picks. Nunn was available but didn&rsquo;t play.
The Wizards opened a five-game trip with a third consecutive victory while Dallas finished a 1-3 homestand with its eighth loss in 11 games.
Washington swept the two-game series for the second consecutive season after going 14 years without a sweep of Dallas.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s easy to get excited about one performance. We&rsquo;ve got along road trip ahead,&rdquo; Unseld said. &ldquo;It could be a catalyst for something, to be a little short-handed, able to compete on the road, an area which we&rsquo;ve struggled at times.&rdquo;
Bradley Beal scored 22 points with a 3-pointer that was one of three lead changes in the final three minutes. Deni Avdija had 15 points and 10 rebounds.
Dwight Powell scored a season-high 22 points with nine rebounds for Dallas. Dinwiddie had 20 points and eight assists.
Josh Green made his first seven shots and finished with 16 points, the most for the Dallas guard in four games since returning from a 20-game absence with a right elbow sprain.
TIP-INS
Wizards: Daniel Gafford played 19 minutes before fouling out with 6:32 remaining, getting nine points with seven rebounds. ... Corey Kispert scored 14 points, Monte Morris had 13 and Wright had 10 points, six assists and three steals.
Mavericks: F Christian Wood missed his third game since breaking his left thumb in a loss to Atlanta. The team has said he would be re-evaluated this week. ... Dorian Finney-Smith scored 12 points.
MISSED &rsquo;EM BOTH
Porzingis also missed the first meeting against his former team in Washington, won by the Wizards 113-105. He was out with a left groin strain for that November game. He&rsquo;s listed as week-to-week after spraining his left ankle Saturday against Orlando.
UP NEXT
Wizards: All three Texas cities are part of the five-game trip, with Houston next to finish a back-to-back Wednesday. The Rockets swept the two-game set with Wizards last season. The San Antonio stop is after a trip to New Orleans.
Mavericks: A two-game trip starts Thursday in Phoenix, where Dallas blew a 22-point lead in the second half of a 107-105 loss in the season opener.
</div>

Kyle Kuzma scored 30 points, lifting the Washington Wizards to a 127-126 victory over Dallas Mavericks.

Kuzma FT lifts Wizards over Mavs 127-126 despite Doncic’s 41

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) &mdash; Damian Lillard had 36 points and 10 assists, and the Portland Trail Blazers snapped a five-game losing streak with a 136-119 victory over the Dallas Mavericks on Saturday night.
Jusuf Nurkic added 22 points and 11 rebounds for the Blazers, who face the Mavericks again on Sunday night.
Spencer Dinwiddie led Dallas with 25 points. Luka Doncic was held to a season-low 15 points before Mavericks coach Jason Kidd pulled him with seven minutes to go.
&ldquo;It feels great. When you&rsquo;re trying to fight for a win and you get in that type of funk, it seems like it&rsquo;s never going to end. But you&rsquo;ve just got to keep pushing,&rdquo; Lillard said about the end of the losing streak. &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve been saying, when your mind is right and you&rsquo;re pushing, everybody&rsquo;s pulling the rope in the same direction, you find your way to where you need to get to. And a lot of times all it takes is one.&rdquo;
Portland led by as many as 20 points early in the second half and went into the fourth quarter up 106-90. Nurkic dunked to give the Blazers a 116-94 lead with 9:59 left.
Doncic and Lillard had a heated exchange before Lillard scored to give the Blazers a 122-102 lead. Tim Hardaway Jr. left the court a short time earlier and limped to the locker room with what appeared to be a left ankle injury.
The Mavs have already been beset by injuries, with Josh Green, Maxi Kleber and Dorian Finney-Smith all out.
&ldquo;Hopefully we do get healthy soon, but until then we have to play with the guys who are in uniform,&rdquo; Mavs coach Jason Kidd said.
Lillard started, but had been listed as questionable going into the game after he rolled his ankle early in Portland's 119-113 loss to the Cavaliers on Thursday. Lillard came out and scored 11 points in the first quarter against the Mavs.
Dallas was coming off a 119-115 double-overtime victory over the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday. The win snapped a two-game losing skid.
Christian Wood was ruled out before the game with a sore right ankle. Wood played 48 minutes against the Lakers, with 24 points and 14 rebounds.
Portland had a 31-30 edge after the first period. The Mavericks kept it close by making eight of 13 3-point attempts.
Taking advantage while Doncic rested in the second quarter, Shaedon Sharpe's 3-pointer and Nurkic's layup and free throw put Portland up 47-36.
Lillard's 3-pointer put the Blazers ahead 65-49 and they went on to lead 71-56 at halftime. Lillard finished the half with 24 points, while Doncic had five.
&ldquo;We broke through,&rdquo; Blazers coach Chauncey Billups said. &ldquo;We played so much better. We were really, really aggressive defensively and it just kind of fueled us.&rdquo;
TIP-INS
Mavericks: Kidd was asked about whether he would have skipped playing college ball given the G League, like Mavs guard Jaden Hardy. He joked: &ldquo;I would&rsquo;ve left in the 8th grade.&rdquo; ... Dwight Powell got in foul trouble early, collecting his fourth with 2:48 left in the first half.
Trail Blazers: Portland lost the first two games of the series against the Mavericks this season, both in Dallas. Doncic averaged 37.5 points against the Blazers. ... With his fifth assist of the night, Lillard moved to second on the Blazers' career list ahead of Clyde Drexler. Lillard is already the team's most prolific scorer.
&nbsp;

Damian Lillard had 36 points, and the Trail Blazers snapped a five-game losing streak with a 136-119 victory over the Mavericks.

Lillard has 32 and Blazers beat Mavs 136-119 to end skid

LOS ANGELES (AP) &mdash; Luka Doncic hit tying 3-pointers in the final seconds of regulation and the first overtime, finishing with 35 points, 14 rebounds and 13 assists in the Dallas Mavericks' 119-115 double-overtime victory over the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday night.
Doncic highlighted his 56th career triple-double with that pair of clutch 3-pointers, hitting with six seconds left in regulation and again with 47.8 seconds to go in the first OT. Christian Wood added 24 points and 14 rebounds in the Mavs' fourth straight win over the Lakers.
&ldquo;We knew we weren&rsquo;t out of it,&rdquo; said Tim Hardaway Jr., who had 22 points and eight rebounds. &ldquo;Anytime you've got (No.) 77 on the floor, you know there's a chance.&rdquo;
Spencer Dinwiddie scored twice in a late 6-0 run to put it away in double OT for the Mavs, who won for only the second time in five games.
Russell Westbrook scored a season-high 28 points and LeBron James had 24 points, 16 rebounds and nine assists for the Lakers, who have lost two straight after a five-game winning streak.
&ldquo;We gave ourselves a chance to win,&rdquo; said James, who went 9 for 28 and missed all seven of his 3-point attempts. &ldquo;We just couldn't come through late in the game.&rdquo;
Los Angeles rallied all the way back from a 19-point regulation deficit and got to the brink of an unlikely win, but couldn't match Doncic's dramatic flair.
&ldquo;I'm more tired now,&rdquo; said Doncic, who rested for only 9 seconds in the final 40 minutes of play. &ldquo;I think I was good in the game with the energy. Now I need to rest.&rdquo;
The Lakers took a lead on Dennis Schr&ouml;der's layup with 1:31 left in regulation before Westbrook made two free throws with 11.8 seconds left for a 101-98 advantage. Doncic calmly moved past a perimeter screen and drilled a tying 3-pointer for his first field goal of the fourth quarter.
&ldquo;I was a little bit surprised (because) I thought they were going to foul, honestly,&rdquo; Doncic said. &ldquo;I tried to get it up before they fouled.&rdquo;
The Lakers had double-teamed Doncic throughout the fourth quarter except on that possession, and coach Darvin Ham said he wished he had instructed his Lakers to force another player to try the shot.
&ldquo;He made a tough shot, simple as that,&rdquo; Westbrook said. &ldquo;You just move on. Find a way to execute better.&rdquo;
Troy Brown missed a 3-pointer at the regulation buzzer, failing to get a foul call on what appeared to be clear contact from Hardaway.
The Lakers pressured Doncic again in the first overtime, and Westbrook was called for a flagrant foul midway through the period. James hit two free throws to put the Lakers up 108-105 late in the first overtime, but Doncic hit another tying 3-pointer, and Wood blocked James' layup attempt shortly before the buzzer.
Doncic then hit the go-ahead layup midway through the second overtime. The Lakers missed four of their final five shots and committed an offensive foul in the final two minutes.
James returned from a one-game absence with a sore left ankle, but the Lakers were still short-handed without Anthony Davis, Lonnie Walker, Austin Reaves and Patrick Beverley. The injuries forced Ham to use his 23rd different starting lineup in 42 games.
TIP-INS
Mavericks: Dwight Powell played 18 minutes despite a bruised right hip. ... Davis Bertans got a technical foul from the bench in the second quarter for his apparently overzealous celebration of a layup by Wood.
Lakers: Brown returned from a three-game absence with a strained right quadriceps and scored eight points. ... Beverley was out with a non-COVID illness.

Luka Doncic hit tying 3-pointers in the final seconds of regulation and the first overtime, in the Mavericks' 119-115 win over the Lakers.

Doncic hits 2 big 3-pointers, Mavs top Lakers 119-115 in 2OT

LOS ANGELES (AP) &mdash; Kawhi Leonard scored a season-high 33 points, Norman Powell added 27 and the Los Angeles Clippers snapped a six-game losing streak Tuesday night with a 113-101 victory over the Dallas Mavericks despite 43 points from Luka Doncic.
It's the fourth time in the past five games Leonard has scored at least 24 points. He got off to a quick start with 11 in the first quarter as the Clippers led throughout.
Doncic, who sat out Sunday against Oklahoma City due to left ankle soreness, missed four of his first five shots and had 12 points on 3-of-9 shooting in the first half before getting hot.
The NBA's leading scorer had 20 points in the fourth quarter and got the Mavericks within 104-96 on a 3-pointer with 2:50 remaining, but Leonard answered with a 3 of his own to push the margin back to double digits.
Doncic responded with another jumper from beyond the arc before Leonard was fouled on a 3-point attempt from the corner. Leonard hit all three free throws to make it 110-99 with 1:40 remaining.
The Clippers had a 35-33 lead in the second quarter before going on a 27-9 run over a seven-minute span as Powell led the way with 11 points.
Los Angeles went into halftime with its largest lead of the game at 69-47.
SCARY MOMENT
Midway through the third quarter, Doncic got bumped while chasing a loose ball, lost his balance and did a somersault over the first row of courtside seats before he landed on his shoulder. He quickly returned to the court.
TIP-INS
Mavericks: Tim Hardaway Jr. scored 16 points and Spencer Dinwiddie added 13. ... Dwight Powell bruised his right hip during the first half and did not return.
Clippers: Terance Mann added 12 points. ... Leonard tied a season high in rebounds with nine. ... Marcus Morris Sr. scored 10 of his 12 points in the first quarter. ... Ivica Zubac (eight points) ended up playing only 15 minutes after he picked up his third foul with 7:23 remaining in the first quarter.
&nbsp;

Kawhi Leonard scored 33 points, and the Clippers snapped a six-game losing streak with a 113-101 victory over the Mavericks.

Leonard, Clippers hold off Doncic, Mavs to snap 6-game skid

DALLAS (AP) &mdash; Luka Doncic followed his 60-point triple-double two nights earlier with 35 points in his NBA-best eighth triple-double of the season, and the Dallas Mavericks beat the Houston Rockets 129-114 on Thursday night.
Doncic, who recorded the NBA&rsquo;s first game with 60 points and 21 rebounds to go with 10 rebounds on Tuesday against the New York Knicks, had 12 rebounds and 13 assists in 34 minutes as Dallas ran its winning streak to a season-best five games. He clinched the triple-double with his 10th assist with 5:37 remaining in the third quarter, giving him consecutive triple-doubles twice this season.
Christian Wood, acquired from Houston last summer, had 21 points, hitting 5 of 8 3-pointers, and four blocks for the Mavericks, who led by as many as 25 points. Dwight Powell added a season-high 19 points off the bench, hitting all eight of his shots, and Tim Hardaway Jr. had 18.
&ldquo;I thought this was a great team win,&rdquo; Dallas coach Jason Kidd said. &ldquo;We didn&rsquo;t have to rely on Luka.&rdquo;
Doncic has scored an NBA-record 95 points in the consecutive triple-doubles.
Jalen Green scored 23 points, Kevin Porter Jr. 17 and Jabari Smith Jr. 16 for the Rockets, who lost for the seventh time in eight games.
Doncic scored 21 first-half points in 18 minutes thanks to a 35-footer at the buzzer after Dallas inbounded from the baseline with 1.5 seconds left. The Mavs led 65-51.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s always been his passing that has been the thing that has really separated him from everybody else, but now he&rsquo;s adding the scoring to the passing, which makes him just a nightmare to defend and prepare for," said Rockets coach Stephen Silas, who was a Dallas assistant during Doncic&rsquo;s first two seasons.
AIR-RAID OFFENSE
The Mavericks scored a season-high 25 fast-break points.
&ldquo;Normally we have zero. Or two,&rdquo; Kidd said after a handful of Doncic&rsquo;s assists came on long-distance inbound passes from the baseline, beginning with a touchdown-like strike to Davis Bertans late in the first quarter.
&ldquo;For whatever reason, Davis is one of his favorite wide &hellip; tight-ends receivers who tends to outrun the coverage,&rdquo; Kidd said. &ldquo;I think he set the tone for us in a funny way.&rdquo;
&ldquo;Our guards, Luka especially, are looking ahead and trusting that we are going to run under some of those Hail Mary&rsquo;s,&rdquo; Powell said.
GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN
With the Mavericks comfortably ahead late, the American Airlines Center crowd cheered wildly when Houston&rsquo;s Boban Marjanovic, who was in the Wood trade after playing three seasons for Dallas, reported in for the first time. The fans cheered even more when Marjanovic hit a turnaround jumper en route to seven points to match his season high.
Before the game, the popular big man crossed the midcourt line at the scorer&rsquo;s table to throw candy to some Mavericks front office personnel and was playfully pushed back toward Houston&rsquo;s end by Bertans.
SEE YA REAL SOON
The Rockets and Mavericks will meet for the third time in 11 days next Monday at Houston.
TIP-INS
Rockets: Green and Porter combined to hit 5 of 7 behind the arc. The rest of the team was 0 for 10. &hellip; Smith scored 14 in the first quarter, hitting 6 of 7 shots.
Mavericks: The 2021-22 Western Conference finalists are four games above .500 for the first time this season. &hellip; Doncic received his ninth technical foul this season, one of those having been rescinded.
&nbsp;

Luka Doncic had 35 points in his eighth triple-double of the season, and the Dallas Mavericks beat the Houston Rockets 129-114.

Doncic has another triple-double, Mavs beat Rockets 129-114

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) &mdash; Luka Doncic had 25 points, 10 assists and nine rebounds and Dallas Mavericks beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 104-99 on Wednesday night to split the two-game set.
Tim Hardaway Jr. added 21 points after an illness sidelined him Monday night in Dallas&rsquo; 116-106 loss in Minnesota in which Doncic and coach Jason Kidd were ejected.
Spencer Dinwiddie scored 19 points and Christian Wood added 12 for Dallas, which had lost two in a row.
&ldquo;Honestly, I think it&rsquo;s energy and body language,&rdquo; Doncic said about the difference from Monday. &ldquo;Today was unbelievable but that&rsquo;s how we got to learn. We got to play like this every game. So, we got to learn from that.&rdquo;
Rudy Gobert returned for the Timberwolves after missing three games with a sprained ankle, finishing with 19 points and 15 rebounds. Anthony Edwards had 23 points and Austin Rivers added 21 points in his second straight start for Minnesota, which had won three straight.
&ldquo;They hit four 3s in a row, man,&rdquo; Rivers said. &ldquo;That&rsquo;s 12 points in a matter of two minutes. Just totally changed the game. Otherwise, we win tonight. I think we&rsquo;re the better team, but they hit big shots late and we gave up 3s.&rdquo;
Midway through the fourth quarter, Hardaway hit two 3-pointers to start a 15-4 run as the Mavericks rallied and took control. Reggie Bullock added a pair of 3s during the run and Dallas finished 13 of 39 from beyond the 3-point line.
&ldquo;You could see the improvement for our team coming down the stretch,&rdquo; Kidd said. &ldquo;Luka made some big shots, not just 3s but being able to play in the midrange. And then being the quarterback, being able to trust his guys to be able to deliver by making shots.&rdquo;
The Mavericks were 6 of 10 from 3 in the fourth, while the Timberwolves had trouble converting from the outside. Minnesota was 8 of 30 from 3.
&ldquo;They got us a little, they picked on our scheme a little bit there,&rdquo; Wolves coach Chris Finch said. &ldquo;But what hurt tonight was our inability to put the ball in the basket. I mean, it came down to offense hurt us tonight.&rdquo;
DON&rsquo;T POKE THE BEAR
Doncic was particularly animated late in the fourth quarter after Dallas&rsquo; spree of 3s and had some words for a fan who had been jawing at the Mavericks&rsquo; star.
&ldquo;He said something, I say something else,&rdquo; Doncic said. &ldquo;We just go back and forth. That gets me going. So, I love that.&rdquo;
HOT RIVERS
Rivers was 8 of 13 from the field and 3 of 5 from 3 in the game. Over the past four games, he&rsquo;s shooting a combined 25 of 34 (73.5%), including 14 of 20 (70%) from 3.
TIP-INS
Mavericks: Dorian Finney-Smith was out with a right adductor strain. He was injured in the third quarter Monday night. &hellip; Dwight Powell returned after missing two games with a left thigh contusion. He came off the bench with Wood remaining in the starting lineup. &hellip; Maxi Kleber underwent surgery for a right hamstring tear on Monday. The team said he will begin rehabilitation immediately and there is no timetable for his return.
Timberwolves: Kyle Anderson was a game-time decision but missed his second straight game with back spasms. &hellip; Minnesota shot just 10 free throws, making seven, compared to Dallas going 23 of 27 from the line.
&nbsp;

Luka Doncic had 25 points, 10 assists and nine rebounds and Dallas Mavericks beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 104-99.

Doncic, Mavericks rebound to beat Timberwolves for split

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) &mdash; Anthony Edwards had 27 points, 13 rebounds and nine assists to lead the Minnesota Timberwolves to a 116-106 victory on Monday over the unglued Dallas Mavericks, who lost star Luca Doncic and coach Jason Kidd to successive ejections late in the third quarter.
Naz Reid pitched in 27 points and 13 rebounds for the Timberwolves, who kept up their energy from a franchise-record 150-point performance to beat Chicago a night earlier.
&ldquo;It didn&rsquo;t feel like a back-to-back," coach Chris Finch said.
Despite the absence of standout big men Rudy Gobert and Karl-Anthony Towns and three key reserves, the Timberwolves were a confident and crisp team on both ends of the court.
&ldquo;That&rsquo;s the biggest thing, playing for each other,&rdquo; Reid said. &ldquo;Everybody wants to see the next guy happy. That&rsquo;s exactly how it&rsquo;s supposed to be.&rdquo;
Doncic had a season-low 19 points &mdash; 14 below his average &mdash; on 5-for-17 shooting to match his season-worst percentage (29.4). The triple-double machine and league's second-leading scorer was whistled for consecutive technicals after Randy Bullock was called for a foul on Edwards.
Doncic, who played on a strained quadriceps that kept him out of the 100-99 overtime loss at Cleveland on Saturday, looked legitimately confused by the punishment and had to be pointed toward the tunnel to exit the court.
&ldquo;I deserved the first one. I&rsquo;m not going to lie. But for sure not the second one,&rdquo; Doncic said. &ldquo;I was really shocked when I was ejected.&rdquo;
Then Kidd lost it and <a href="https://twitter.com/BallySportsNOR/status/1605032278819758081">received the same fate</a>. He had to be restrained by an assistant as he went after referee Nick Buchert with some animated feedback.
Kidd fulfilled his postgame media obligation, but declined to take questions from reporters.
&ldquo;I already gave up money, so I don&rsquo;t want to give up any more," Kidd said. "They were the better team tonight, and we&rsquo;ll go from there. Thanks for showing up.&rdquo;
Spencer Dinwiddie had 20 points and seven assists, and Christian Wood chipped in 15 points and 13 rebounds for the Mavericks, who stay in town for a rematch on Wednesday against a Wolves team on a three-game winning streak.
The Mavericks played without four of their top nine scorers: Tim Hardaway Jr. (illness), Josh Green (sprained elbow), Maxi Kleber (torn hamstring) and Dwight Powell (bruised thigh). Then Dorrian Finney-Smith (adductor strain) was injured late in the third quarter.
Wood started next to Doncic for the first time since he arrived in a trade this summer with Houston, but he had trouble guarding Reid in the paint. The Mavericks were outscored 36-14 in the second quarter. Everyone beside Doncic combined to shoot 1 for 10 from 3 in the period.
Back-to-back 3s by Jaden McDaniels and Edwards closed the half for the Timberwolves on a 21-5 run. They built their lead as big as 21 points before the Mavericks really melted down.
The Wolves were down Gobert (sprained ankle) for the third straight game. Kyle Anderson (back spasms) was a new scratch, joining Towns (strained calf) and backups Taurean Prince (shoulder subluxation) and Jordan McLaughlin (strained calf) on longer-term absences.
ANT MARCHING
Edwards has begun to find his spark, coincidentally or not without the big men, on both ends of the court while taking on a more vocal leadership rol.e
&ldquo;They&rsquo;re just trusting in me and believing in me,&rdquo; said Edwards, who went hard to the rim and was rewarded with a 10-for-11 effort from the free-throw line.
&ldquo;That&rsquo;s the most happy I&rsquo;ve seen him in a while,&rdquo; Reid said. &ldquo;That&rsquo;s where it starts."
Reid's 3-point attempt with 1:03 left rolled off the rim. That would've given him a career-high 30 points and awarded Edwards a 10th assist for the triple-double.
TIP-INS
Mavericks: Doncic had six rebounds and seven assists in 28 minutes. ... Davis Bertans went 6 for 9 from 3-point range for 18 points off the bench.
Timberwolves: Edwards, who's not yet halfway through his third season, passed Anthony Peeler for third place on the franchise's all-time list for made 3-pointers (466). ...
&nbsp;

Anthony Edwards had 27 points to lead the Minnesota Timberwolves to a 116-106 victory over the Dallas Mavericks.

Edwards leads Timberwolves past flustered Mavericks 116-106

CLEVELAND (AP) &mdash; Jarrett Allen&rsquo;s dunk with 2:01 remaining in overtime gave Cleveland a 100-99 victory over the Dallas Mavericks on Saturday night, keeping the Cavaliers unbeaten in five OT games this season.
Allen outjumped two defenders to grab a lob from Darius Garland, then slammed home the ball over Christian Wood for the final points in the five-minute session. Kemba Walker had opened OT with a 3-pointer to give Dallas a 99-96 lead.
&ldquo;It was a character win because we just didn&rsquo;t have it tonight,&rdquo; Cavaliers coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. &ldquo;But that wasn&rsquo;t an excuse for the guys. They went out and picked it up defensively, which you&rsquo;ve got to do when your shots aren&rsquo;t falling.&rdquo;
The Mavericks had three opportunities to take the lead in the last minute, including Wood&rsquo;s 30-footer as time expired. Frank Ntilikina was stripped by Donovan Mitchell and Walker&rsquo;s jumper landed between the backboard and the rim on the other two.
Mitchell scored 25 points and Darius Garland had 18 points, seven rebounds and 12 assists for Cleveland, which has the best home record in the NBA at 14-2. Allen added eight points and 15 rebounds, and Evan Mobley had 17 points and eight rebounds.
&ldquo;Nights like this, it&rsquo;s all mental, so you&rsquo;ve got to fight real deep and find that energy,&rdquo; said Mobley, who scored 10 points in the fourth quarter. &ldquo;But we got the stops we needed at the end.&rdquo;
Four-time All-Star guard Walker, who signed with Dallas on Nov. 29, had 32 points and seven assists over 42 minutes in his third game. Wood had 26 points and 14 rebounds, and Hardaway scored 13 points.
Dallas forced OT on Walker&rsquo;s driving layup with 3.5 seconds left in the fourth, tying the score at 96-all. After Mitchell was called for an offensive foul with 0.7 ticks left, Tim Hardaway Jr. missed a half-court shot at the buzzer.
Dallas was without its starting backcourt of Luka Doncic (right quadriceps strain) and Spencer Dinwiddie (right knee maintenance), and center Dwight Powell (left thigh bruise). Doncic is the second-leading scorer in the NBA at 33.0 points per game.
&ldquo;You have to have a next-man up mentality -- and we had a lot of next men up tonight,&rdquo; Mavericks coach Jason Kidd said. &ldquo;This is the hardest part of our schedule, but we&rsquo;re professionals and we&rsquo;re here.&rdquo;
The Cavaliers are 2-0 on their longest homestand of the season, a six-gamer that runs through Dec. 26. Cleveland is allowing a league-low 104.8 points per game.
Both teams were on the second half of a back-to-back set. The Cavaliers beat Indiana 118-112 at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, while the Mavericks did not check into their downtown Cleveland hotel until 3:37 a.m.
TIP-INS
Mavericks: Walker made his first start since Feb. 16 with the Knicks against Brooklyn. Walker, whose career scoring average is 19.4, is with his fourth team in five years. &hellip; G Josh Green (right elbow sprain) and F Maxi Kleber (right hamstring tear) were inactive, and F Davis Bertans (illness) did not play. &hellip; Dallas lost to the Cavaliers for the second time in four days, dropping a 105-90 decision Wednesday.
Cavaliers: F Lamar Stevens (right knee soreness) was unable to play. Stevens started the previous eight games, averaging 6.6 points and 5.9 rebounds. &hellip; Mobley appeared in his 100th NBA game. The second-year pro is one of 11 players in league history to surpass 1,400 points, 800 rebounds, 200 assists and 150 blocks while shooting better than 50% from the field in his first 100 contests.
UP NEXT
Mavericks: At Portland on Monday night.
Cavaliers: Host Utah on Monday night.

Jarrett Allen’s dunk with 2:01 remaining in overtime gave the Cavaliers a 100-99 victory over the Mavericks on Saturday night.

Cavaliers beat Mavericks 100-99 in OT on Jarrett Allen's slam

DALLAS (AP) &mdash; Luka Doncic scored 33 points, Christian Wood had a season-high 32 points along with 12 rebounds and the Dallas Mavericks beat the Portland Trail Blazers 130-110 on Friday night.
Two of Dallas' top three scorers each had 20 before halftime &mdash; the NBA scoring leader Doncic with 23 to 20 for Wood &mdash; and combined to make 22 of 35 from the field as Dallas shot 56%.
Damian Lillard also had 20 before the break with 21, but finished with 24 to end a four-game streak of at least 35 points that was tied for the longest in the NBA this season with Philadelphia's Joel Embiid.
The Mavericks ended the Blazers' three-game winning streak while beating Portland for the sixth consecutive time. The average margin during the streak is 25 points.
Wood's first 20-point half with Dallas helped the Mavericks turn an eight-point deficit into a 14-point lead in the second quarter before Dallas settled for a nine-point halftime edge.
&ldquo;He did a great job of being able to play through him in the second quarter was huge for us,&rdquo; coach Jason Kidd said. &ldquo;The time he was on the floor on both ends, he gave us a lift tonight.&rdquo;
Dallas, which had lost three of its previous four games, outscored Portland 28-10 in the first seven minutes of the third quarter for a 27-point lead. The lead never fell below 19 after that.
Doncic and Lillard sat the entire fourth quarter &mdash; along with the rest of Portland's starters &mdash; with both teams on the first night of a back-to-back. Doncic went to the locker room with 6:40 remaining.
&ldquo;We didn't have it,&rdquo; Portland coach Chauncey Billups said. &ldquo;We'll talk about why we didn't have it. I wanted to be smart about it. We're in a tough little stretch. Got to know when to fold 'em.&rdquo;
Lillard, who averaged 38 points in the previous four games, started hot again before cooling off with three straight misses from 3-point range in the second quarter. He finished 6 of 14.
While the top three scorers for Dallas combined for 78 points (Spencer Dinwiddie had 13), the Blazers' trio of 20-point scorers had just 38.
Anfernee Simons and Jerami Grant finished with seven points apiece, combining to go 5 of 19 from the field. Grant scored 37 in Dallas' 117-112 win at home last month.
Doncic and Wood were the first Dallas teammates to score at least 20 points each in the same half since Doncic and Seth Curry in a 122-111 victory over Detroit in Mexico City three years ago.
Jusuf Nurkic and Trendon Watford scored 16 apiece for Portland, and Watford had 11 rebounds.
HELLO, HOME FOLKS
Kemba Walker made his home debut for Dallas, converting a three-point play when he beat the shot-clock buzzer after rebounding his own miss and got fouled. He also had a 3 to finish with six points. The four-time All-Star with a recent history of knee trouble signed with Dallas on Nov. 29.
TIP-INS
Trail Blazers: Lillard is 46 points from passing Hall of Famer Clyde Drexler as the franchise's scoring leader. ... Grant opened the scoring with a 3 but went 1 of 7 the rest of the way.
Mavericks: Tim Hardaway Jr scored 17 points on 7-of-10 shooting. ... G Josh Green, who missed his fourth consecutive game with a right elbow sprain, will make the upcoming road trip. ... C Dwight Powell sustained a left thigh contusion early in the third quarter and didn't return. The Mavs are already without F/C Maxi Kleber, who will miss multiple weeks with a torn hamstring.
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Luka Doncic scored 33 points, Christian Wood had 32, and the Dallas Mavericks beat the Portland Trail Blazers 130-110.