Dallas Mavericks

The Dallas Mavericks haven't hit the halfway mark of the 2024-25 NBA season, yet the MVP campaign for star Luka Dončić is almost officially over.

Mike Curtis of the Dallas Morning News noted Dončić is going to be sidelined for his 17th game when the Mavs host the Denver Nuggets on Sunday. That puts him at the limit for the number of games he can miss and still be eligible for individual awards and All-NBA recognition.

Dallas and Denver's rematch Tuesday will remove the five-time All-Star from award consideration for good this year because that will put him at 18 absences.

Christmas Day is effectively when Dončić's MVP quest ended. He suffered a left calf strain in Dallas' 105-99 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves, and the team confirmed he'd be re-evaluated in a month.

Luka Doncic went back to the locker room after an apparent injury on this play. pic.twitter.com/R8xlcLdeHQ

— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) December 25, 2024

At the time, Dončić had already been out for eight contests.

Even taking an optimistic view toward his recovery, the Mavericks play 19 times from Dec. 27 through January and their best player will miss all or most of that stretch. There was simply no way he'd realistically hit the NBA's 65-game threshold.

Curtis explained Dončić at least remains on track to sign a supermax extension by virtue of making an All-NBA team in each of the last two seasons. That could pay out as much as $346.3 million.

Luka Doncic is now eligible to sign a super max extension in the 2025 offseason.

The extension is the largest contract in NBA history. pic.twitter.com/GBNUsABHH4

— Bobby Marks (@BobbyMarks42) May 22, 2024

For the Mavericks, their overriding priority is ensuring Dončić is healthy and peaking on the court once the playoffs are here in a few months. His injuries mean this will inevitably be a disappointing year by his usual standards, but embarking on another deep postseason run would more than make up for that.

Three of Kyrie Irving's current and former teammates will be representing his shoe brand this season.

The Dallas Mavericks' Daniel Gafford, Cleveland Cavaliers' Caris LeVert and Los Angeles Clippers' Derrick Jones Jr. will wear a new signature shoe model from ANTA, the Chinese sportswear company Irving is partnered with, according to footwear reporter Nick DePaula.

Gafford, LeVert and Jones will play in the new ANTA KAI 1 "Team" model. The shoes are currently available in four colorways at a retail price of $100.

Kyrie Irving is also launching his new ANTA KAI 1 “Team” model — an affordable $100 signature silo shoe that LeVert, Jones Jr. & Gafford will also play in.

“We spent countless hours studying AAU and streetball players to create a shoe that meets their needs while reflecting my… https://t.co/2lbKILfXjD pic.twitter.com/D826Bg7K2R

— Nick DePaula (@NickDePaula) January 8, 2025

All three of ANTA's newest signings have played with Irving. Gafford and Jones Jr. both competed alongside Irving during the Mavs' run to the NBA Finals last season, while LeVert joined him on the Brooklyn Nets during the 2019-20 season.

Irving announced he was joining ANTA as Chief Creative Officer and launching a signature shoe in July 2023.

Since then, Irving and the brand have collaborated on multiple sneaker lines as well in addition to the ANTA Hélà apparel collection.

Irving is currently sidelined on a week-to-week basis with a back injury, per ESPN's Shams Charania and Tim MacMahon. When available this season he has averaged 24.3 points, 4.6 rebounds and 4.9 assists through 30 starts for the Mavericks.

If the Dallas Mavericks can weather this recent storm of injuries to Luka Dončić and Kyrie Irving to make the playoffs, people around the NBA consider them the biggest threat to the Oklahoma City Thunder in the Western Conference.

On the latest episode of The Hoop Collective Podcast (starts at 21:13 mark), ESPN's Tim MacMahon noted from discussions with people in the league that a healthy Mavs team is viewed as the primary challenger for the Thunder to reach the NBA Finals.

Healthy is the operative word for the Mavs right now because they are going to be without their top two players for the foreseeable future.

Dončić suffered a calf strain during Dallas' loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves. The Mavs announced on Dec. 27 he will be re-evaluated in a month. He has dealt with calf issues in the past, including an injury that cause him to miss the first three games of a first-round playoff series against the Utah Jazz in April 2022.

MacMahon and Shams Charania reported on Monday that Irving will miss at least one to two weeks with a bulging disc in his back.

Dallas was able to snap a five-game losing streak on Tuesday night with a 118-97 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers. It was the first time in 11 games this season the Mavs won a game that both Dončić and Irving sat out.

The Mavericks had a slow start this season with a 5-7 record through 12 games before getting hot. They won 14 of their next 17 games and climbed as high as the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference in mid-December.

Despite this recent rough patch, the Mavs are still clinging to the fifth spot in the West at 21-16 overall. There is very little margin of error with just 2.5 games separating them from the Golden State Warriors as the No. 10 seed.

We know the Mavericks at full strength can cause problems for the Thunder. The two teams met in the Western Conference semifinals last season, with Dallas winning in six games.

Oklahoma City has taken another step forward so far this season with a 30-5 record, despite not having Chet Holmgren since Nov. 10 due to a pelvic fracture. The Thunder rank first in the NBA in defensive rating and net rating.

The Mavs and Thunder have split their first two head-to-head meetings this season. They will play two more games during the regular season in the span of six days on Jan. 17 and 23.

As long as the Mavs can keep their head above water while Dončić and Irving are out, we know from last season they can be as dangerous as any team in the West in the playoffs.

Dallas Mavericks star Kyrie Irving is expected to miss a minimum of one to two weeks due to "a bulging disc in his back," according to ESPN's Shams Charania and Tim MacMahon.

Dallas Mavericks star Kyrie Irving has a bulging disc in his back and is expected to miss at least 1 to 2 weeks, sources tell me and @espn_macmahon. There is optimism that treatment over the coming days will provide a return to play target date. pic.twitter.com/HuNjAadyMi

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) January 6, 2025

Irving had missed two of the Mavericks' last three games prior to Charania and MacMahon's report.

The news marks the continuation of Irving's injury issues. The Mavs star sat out 24 games during the 2023-24 season amid foot, heel, thumb and hamstring injuries.

He did appear in 31 consecutive games heading into April, marking his longest streak of availability since his 2015-16 campaign with the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Irving also returned to start all 22 of the Mavericks' postseason games as he and Luka Dončić led Dallas to the NBA Finals.

Injury problems resumed for Irving this offseason, however, as the Mavericks announced in July he had suffered a broken left hand that required surgery during an offseason workout.

Despite appearing in 30 of 35 games to start the season, Irving will now once again miss time due to injury.

Irving's availability during the 2023-24 regular season allowed him to build on his connection with Dončić and was a key reason for the Mavericks made it back to the Finals for the first time since 2011.

His absence will now challenge the Mavericks' depth as the team hopes to maintain a Western Conference playoff spot.

Quentin Grimes, an offseason trade acquisition whose playing time has increased throughout the season, is likely to get more playing time in Irving's absence.

Grimes is coming off of his most productive performance of the season, during which he led the Mavs with 26 points in Friday's loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers.

The Dallas Mavericks desperately need Luka Dončić back in their lineup.

The Mavericks, who entered the evening fourth in the Western Conference, suffered a lopsided 110-99 loss to the Houston Rockets on Wednesday at the Toyota Center in Houston.

Dallas dropped to 20-14, enduring its third consecutive loss, while the Rockets improved to 22-11, steering clear of a potential three-game skid.

The Mavericks have struggled without Luka Dončić, going 1-3 since the star guard suffered a left calf strain during their 105-99 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Dec. 25.

Luka Doncic went back to the locker room after an apparent injury on this play. pic.twitter.com/R8xlcLdeHQ

— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) December 25, 2024

Fans voiced their concerns about the Mavericks' performance as they anxiously await Luka Dončić's return:

Mavs fans should brace themselves for an ugly January. We might go on a long losing streak.

— HEADBAND LUKA (@Headbandlukaa) January 2, 2025

I think the Dallas Mavericks are better with Luka Doncic

— Jason Gallagher (@jga41agher) January 2, 2025

I miss Luka Doncic

— Jeffrey🇵🇷/Braves/Mavs/Dolphins (@KatysMyHabibi) January 2, 2025

But people told me this team was better without Luka Doncic 🤔

— CurseMuse (@CurseMuse) January 2, 2025

I came into this season so excited to watch Dallas Mavericks regular season basketball, but the basketball god’s just don’t like us whatsoever.

All of these injuries are so annoying.

— MFFL NATION (@NationMffl) January 2, 2025

“The Mavs are better without Luka Doncic” people, where tf are you now?

— StepSnort (@StepSnort) January 2, 2025

Why would you care about beating a team with no Luka Doncic on it? And again early season Mavs were terrible you can count that game but it wouldn’t be anything like that if Luka was playing, this game should be a 25 point blowout rn

— Will🍻 (@tottswill) January 2, 2025

Luka Doncic-less Mavericks is like Rodri-less Man City

— Sedi🇨🇩🇸🇸 (@ilysedi) January 2, 2025

Klay Thompson finished the night with 16 points, five rebounds and one steal while shooting 4-of-8 from beyond the arc in the loss. Kyrie Irving added 16 points, seven rebounds, two assists and three steals.

On the other side, Dillon Brooks, posted 19 points and six rebounds while Jalen Green added 22 points, five rebounds and one steal in the victory.

Klay doin' Klay tings 🪣

VOTE: https://t.co/aBJP3WrL1h pic.twitter.com/dljkUm2XUl

— Dallas Mavericks (@dallasmavs) January 2, 2025

Thompson began his scoring spree with a 24-foot three-pointer assisted by P.J. Washington, quickly followed by a 25-foot three-pointer, giving him an early six points in the first quarter.

Brooks had a quiet first half, shooting 3-of-6 from the field, as Houston took a 61-52 lead into halftime.

the bump & the bucket 🪣 pic.twitter.com/uow2GFGSnJ

— Houston Rockets (@HoustonRockets) January 2, 2025

Despite Dallas narrowing the deficit in the third quarter with 23 points to bring the score to 89-75, it was not enough to make a major dent in Houston's commanding lead.

The Mavericks will look to bounce back when they take on the red-hot Cleveland Cavaliers (29-4) on Friday.

The Dallas Mavericks have weighed whether to target "an impact perimeter defender" prior to the Feb. 6 NBA trade deadline, according to The Athletic's Christian Clark.

If that's a path the Mavs pursue, Clark removed one prospective candidate from the board, reporting "there is little belief in NBA circles" the New Orleans Pelicans would move forward Herb Jones.

Shams Charania of ESPN reported on Dec. 10 that teams have shown increasing interest in players on the Pelicans roster, Jones included, with the team off to such a dreadful start. However, NBA insiders Marc Stein and Jake Fischer followed up on Dec. 15 to report New Orleans was "naturally resistant" to any offers for the 26-year-old.

For the Mavericks, improving their perimeter defense ahead of the deadline would make sense because that's always going to be a concern as long as their squad is oriented around Luka Dončić and Kyrie Irving. Neither is a good defender, leaving Dallas vulnerable at the point of attack.

The Mavs currently sit 11th in defensive rating (110.8), which is up from an 18th-place finish in 2023-24, per NBA.com. They beefed up their perimeter defense in the offseason by adding Klay Thompson and Naji Marshall, while Dereck Lively II is continuing to improve as a rim protector into his second season.

Still, navigating through the Western Conference in the playoffs means facing some combination of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Ja Morant, Stephen Curry, Anthony Edwards and Devin Booker. Whoever wins the East will boast a formidable backcourt as well.

Upgrading their defense may not be a bad idea for the Mavericks.

The NBA has responded to Friday's on-court scuffle between the Dallas Mavericks and Phoenix Suns.

The league announced that it had suspended Mavericks forward Naji Marshall for four games without pay and Suns center Jusuf Nurkić for three games without pay due to their "involvement in an on-court altercation." Additionally, the league suspended Mavericks forward P.J. Washington for one game without pay for "escalating the on-court altercation."

The following has been released by the NBA. pic.twitter.com/LM3YA6ntXW

— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) December 28, 2024

The incident occurred in the third quarter of the 98-89 Mavericks victory.

Prior to being ejected from the game, Washington had seven points, three rebounds and two assists in 20 minutes. Marshall had four points, three rebounds and two assists in 19 minutes and Nurkić had three points, five rebounds and two assists in 14 minutes.

Marshall and Washington will miss Saturday's game against the Portland Trail Blazers while Marshall will also be out for games against the Sacramento Kings, Houston Rockets and Cleveland Cavaliers. He will be eligible to return on Jan. 6 against the Memphis Grizzlies.

Nurkić will miss games against the Golden State Warriors, Grizzlies and Indiana Pacers. He will be eligible to return on Jan. 6 against the Philadelphia 76ers.

The Suns and Mavericks will next meet on March 9 in Dallas.

Luka Dončić's Dallas home was burglarized Friday, according to a police report (h/t NBA insider Marc Stein).

According to Dončić's business manager, Lara Beth Seager, the Mavericks star and his family are safe.

"No one was home at the time and thankfully Luka and his family are safe," Seager said. "Luka has filed a police report and an investigation is ongoing."

Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd later told reporters Saturday that Dončić is "doing fine" following the incident.

"I reached out, texted him," Kidd said. "He's doing fine (after) going through that incident. Glad no one got hurt. I talked to him today."

The police report, obtained by the Dallas Morning News, says Dončić and his family had $30,000 worth of jewelry stolen.

The robbery follows a memo sent to all NBA players by the league after a handful of athletes dealt with break-ins earlier this year.

Kansas City Chiefs stars Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce dealt with break-ins in November, as did Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow in December.

In the NBA, Minnesota Timberwolves guard Mike Conley had his home burglarized while he was at a Minnesota Vikings game. Milwaukee Bucks forward Bobby Portis Jr. was the victim of a break-in on Nov. 2 when he was with the team on a road trip to face the Cleveland Cavaliers.

In the memo sent to all 30 teams, obtained by the Associated Press, the NBA warned players that the FBI has connected some burglaries to "transnational South American Theft Groups" that are "reportedly well-organized, sophisticated rings that incorporate advanced techniques and technologies, including pre-surveillance, drones, and signal jamming devices."

The memo said the theft rings "are primarily focused on cash and items that can be resold on the black market, such as jewelry, watches, and luxury bags."

The league recommended players install updated alarm systems with cameras and use the security systems whenever they leave home.

The memo also encouraged players to keep their valuables locked in secure safes and remove online real estate listings that may feature photos of their home's interior. The NBA even suggested using "protective guard services" during extended trips away from home and having dogs assist with home protection.

The NFL sent a similar statement to all 32 teams, per NFL Network's Tom Pelissero.

Kyrie Irving's 20 points led five Dallas Mavericks players in double-digit scoring en route to a 98-89 road win on Friday evening.

The Mavs benefitted from that balanced scoring attack in their first game without Luka Dončić after the superstar was diagnosed with a left calf strain suffered on Christmas Day against the Minnesota Timberwolves. Dončić will be re-evaluated in one month, per ESPN's Shams Charania and Tim MacMahon.

Dallas was in full control of this game, though. The Mavs never trailed and led by as many as 18 points. They benefitted from Phoenix's cold shooting night, which featured the team scoring just 14 points in the second quarter and 25 points apiece in the first, third and fourth quarters.

Kevin Durant scored a game-high 35 points on 11-of-19 shooting for the Suns, who posted 54 points on 32.8 percent shooting otherwise. Bradley Beal had a tough evening, scoring 11 on 5-of-18 shooting.

Daniel Gafford started in place of Dereck Lively II (left hip contusion) and had 16 points and five rebounds. Spencer Dinwiddie and Maxi Kleber scored 15 apiece off the bench.

This game also featured a third quarter fight, which ended with Suns center Jusuf Nurkić and Mavs forwards Naji Marshall and PJ Washington getting ejected. Nurkić and Marshall confronted each other, and the Suns big man slapped the Mavs forward in the head. Marshall then swung at Nurkić before Washington shoved Nurkić to the court. Cooler heads quickly prevailed as the refs helped break up the situation.

With the win, the Mavs moved to 20-11, good enough for fourth place in the Western Conference. Navigating the short-term future without Dončić will certainly be challenging, but Dallas has notably excelled when forced to play without the five-time All-NBA player earlier this year.

The Mavs are 7-2 without Luka. pic.twitter.com/L2GSmNSkyP

— StatMuse (@statmuse) December 28, 2024

The Mavs ultimately passed their first full test in this stretch with flying colors, impressing fans with their effort.

that mavericks game was a fun one for mavs fans because it was simultaneously the best win of the season (considering the circumstances) and also the worst loss of the season for the suns.

— Josh Bowe (@Boweman55) December 28, 2024

This Mavs team is very good

Very very good. They find ways to win ugly ass games without there best player.

Gotta love this type of stuff. Championship level things man.

— Bdoturbanus (@Bdoturbanus3) December 28, 2024

greatest mavs game of the year. Everything clicked perfectly. Everyone had eachothers back. Even with 3 of our best assets against the suns being ejected we pulled through. great job.

— Ben |The book of Luka| (@RetardCookedYou) December 28, 2024

Gotta give the Mavs front office props for making smart moves to make the roster better to the point that they can stay afloat without Luka. This team is better than last year. Naji Marshall was a steal, Quentin Grimes flyer looks like a genius move.

— Deven Tiwary (@deven_tiwary) December 28, 2024

mavs stood on business tonight

— gabi ❤️‍🔥 (@luvlyygabi) December 28, 2024

Helluva W Mavs

— Mitchell Clemons (@tweetingdouche) December 28, 2024

Mavs win, they’ll be fine till Luka comeback 🔥

— Vela Riski P (@velapradini) December 28, 2024

I would say this is one of the best defensive performances from Mavs this season especially after PJ and Naji being ejected also no Lively and Luka. Veryyy impressive #MFFL

— SilverHedge 🩶 (@SilverHawk05) December 28, 2024

Mavs didn’t have

Luka (best player)
Lively (starting center)
Naji (Ejected)
PJ (Best defender) Ejected
Kyrie wasn’t scoring the 2nd half

The Suns STILL couldn’t beat us🤣🤣🤣

— Caroline Chaneski (@MsChaneski) December 28, 2024

………so is it time to start paying attention to the Mavs

— villian in training 👿 (@baby_bigfooooot) December 28, 2024

This Mavs team has grit.

— Cason Fikes (@casonfikes) December 28, 2024

This Mavs win was special. Nobody in the NBA wants to face us. Let's win it all!!

— Grampage JacksonⓋ (@jgjaxon) December 28, 2024

Dallas will now visit Portland to play the Trail Blazers on Saturday at 10 p.m. ET.

Dallas Mavericks guard Klay Thompson called it "surreal" to pass one of his NBA idols on the all-time three-pointers list on Christmas Day.

Thompson now sits fifth, one spot above Reggie Miller, after nailing four long-range jumpers in Dallas' 105-99 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves.

"I loved Reggie Miller growing up," the five-time All-Star said, per The Athletic's Christian Clark. "I watched his film and game-winners my whole life. He's always inspired me to shoot the ball and be a killer. It's just surreal. Talk about times I prayed for. I prayed for times like that."

Thompson later shared a post on Instagram to commemorate the achievement: "One of my favorite memories along this journey was working out for the Knicks in June 2011, and Donnie Walsh told me how much I reminded him of Reggie. That meant the world to me and inspired me to never stop shooting. Salute to the greatest to ever shoot it @reggiemillertnt! Thanks for the blueprint OG!"

The connection between Thompson and Miller goes deeper than the former's admiration for the latter growing up. Clark detailed how Pepperdine solicited the services of Miller in a bid to recruit Thompson to the school. The visit included a ping-pong match between the two, which the Hall of Famer dominated.

"He skunked me 7-0," Thompson said to Clark. "To see that competitive side of him—I was 17—it was really cool."

At some point, the shoe is likely to be on the other foot.

Thompson is one of the best pure shooters of his generation and has helped to set a standard in the same way Miller did in his 18 seasons with the Indiana Pacers. For a lot of kids aspiring to play in the NBA, Thompson is the player they'll look to emulate.

With the 34-year-old, meanwhile, it's probably a matter of time before he overtakes another legendary sharpshooter. He trails Ray Allen in third by 411 made three, and that's a gap he should close within the next few seasons as long as he stays healthy.