Dallas Mavericks

Dallas Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd said the team will look into allegations made by point guard Spencer Dinwiddie against longtime NBA referee Tony Brothers during Friday night's game against the Toronto Raptors.

Dinwiddie alleged an unnamed teammate said Brothers called him a "b---h ass motherf--ker" while discussing a technical foul in the second quarter, per ESPN's Tim MacMahon.

"That's tough. I have to talk to Spencer," Kidd said. "When you look at Tony and what he's done in this league, he's well-liked and also one of the best that we have. We're going to see what happened here and talk to Spencer and find out exactly what happened. That's a sensitive topic. We'll see what happens."

Dinwiddie was called for a take foul with less than a minute left in the first half and protested the call to Brothers, saying he may have used a curse word but not in a derogatory manner toward the veteran ref, per MacMahon.

"Everybody's a competitor out there," Dinwiddie said. "I understand it's the heat of the moment. I've definitely said swear words, but like, if I was playing against somebody on the other team and they said that to my teammate, I would be like listen, 'Hey, I'm right here.' But because obviously [referees are in] positions of authority and whatnot, you can't necessarily ask for that address, so I'm just taking my fair stance and saying, 'Hey, look, if you feel that way, fine by me, just say it to my face, like any other grown man.' That's all I want. I'm not even mad at the language. Everybody has said things before when they are upset or feeling sensitive or hurt. That's fine. Just say it to my face."

The 29-year-old Los Angeles native also apologized to Brothers for the exchange and requested the fine money issued for technical fouls be rescinded in this case.

"I apologize to Tony Brothers for what seemed to keep him irate, which was a clap," Dinwiddie said. "He thought it was disrespectful. If you watch the games, and I know that's what refs are supposed to do, you see I clap to get the attention of my teammates, things of that nature, but it was nothing personal, so as a man, I would like to say I'm sorry first and foremost. And secondarily I would like to say, not only would I like my [fine] money back, but I would like to not be called a b---h ass motherf--ker to my teammates."

Dinwiddie finished the game, tallying 21 points, seven assists, two steals and a rebound in a team-high 38 minutes as part of the Mavs' 111-110 win over the Raptors.

Brothers was not made available for comment after the game despite a pool-reporter request, per MacMahon.

He's working his 29th season as an NBA official after starting his career in 1994. His accolades include refereeing 174 playoff games, including 15 in the NBA Finals.

Brothers is not scheduled to work any of Saturday's eight games.

Dinwiddie and the Mavs are back in action Monday night when they host the Brooklyn Nets at the American Airlines Center.

Dallas Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd praised point guard Luka Dončić for "carrying the team" after scoring over 30 points in each of the season's first seven games.

Dončić poured in 33 points during Wednesday's 103-100 victory over the Utah Jazz, which brought his scoring average to a league-leading 36.1, which is the third-highest mark through seven games in the NBA over the past 60 years behind only Michael Jordan (37.0 in 1986-87) and James Harden (36.6 in 2019-20), per ESPN's Tim MacMahon.

"That's rare air and we get to see that on a nightly basis," Kidd said. "That's pretty cool. A 23-year-old kid that is playing on this level is really, really special to see. He can do it in so many ways, when you talk about posting up or getting to the basket, shooting the three or shooting that little step back. It's really cool to watch, and it just shows the focus that he has right now."

Scoring at least 30 points in seven straight games to open a season has only been accomplished by two other players: Wilt Chamberlain, who did it twice, and Jack Twyman, per MacMahon.

Dončić's impact goes far beyond his point totals, too. He's also averaging 9.0 assists (fifth in the NBA), 8.9 rebounds (22nd) and 1.7 steals (11th) while shooting a career-best 51.4 percent from the field.

"I'm trying to win games," the early MVP front-runner told reporters after Wednesday's win. "The player that scores more, you're going to win the game. I think today was one of the best games that I've played. Not forcing a lot. Sharing the ball."

It's hard to overstate his value to the Mavs. He's led the team in points and assists in all seven games so far, and he's also paced the team in rebounds four times.

Dallas hasn't been able to fully capitalize on that terrific play with a modest 4-3 record, but its three losses are by just 10 combined points, which is a promising.

"Amazing, but I'm not surprised," Mavs guard Spencer Dinwiddie said about Dončić's play. "Luka's a savant in every sense of the word as it applies to basketball. Nothing shocks me. Obviously, he's young and the best is yet to come. I think he's going to set a lot of records for the Mavs and be in the conversation with the greats."

Dončić will attempt to keep his hot start alive Friday night when the Mavericks welcome the Toronto Raptors (5-3) to the American Airlines Center.

Thursday's game between the Brooklyn Nets and Dallas Mavericks was brought to a halt after a fan threw a drink onto the court.

The fan appeared to be aiming for Mavericks star Luka Dončić.

According to ESPN's Tim Bontemps, the fan attempted to beat a hasty retreat but was stopped by arena security. The person was arrested by local authorities as well, per Bontemps.

Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd has now witnessed perhaps the two biggest drink-related incidents at an NBA game inside Barclays Center.

Then the coach of the Nets, Kidd famously instructed Tyshawn Taylor during a 2013 game to bump into him so he could theatrically drop his drink and cause a lengthy stoppage. The Hall of Fame point guard was handed a $50,000 fine.

The fan who made his presence felt Thursday night is now facing repercussions of his own.

It's unclear what charges he or she is facing.

A Boston Celtics fan was charged with assault and battery by means of a dangerous weapon when he threw a water bottle at Nets star Kyrie Irving during the 2021 playoffs. He was also banned from TD Garden, the Celtics' home arena.

The Dallas Mavericks fell to the New Orleans Pelicans 113-111 on Tuesday at Smoothie King Center to fall to 1-2 on the season, but some of the team's best players did all they could to try and help secure the victory.

Luka Doncic notched 37 points, 11 rebounds, seven assists, two steals and one block, while Spencer Dinwiddie finished with 24 points, two rebounds and five assists. In addition, Christian Wood was impressive off the bench, finishing with 23 points, six rebounds and one block.

A significant reason why the Mavericks failed to secure the victory was because the trio of Dorian Finney-Smith, JaVale McGee and Reggie Bullock, all starters, struggled to contribute offensively, combining for just 15 points.

Despite the loss, NBA fans on Twitter still praised Doncic for his performance as he joined Donovan Mitchell and Stephen Curry in scoring 30 points in each of his first three games of the 2022-23 season, per ESPN Stats and Info.

If Doncic's supporting cast had stepped up, the Mavericks may be sitting at 2-1 on the season instead of 1-2. Considering it's still very early, the franchise still has plenty of time to iron out the kinks.

The Mavericks are back in action on Thursday against the Brooklyn Nets at Barclays Center.

Despite losing Jalen Brunson to free agency and needing more shooting help around Luka Doncic, the Dallas Mavericks don't appear to be in the mix for Jae Crowder.

Per John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 FM, the Mavs are "not interested" in acquiring the veteran forward from the Phoenix Suns.

In a statement released on Sunday, the Suns and Crowder "mutually agreed" he would not attend training camp.

The news came amid speculation that Crowder wanted a trade to another team. The 32-year-old was not shy about letting everyone know he was seeking a new home. He pinned an Instagram comment from a fan asking the Miami Heat to bring him back.

After the Suns' statement came out, Crowder posted a tweet that strongly indicated he wanted to be moved:

Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium listed the Mavs, Heat, Boston Celtics and Memphis Grizzlies as potential suitors for Crowder.

Coming off an appearance in the Western Conference Finals, the Mavericks had a fairly quiet offseason. Brunson opted to sign with the New York Knicks as a free agent. They did acquire Christian Wood from the Houston Rockets.

Wood and Crowder together would look better on the Mavs' depth chart, but it would also be pretty redundant. Wood, who will be used off the bench as the sixth man, is a better shooter than Crowder at this point in their careers. He has averaged 16.9 points with a 38.4 three-point percentage over the past three seasons.

Crowder is coming off a disappointing performance last season. He had his worst scoring average (9.4 points per game) since 2014-15 and worst three-point percentage (34.8) since 2019-20.

Entering his fifth NBA season, Dallas Mavericks star Luka Doncic is already a perennial contender for league MVP, and he's expected to once again be in that conversation.

While speaking to Malika Andrews on Thursday's episode of NBA Today, Doncic was asked how important it is to him to win an MVP award.

"If I could be named MVP, it would be an enormous accomplishment, I would be so happy," Doncic said (2:52 mark). "But, you never know. I hope I'm in that conversation."

Doncic is coming off a strong showing in the FIBA EuroBasket 2022, but Slovenia was eliminated in the quarterfinals by Poland in a surprising upset. He averaged 26.0 points, 7.7 rebounds and 6.6 assists in seven games during the tournament, including a 47-point outburst that is the second-highest total in the history of European championships.

While individual success is achievable, Doncic also told Andrews that he has big expectations for the Mavs as a team.

"My expectation is to make it to the [NBA] Finals, first of all," he said. "I know it's gonna be really, really hard, but we gotta believe, everybody's gotta believe it. And if the whole team believes, then it can probably happen, but it's gonna be really hard."

The 23-year-old is the most important player on the Mavericks. He led the team with averages of 28.4 points, 9.1 rebounds, 8.7 assists and 1.2 steals last season, but he was also hobbled with injuries throughout the year. Doncic missed 17 games in the regular season and three more in the playoffs, and the team went 10-10 in his absence.

Dallas had a 52-30 record and made a surprising run to the Western Conference Finals last season, but the team is set to look different this year. The Mavs lost second-leading scorer Jalen Brunson after he signed with the New York Knicks as a free agent. They acquired promising 26-year-old power forward Christian Wood from the Houston Rockets, but it remains to be seen how he will mesh with a ball-dominant guard like Doncic.

The Mavericks are set to begin their season against the Phoenix Suns, who they defeated in seven games in the conference finals, on Oct. 19.

Free-agent NBA guard Dennis Schroder is reportedly turning heads and helping his chances of landing another contract thanks to his performance at the EuroBasket tournament.

According to NBA insider Marc Stein, Schroder is generating "rising buzz" with his play for Germany, and the expectation is that he will "almost certainly" be with a new NBA team by the end of September.

One team believed to have interest in Schroder is the Dallas Mavericks, with Stein reporting last week that Mavs executives Nico Harrison and Michael Finley had been scouting Schroder and were considering the possibility of signing him.

In six games for Germany at EuroBasket 2022, Schroder is averaging 20.2 points, 7.2 assists and 2.7 rebounds, making him one of the most productive players in the tournament.

Schroder has also helped lead Germany to the semifinals, where it will face Spain. Along the way, Schroder and Co. have beaten France, Lithuania and Greece, among others.

Since getting selected 17th overall in the 2013 NBA draft by the Atlanta Hawks, Schroder has spent nine seasons in the league, playing for the Hawks, Oklahoma City Thunder, Los Angeles Lakers, Boston Celtics and Houston Rockets.

Schroder, who turns 29 on Thursday, has largely been a productive player during his NBA career as well, averaging 14.2 points, 4.7 assists and 2.9 rebounds in 621 regular-season games.

His numbers have been down over the past couple of seasons after averaging a career-high 19.4 points per game with the Hawks in 2017-18 and 18.9 points per game with the Thunder in 2019-20.

Schroder spent last season split between the Celtics and Rockets, averaging 13.5 points, 4.6 assists and 3.3 rebounds while shooting 43.1 percent from the field and 34.4 percent from beyond the arc.

Dallas would perhaps be the best possible landing spot for Schroder since the Mavericks are still in search of someone to replace Jalen Brunson.

Brunson was the Mavericks' second-best player last season behind Luka Doncic, and when the MVP candidate missed several games during the playoffs, Brunson kept the team afloat.

The New York Knicks signed Brunson in free agency, leaving the Mavs without a player who can spell and play alongside Doncic (whose Slovenia team plays in the EuroBasket semifinals Wednesday) when needed.

Spencer Dinwiddie is the top internal candidate to take on that role, but Schroder's experience as both a starter and a bench player, plus his explosive offensive ability, makes him arguably the closest comparison to Brunson of any player currently available.

Playing a key role for a team that reached the Western Conference Finals last season would be a huge win for Schroder, considering it wasn't long ago that his NBA future was in doubt.

Chicago Bulls guard Goran Dragić said the Dallas Mavericks' Luka Dončić, his teammate on the Slovenian national team at EuroBasket 2022, is the "best player in the world."

Dragić explained Monday he believes Dončić could eventually put himself in the conversation as the greatest basketball player of all-time, per BasketNews:

He is only 23 years old, and he is playing like a veteran. He could score even 40 points in every game. He plays the game at his rhythm, he is very big, he can shoot, he can pass, he can rebound. I don't know what else we can say about Luka, he is like...an astronaut. I think he could be [the best player in history]. He is still very young, but if he stays healthy and plays a long more time, I think that by the end of his career he could be the best ever.

The 36-year-old veteran added his only regret is that he's not a little bit younger so he could play alongside Dončić at the peak of his powers.

"I wish I was younger so I could play more time with him. We've only played one EuroBasket together, this is the second one. For me, it's different. I am 36, Luka is in his prime, but I am enjoying every moment," Dragić said.

Dončić is coming off a terrific 2021-22 season with the Mavericks. He averaged 28.4 points, 9.1 rebounds, 8.7 assists, 3.1 threes and 1.2 steals across 65 appearances to finish fifth in NBA MVP voting.

The 23-year-old superstar has continued to shine at EuroBasket, putting up 28 points, 7.2 rebounds and 6.5 assists per game while helping leading Slovenia to the quarterfinals.

Dončić, Dragić and Co. will face off with Poland in the quarters on Wednesday. A win would set up a semifinal showdown with either France or Italy.

As for Dončić's journey toward the GOAT conversation, he's built an impressive resume with the 2019 NBA Rookie of the Year Award and three All-Star selections among his early accolades, not to mention three championships while playing for Real Madrid in Spain.

He'll need to win some NBA MVPs and titles before truly entering the discussion about the greatest player in basketball history, though.

Mark Cuban is at least warming to the idea of the NBA holding an in-season tournament.

An old clip made the rounds showing the Dallas Mavericks governor saying he's "not a fan" of the tournament and his team may not participate in the event or may rest "our best players" because their sole focus is on trying to win an NBA championship.

After the clip took off, Cuban spoke with NBA reporter Marc Stein to say he is "actually open to" the concept of an in-season tournament because "it has a chance to build interest" in the sport.

Cuban also proposed the NBA could expand the draft to four rounds, with the team that wins an in-season tournament being rewarded with the top picks in each of the final two rounds.

Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium reported details of the current framework being used for the in-season tournament that could be implemented as soon as the 2023-24 season:

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver has been talking about the possibility of an in-season tournament for years.

In a February interview with Yahoo Sports' Vincent Goodwill, Silver said he thinks the tournament is "moving closer to" happening based on conversations with the National Basketball Players Association.

"And my sense is there's a fair amount of interest," he added.

Charania noted the NBA and NBPA are still working to finalize the tournament concept, including prizes for the eight teams that advance to the single-elimination round.

In September 2021, Charania reported the league was discussing a $1 million per player prize and the concept was discussed with the competition committee.

Other than a potential financial payout for players, there are no details about what teams might receive for winning an in-season tournament.

Talk of the in-season tournament concept comes as the NBA and NBPA are in the process of negotiating a new collective bargaining agreement. The current CBA runs through the 2023-24 season, but both sides can opt out in December.

There doesn't appear to be any risk of a lockout even if either or both sides opt out of the collective bargaining agreement.

The NBA has done a good job of expanding the postseason in recent years with the play-in tournament. Even though those games aren't technically counted as playoff games, there is an increased sense of urgency in them because of the win-or-go-home nature of the matchups.

Trying to figure out a way to make an in-season tournament matter to teams seems like it could be the biggest hurdle to making it feel like a big deal and something that all 30 clubs will want to be part of.