Dallas Mavericks

Dallas Mavericks star Luka Doncic will miss at least one game with an ankle injury. 

The Mavs public relations staff announced on Twitter that Doncic won't play on Saturday against the Memphis Grizzlies with a sore left ankle. 

Saturday marks the second night of a back-to-back for the Mavericks. They lost 107-91 to the New Orleans Pelicans on Friday night. Doncic scored 21 points on 7-of-20 shooting (0-of-6 from three) with 10 rebounds and seven assists in 35 minutes. 

Doncic appeared in at least 61 games through his first three seasons in the NBA. When he's healthy, he's one of the best guards in the league. 

The 22-year-old averaged 27.7 points, 8.0 rebounds and 8.6 assists per game while shooting 47.9 percent from the field and 35.0 percent from deep during the 2020-21 campaign. He has followed that up by averaging 25.4 points, 8.1 rebounds and 8.5 assists per game this year, but he's only shooting 44.5 percent from the field and 32.9 percent from three-point range. 

Without Doncic, the Mavericks don't look nearly as good. Jalen Brunson and Frank Ntilikina are next in line to fill in at point guard and they aren't nearly as effective. 

Brunson has averaged 14.7 points, 4.0 rebounds and 4.8 assists per game while shooting 50.4 percent from the field and 34.9 percent from deep. 

The Mavericks are 11-10 on the season, fifth place in the Western Conference. If they want to compete with teams like the Golden State Warriors and Phoenix Suns, they'll need Doncic to be healthy moving forward. 

Dallas Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd has said that superstar guard Luka Doncic needs to stop arguing with referees during the run of play.

Kidd discussed the situation following Friday's 107-91 loss to the New Orleans Pelicans after being asked about Doncic's frequent interactions with the officials:

I would lean toward playing five-on-five a bit more. You're not going to get any calls. Officials, they tend to not stop the game to change calls. You have to understand there's a point in time in games—dead balls—to be able to talk to officials.

While the game is going on, transition defense is one of the things we've talked about that we have to get better. If we're lobbying for calls during live play, it puts us in harm's way. ... Just some things have got to be a little bit more important. I think we're going to get better at understanding as a team when to talk to officials. Not just Luka.

Doncic, who recorded 21 points, 10 rebounds, seven assists and seven turnovers in the loss, didn't dispute his coach's stance.

"J. Kidd, he's got a point," he said. "I've got to stop doing that."

The perennial MVP contender didn't want to speak too much about the officiating, however, merely adding: "I think you guys can see it. I'll leave it there."

In September, the NBA announced a rule change that urged referees not to call fouls if an offensive player was making "overt, abrupt or abnormal non-basketball moves" in an effort to draw a call.

Several of the league's top offensive players, including the Brooklyn Nets' James Harden, spoke out about the change early in the season as free-throw rates dropped dramatically.

"I'm not the type to complain about it. I asked every official if they see a foul, just call a foul," Harden said in October. "Sometimes I feel like coming into a game it's already predetermined. I already have that stigma of getting foul calls—a foul is a foul no matter what league it is."

While much of that chatter has subsided as the season has gone on, it's clear players like Doncic still believe they aren't getting enough calls for contact.

That said, the Mavs' franchise cornerstone ranks 12th in the NBA with 5.2 fouls drawn per game, and his 8.1 free throw attempts per game are in line with his career average.

Doncic could argue he belongs closer to the top of the fouls-drawn list—the Milwaukee Bucks' Giannis Antetokounmpo leads the league at 8.2 per game—but Kidd's main point still rings true: trying to lobby for a call while the play is ongoing won't help his cause.

The Mavericks (11-10) are back in action Saturday night, when they host the Memphis Grizzlies (12-10) at the American Airlines Center.

Dallas Mavericks star Kristaps Porzingis suffered a left knee contusion in Wednesday's 139-107 win over the Pelicans and will be unavailable for Friday's rematch against New Orleans, head coach Jason Kidd told reporters.

The 26-year-old missed five games earlier this year because of a back issue. He then suffered an ankle injury in Dallas' 114-96 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers on Nov. 29.

Injuries aside, Porzingis is enjoying another productive season in Dallas. Through 15 games, he's averaging 19.7 points, 8.0 rebounds and 1.7 blocks while shooting 45.9 percent from the floor.

The Mavs, meanwhile, are fourth in the Western Conference at 11-9 under Kidd, who is in his first year as head coach.

The narrative of this year will hinge largely on what the team does in the playoffs.

Losing to the Los Angeles Clippers in the first round of the 2021 playoffs was a bitter pill to swallow, and Porzingis' performance in that series (13.1 PPG; 5.4 RPG) raised questions about his suitability as a second star alongside Luka Doncic.

Because of that, a lot of fans will likely reserve judgment on the Latvian until the postseason. That isn't to downplay his contributions in the regular season, though, which will be important toward the Mavericks securing a top-four seed.

Dallas Mavericks center Kristaps Porzingis suffered an ankle injury during a 114-96 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers on Monday.

Brad Townsend of the Dallas Morning News reported after the game that Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd said X-rays on Porzingis' ankle came back negative and he will be evaluated on Tuesday.

Porzingis had nine points and five rebounds in 27 minutes prior to exiting.

The 26-year-old left Dallas' game against the Toronto Raptors on Oct. 26 due to lower back tightness. He missed five games with the injury before returning on Nov. 6 against the Boston Celtics, scoring 21 points in a 107-104 win.

Porzingis seemed to be settling into a groove prior to Monday's injury. In 13 games this season, he's averaging 20.1 points and 8.1 rebounds.

A former All-Star, the Latvian has struggled with injuries. He has played in at least 70 games just once during his six-year career, that being his rookie season with the New York Knicks. He's played in less than 60 games in each of the last four seasons.

Porzingis was acquired by the Mavericks during the 2018-19 season. He missed that entire year due to a torn ACL he suffered the previous season, which was his lone All-Star year. During his return in the 2019-20 season, he averaged 20.4 points, 9.5 rebounds, 2.0 blocks and 1.8 assists in 57 games.

He was limited to 43 games in 2020-21 but had another solid year of production with 20.1 points, 8.9 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.3 blocks. However, he faded in the playoffs and averaged just 13.1 points as the Mavericks lost in the first round to the Los Angeles Clippers.

When healthy, Porzingis is Dallas' No. 2 scoring option behind star guard Luka Doncic and its best frontcourt defender. Losing him for any amount of time is a big setback for the Mavericks.

Fourth-year point guard Jalen Brunson was inserted into the starting lineup in Porzingis' absence, and he's provided a scoring boost for Dallas. The Villanova product is the team's third leading scorer, averaging a career-high 15.1 points.

With Porzingis sidelined, centers Dwight Powell, Boban Marjanovic and Moses Brown will all see increased minutes in the frontcourt to replace his production on both ends of the floor.

The Dallas Mavericks remain confident that Jalen Brunson will re-sign with the franchise even if he hits free agency after the 2021-22 campaign, according to NBA insider Marc Stein (h/t HoopsHype).

Brunson, 25, is set to hit free agency this summer after signing a four-year, $6 million deal as a rookie in 2018.

Brunson is "quietly regarded as Dallas' most effective and forceful locker-room leader," according to Stein, so it's no surprise the Mavs are interested in retaining him beyond 2021-22.

The Villanova product was selected with the 33rd overall pick in the 2018 draft, 30 spots after the Mavericks selected Luka Doncic. While Brunson isn't on the same level as Doncic, he is certainly considered one of the better second-round picks of the last few years.

Brunson has improved in each of his four NBA seasons and is on pace to have a career year in 2021-22. He's averaging 15.1 points, 4.4 rebounds and 5.3 assists per game while shooting 49.3 percent from the field and 33.9 percent from deep.

Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd also said earlier this season that Brunson brings down the stress level of Doncic. His comments put even more emphasis on how reliable the point guard is for the franchise.

"The stress level is down, especially for Luka," Kidd told reporters. "When you have two ball-handlers on the floor—two playmakers—it helps the team and it also helps Luka where he doesn't have to do it all."

The Mavs are fourth in the Western Conference this season with a 10-7 record. A lot of the team's success can be attributed not only to Doncic but also Brunson.

It's unclear which teams might be interested in Brunson if he becomes a free agent. However, the New York Knicks have been linked to the rising star since June 2021. The New  York Post's Marc Berman reported back then that Knicks president Leon Rose "loves" Brunson and believes he is a "legitimate starting, playmaking point guard." 

There has been no shortage of Kristaps Porzingis trade rumors during the past calendar year, which was perhaps not surprising considering the Dallas Mavericks lost to the Los Angeles Clippers in the first round of the playoffs in each of the last two seasons and appeared to have a clear ceiling with their current group.

However, Mavericks governor Mark Cuban shot those rumors down in emphatic fashion.

"That's not true," Cuban said, per Mark Medina of NBA.com. "Why would I do that at all? Trades like that, you always end up further behind. When you trade a superstar, you never get the best end of it."

Dallas is off to a 9-7 start, which is good enough for the No. 5 seed in the early Western Conference standings.

Porzingis has been a critical part of the early efforts and is averaging 20.3 points, 8.3 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game while shooting 45.5 percent from the field and 33.8 percent from three-point range. 

He has also been at his best of late with six straight games of 21 or more points and three double-doubles during that span. 

"I've always believed that KP hasn't played his best basketball yet," Cuban said. "Now you're seeing why we didn't trade him. He's a great player. He's a good dude. All of my experiences with him have been positive. So why would we do that? But that's NBA Twitter and that's Mavs Twitter. That's what they do. They're probably trying to trade Luka right now."

While the decision to hold onto Porzingis has proved fruitful to this point, the big question mark around the 26-year-old is always health after he missed the 2018-19 campaign, played 57 games in 2019-20 and appeared in 43 games in 2020-21.

Porzingis has missed five games this season due to lower back tightness but told Medina he is experiencing "no limitations" at this point.

That is welcome news for the Mavericks, who will look to parlay his impressive play into a deeper playoff run this season.         

The Dallas Mavericks plan to retire Dirk Nowitzki's No. 41 jersey Jan. 5 when they face the Golden State Warriors, according to NBA writer Marc Stein and Brad Townsend of the Dallas Morning News.

Per Townsend, an official announcement on the jersey retirement won't come until Friday. 

Nowitzki, 43, spent his entire 21-year career with the Dallas Mavericks after becoming the No. 9 overall pick in 1998. It proved to be a fruitful relationship.

Nowitzki was a 14-time All-Star, four-time first-team All-NBA selection, the 2006-07 league MVP and the 2010-11 Finals MVP after leading Dallas to its first NBA championship over LeBron James' Miami Heat. 

He led the Mavericks to two NBA Finals appearances and is widely considered the greatest player in franchise history. He retired after the 2018-19 campaign, having averaged 20.7 points, 7.5 rebounds, 2.4 assists, a 47.1 field-goal percentage and a 38.0 three-point percentage in 1,522 games.

He also helped pioneer the modern game's stretch 4 role as one of the league's original power forwards who had the range to stretch defenses to the three-point line. He also helped grow the game overseas, becoming the most accomplished European-born player in NBA history.

Now, every team's scouting department is looking overseas for the next Nowitzki. That legacy is yet another piece of his first-ballot Hall of Fame-worthy resume. 

So there was never any doubt he would have his jersey retired in Dallas. The question was only when it would happen, and the answer appears to be soon. 

The streaking Phoenix Suns stayed hot Wednesday, earning their 10th consecutive victory with a 105-98 win over the Dallas Mavericks at home. It's their first 10-game win streak since 2010

Devin Booker had 24 points to lead the way for Phoenix, which has the fourth-ranked offense in the NBA. The Suns improved to 11-3 with the victory.

Devin Booker. Clutch in the fourth quarter 🔥 https://t.co/K5XPlwgiaG

— NBA TV (@NBATV) November 18, 2021

The Mavericks, who entered the game having won five of their last six games, fell to 9-5. Tim Hardaway Jr. had a team-high 22 points and Kristaps Porzingis added 21.

Star point guard Luka Doncic sat out for Dallas as he nursed left ankle and knee sprains suffered in Monday's game against the Denver Nuggets.

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Notable Player Stats

G Devin Booker, PHX: 24 points, 9 rebounds

C Deandre Ayton, PHX: 19 points, 13 rebounds

G Chris Paul: 7 points (2-for-12 FG), 14 assists

G Tim Hardaway Jr., DAL: 22 points

F Kristaps Porzingis, DAL: 21 points

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Suns Wake Up in Fourth Quarter

It took a while for Phoenix to get going, but the defending Western Conference champion showed its resiliency in the fourth quarter.

The Suns had struggled from three-point range through the first three quarters, making just eight of their 31 attempts (25.8 percent). They fell behind by as many as eight points in the third quarter. Things turned around in the final frame as Phoenix went 5-for-8 from three in the fourth.

Two Cam Johnson 3-point attempts.

Two Cam Johnson makes.

Suns back within 1

— Gerald Bourguet (@GeraldBourguet) November 18, 2021

Chris Paul struggled all night, starting 0-for-9 from the field. But he continued orchestrating the offense with seven of his 14 assists coming in the fourth quarter, including this beauty to Deandre Ayton.

JUST... HOW?! pic.twitter.com/mnKdQ5KRJb

— Phoenix Suns (@Suns) November 18, 2021

The game was tied at 96 with two and a half minutes left, but the Suns closed the game on a 9-2 run to secure the win.

Phoenix had the luxury of facing a Dallas team that was without its closer in Doncic. A fourth quarter surge is great, but the Suns would have had an easier time had they started the game with the same focus and efficiency.

Still, a comeback win is something Phoenix can build on going forward. The team showed grit and toughness to put away the scrappy Mavericks. With this 10-game win streak, the Suns are showing that last year's trip to the NBA Finals was no fluke and they are still among the top teams in the West.

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Mavericks' Three-Point Shooting Keeps Them in the Game

With Doncic out of the lineup, the Mavericks needed their role players to produce on Wednesday, and they did just that. Thanks to some efficient shooting from beyond the arc, Dallas kept the game close and even had Phoenix against the ropes at times.

THJ is heatin' up 🔥@dallasmavs | #MFFL | @T_HardJR pic.twitter.com/LEbmga0EPq

— FanDuel Sports Network Southwest (@FanDuelSN_SW) November 18, 2021

3-ball, corner pocket 🎱 pic.twitter.com/Dk3vEvjikM

— Dallas Mavericks (@dallasmavs) November 18, 2021

👑 FRANKI3 🇫🇷 pic.twitter.com/zB8YTulb6a

— Dallas Mavericks (@dallasmavs) November 18, 2021

Dallas shot 8-for-17 from three-point range in the first half. A hot start to the third quarter helped the Mavericks build an eight-point lead before the Suns closed the gap. The Mavs went 7-for-11 from deep in the third quarter alone.

Frank Ntilikina (13 points) and Trey Burke (10 points) were surprising contributors and combined to shoot 5-for-5 from beyond the arc.

Frank is applying 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗲 👑 pic.twitter.com/MEbDoK34OK

— Dallas Mavericks (@dallasmavs) November 18, 2021

Mavericks are shooting 13-of-45 (28.8%) on 2s but 15-of-28 (53.6%) on 3s.

That's enough to be up 5 at the moment. Check back in on those numbers for the 4th.

— Kellan Olson (@KellanOlson) November 18, 2021

But the Suns ran the Mavericks off the line in the fourth quarter, allowing just four three-point attempts and Dallas connected on just one of those shots. The Mavericks were outscored 37-25 in the final period.

It can't be expected that the Mavericks will shoot 50 percent from three-point land every night, but Wednesday's performance should be a confidence booster for the team's role players. If Dallas can continue to get contributions from players not named Doncic or Porzingis, it would take the pressure off the two top stars and open up the flow of the offense.

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What's Next?

The Suns will go for their 11th straight win Friday in a rematch against the Mavericks, who will be looking to bounce back and put an end to their streak.

Dallas Mavericks star Luka Doncic's ankle injury is "not too serious," though he is still likely to miss some time, according to Tim MacMahon of ESPN.

That news comes after Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium reported testing showed no damage to Doncic's left ankle and knee.

Doncic suffered the ankle injury in the final minute of Monday's win over the Denver Nuggets but was able to walk off the court under his own power.

Despite Monday's injury, the Slovenian has been fairly durable during the early portion of his career while establishing himself as one of the best players in the league.

The 22-year-old was a member of the All-NBA first team last season while averaging 27.7 points, 8.6 assists and 8.0 rebounds per game and has followed with 24.9 points, 7.9 assists and 8.3 rebounds and per game so far in 2021-22.

Few players in the NBA can impact the game in as many ways as the 6'7" point guard, who can hit from the outside, facilitate when defenders collapse on him, get to the rim when lanes open up and contribute on the glass even from the backcourt.

Doncic is the primary reason the Mavericks (9-4) have legitimate hopes to make a deep run in the Western Conference playoffs. They will likely turn toward the combination of Jalen Brunson and Frank Ntilikina for more playing time if he is sidelined.

Dallas Mavericks star Luka Doncic suffered a left ankle injury with 44 seconds remaining in Monday's victory over the Denver Nuggets.

Tim MacMahon of ESPN noted Nuggets guard Austin Rivers fell on Doncic's leg as Dallas' go-to playmaker attempted to defend a layup attempt.

"Luka walked off on his own power," Dallas head coach Jason Kidd said. "I think he got rolled up on his lower left leg, so we'll see how he feels tomorrow."

Doncic dealt with a neck injury during the Mavericks' loss to the Los Angeles Clippers in Game 4 of their first-round playoff series last season but played at least 61 games in each of his first three campaigns in the league.

When healthy, he is on the short list of the best players in the NBA.

He averaged 27.7 points, 8.6 assists and 8.0 rebounds per game while shooting 47.9 percent from the field and 35.0 percent from three-point range during the 2020-21 campaign. His ability to hit from the outside, find angles to exploit when driving the lane, overpower smaller defenders, set up his teammates and battle for boards from the backcourt stands out.

Doncic has followed with 25.1 points, 8.3 rebounds and 7.7 assists per game in 2021-22.

Frankly, the Mavericks likely don't have much of a realistic chance to compete against the league's best teams without him on the floor.

Look for them to turn toward Jalen Brunson and Frank Ntilikina at point guard if Doncic is sidelined.