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Dallas Mavericks superstar Luka Doncic said he's enjoyed the verbal exchanges with the Phoenix Suns throughout the teams' second-round playoff series.

"I like when people trash talk to me," Doncic told reporters after the Mavs' 113-86 win Thursday night to force a Game 7. "It gets me going. It's fun."

The comments come after Suns guard Devin Booker stayed down for several seconds after being fouled in Game 5 on Tuesday before calling the act, "the Luka special."

Doncic took heat after a Game 5 performance where here finished with more turnovers (four) than assists (two) in a 110-80 Phoenix victory.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dEOlWIcXXXA?

The three-time All-Star bounced back in a major way Thursday. He tallied 33 points, 11 rebounds, eight assists, four steals and just one turnover in 35 minutes as Dallas scored a 113-86 win to level the series at three games apiece.

It continued a trend of Doncic putting on a show in elimination games, per ESPN's Marc J. Spears:

A win in Game 7 in Phoenix will have an impact on several career storylines depending on the result… Meanwhile, @luka7doncic is a problem. @ESPNStatsInfo pic.twitter.com/O8D0YOusAo

— Marc J. Spears (@MarcJSpears) May 13, 2022

The 23-year-old Slovenian sensation isn't worried about his own numbers, though.

"I don't care about stats as long as we win," Doncic said. "If we win, I'm good. The statistics don't really matter to me, but if we win, it's going to be amazing. I think we won this game on the defensive end, and we've got another game."

Mavs head coach Jason Kidd was happy with his point guard's bounce-back outing.

"Elimination is I guess the word that you guys use, but it's just another game for us on this journey, and our journey is to win a championship," Kidd said. "Sometimes it ends early, sometimes you're able to play until June. I think he just enjoys the moment. He's not afraid of the stage."

Another standout showing from Doncic would go a long way in helping the Mavericks upset the top-seeded Suns, who owned the NBA's best record at 64-18 during the regular season.

If Dallas is going to make that happen, it'll have to buck the trend of all six games in the series being won by the home team.

The series returns to the Footprint Center in Phoenix for Game 7 on Sunday.

The Dallas Mavericks kept their season alive with a 113-86 win over the Phoenix Suns in Game 6 of the Western Conference Semifinals on Thursday, and it was largely thanks to the bully-ball played by star point guard Luka Doncic.

The 23-year-old dissected the Suns defense to finish with 33 points, 11 rebounds, eight assists and four steals. With Doncic leading the charge, the Mavericks shot a scorching 41 percent from three-point range.

Doncic wasn't only praised for his production on Thursday, but also his attitude when facing potential elimination.

Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young, who is forever tied to Doncic after they were traded for each other in the 2018 NBA draft, couldn't help but to be among the many people who admired the energy Doncic played with to help his team live to fight another day.

Luka backing that Talk up!!!
He cookin these dudes😂

— Trae Young (@TheTraeYoung) May 13, 2022

Luka wants all the smoke.
He wants the iso with Bridges, CP3, Crowder, everyone. Nobody can check him

Hope G7 is a good one

— Jason McIntyre (@jasonrmcintyre) May 13, 2022

Luka Is Playing How You Should Play Facing Elimination… I’ll Route For Guys Like That💯

— Maxx Crosby (@CrosbyMaxx) May 13, 2022

Luka. Playing angry, and dominating.

— Mike Leslie (@MikeLeslieWFAA) May 13, 2022

Luka is bullying every single player that matches up with him in the most disrespectful way he can come up with.

— 🦖 Black Big Lebowski 🦖 (@LaJethroJenkins) May 13, 2022

Luka numbers 📈 pic.twitter.com/EMLuZa2sGW

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) May 13, 2022

Luka Dončić has his 5th playoff game with 30 points, 10 rebounds, and 5 assists, breaking a tie with Dirk Nowitzki for the most in Mavs postseason history.

Nowitzki's 4 games came across 145 games in his playoff career; Luka needed just 22 to pass him. pic.twitter.com/L6pkQ151p1

— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) May 13, 2022

https://twitter.com/bobbykaralla/status/1524961566457831428

The Luka Special pic.twitter.com/7AXAYKPvxu

— Jason Gallagher (@jga41agher) May 13, 2022

Luka Doncic took the ball from Chris Paul on one end and then backed him down for a bucket on the other. Get ready for Game 7.

— Tim MacMahon (@espn_macmahon) May 13, 2022

I’m not betting against Luka in Game 7.

— Mark Gunnels (@MarkAGunnels) May 13, 2022

Facing the top-seeded Suns, the Mavericks weren't expected to put up this much of a fight. Game 7 will be in Phoenix, and Dallas has struggled away from home in this series. But the team has an ace in its pocket in Doncic.

The last time Doncic was faced with a Game 7, he poured in 46 points and 14 assists. It can be expected that he will be locked in once again in another win-or-go-home scenario.

Dallas has the chance to pull off the biggest upset of this year's playoffs. Doncic will have to be at his absolute best if the Mavericks hope to advance to the Western Conference Finals for the first time since the team's 2011 championship run.

The Memphis Grizzlies continue to rack up awards after tying a franchise record with 56 wins during the 2021-22 season.

The NBA announced on Thursday that Grizzlies general manager Zach Kleiman has been named Executive of the Year. 

NBA team basketball executives have selected Memphis Grizzlies Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations and General Manager Zach Kleiman as the winner of the 2021-22 NBA Basketball Executive of the Year Award, the NBA announced today.

More ➡️ https://t.co/XbxgH6RXZ2 pic.twitter.com/innXghwI5m

— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) May 12, 2022

Kleiman received 16 out of 29 first-place votes and had 85 total points. Koby Altman of the Cleveland Cavaliers and Arteras Karnisovas of the Chicago Bulls tied for second with 27 total points.

Phoenix Suns general manager James Jones and Miami Heat president Pat Riley were the only other executives who received at least three first-place votes. 

Brad Stevens of the Boston Celtics, Masai Ujiri of the Toronto Raptors, Jon Horst of the Milwaukee Bucks and Sachin Gupta of the Minnesota Timberwolves all received one first-place vote. 

Grizzlies star Ja Morant was awarded by the NBA as the Most Improved Player for the 2021-22 season. The third-year point guard was named to his first All-Star team and averaged 27.4 points per game on 49.3 percent shooting in 57 games during the regular season. 

Kleiman is the second Grizzlies executive to win this award. Jerry West previously took home the honor during the 2003-04 season after Memphis won 50 games and made the playoffs for the first time in franchise history. 

Memphis won its first division title in franchise history this season. Kleiman has been with the organization since 2015. He was named executive vice president of basketball operations in April 2019. 

Morant was Kleiman's first draft pick (No. 2 overall) for the Grizzlies after his promotion. He also traded away franchise icons Mike Conley Jr. and Marc Gasol in the summer of 2019 to start a long-term rebuild that has quickly paid off. They made the playoffs as the No. 8 seed in the Western Conference during the 2020-21 season. 

The Grizzlies posted the second-best record in the NBA this season (56-26). This was the first time they have won at least 50 games since 2014-15.     

The Dallas Mavericks were listed by an attorney's office as a party that could have prevented the sex trafficking of a teenage girl. 

Per Morgan Young of ABC KVUE in Austin, Texas, attorney Zeke Fortenberry listed the Mavs, American Airlines Center, Dallas Police Department and an Oklahoma City hotel where the 15-year-old girl was found as parties who could have prevented the situation. 

According to Paul Livengood of KVUE, eight people were arrested in Oklahoma City after a teenage girl who attended a Mavericks game on April 8 was found 10 days later. 

North Richland Hills police said the girl went to a restroom during the game but never returned to her seat. Young noted surveillance footage showed her leaving the arena with a man. 

The Mavs and American Airlines Center were listed because, according to Fortenberry, the man who left with the girl got into the game with a fake ticket he purchased from someone who is known by both organizations for selling counterfeit tickets.  

Three of the men arrested were charged with human trafficking and distribution of child pornography. One was charged with offering to engage in prostitution, and another was charged with second-degree rape. 

According to Young, the girl was found in an Oklahoma City hotel room by police after "her parents identified her through nude photos that had been posted online in sex advertisements."

Fortenberry told Young the girl's father told police at the Mavericks game his daughter was missing, but they told him to report it to the North Richland Hills Police since that's where the family lives. 

"Our intent is to put [these organizations] on notice that we’re pursuing claims against them for their negligence and other causes of action," Fortenberry said. 

The Texas Counter-Trafficking Initiative, a Houston-based anti-trafficking agency, helped to find the girl using facial-recognition technology. 

According to Young, Fortenberry has yet to hear from any of the parties named in the letter but he hopes to "within the next month, so the situation can be settled without a lawsuit."

Dallas Mavericks superstar Luka Doncic was criticized for his offensive approach in Game 5 of the team's second-round playoff series against the Phoenix Suns, a 110-80 blowout loss.

Doncic finished Tuesday night's game with 28 points on 10-of-23 shooting with four turnovers and just two assists in 35 minutes. The road loss pushed the Mavs to the brink of elimination as they trail the Suns, 3-2.

Luka Doncic hasn’t thrown a single pass in several straight possessions. No way Mavs win this way.

— Andrew Perloff (@andrewperloff) May 11, 2022

Wonder if @luka7doncic knows how to pass? He’s no Jordan, yet he seems to take every shot.

— The Griff (@fuzzycardinal) May 11, 2022

The three-time All-Star dished out both of his assists in the first quarter. He didn't record another one over the final 36 minutes as Phoenix pulled away.

Doncic and backcourt running mate Jalen Brunson also combined to take 40 of the team's 71 field-goal attempts (56.3 percent).

Never seen a team pass less than the @dallasmavs in game 5. Apparently @luka7doncic and @jalenbrunson1 would prefer to play 5 on 2. #NOIinTEAM

— Hauns Peter (@HaunsPeter) May 11, 2022

In defense of the Dallas guards, their teammates weren't exactly lighting up the scoreboard when given the opportunity. The rest of the roster shot just 25.8 percent from the field (8 of 31).

It's somewhat of a catch-22, however, because an argument could be made it's hard to find a rhythm as a shooter without getting consistent touches at the offensive end.

Here's a look at some other reaction to Doncic's decisions running the offense in Game 5:

https://twitter.com/NBA_Grizwald/status/1524255558760603648

Luka Doncic taking a contensted step-back three after holding the ball for multiple seconds and being the only one who touches it on offense wont win this game. Just saying. #DALvsPHX

— Stefan Schröder (@RealStefanS) May 11, 2022

Dallas gonna lose this game because Doncic making poor shot choices whole night and will not pass the ball no matter how many times he screws up a possession by waiting until the shot clock is down forcing himself into other poor shot choices

— Jason (@Bionicmansoccer) May 11, 2022

Assuming you were talented enough to play in the NBA, would you want to play with Luka Doncic and touch the ball on offense twice a quarter? One of those times you have to pass it right back to him.

— Todd McKim (@toddmckimsports) May 11, 2022

https://twitter.com/CollectingCorn/status/1524228899802165249

Luka Doncic don’t need help he needs to pass the ball

— fin (@1finney) May 11, 2022

@luka7doncic dude you gotta 4 other guys on the floor.. Pass the ball! #NBAPlayoffs #NBA

— Chris Bean (@kingbell7777) May 11, 2022

Doncic is usually a far more willing distributor. He averaged 8.7 assists during the regular season, which ranked fifth in the NBA, and tallied 35 dimes through the series' first four games.

Regardless of where the blame lies for the Game 5 clunker, the Mavericks will hope their offense bounces back in a major way as they try to forge a comeback to advance.

Game 6 is scheduled for Thursday at 9:30 p.m. ET on ESPN. So far the home team has won every game in the series, and Dallas will attempt to keep that trend alive.

After Dallas Mavericks forward Marquese Chriss and Phoenix Suns center Bismack Biyombo were both ejected late in Game 5 of the second-round playoff series between the Mavs and Suns on Tuesday night, Chriss followed Biyombo into the tunnel.

According to ESPN's Dave McMenamin, security staff members and Mavericks center Boban Marjanovic retrieved Chriss from the tunnel to ensure no further incident took place.

Marquese Chriss and Bismack Biyombo almost went at it in the locker room hallway 😳 https://t.co/erLrolsXcO

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) May 11, 2022

The on-court confrontation between Chriss and Biyombo occurred with just 2.3 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter and Phoenix leading by 28 in a game it won 110-80.

After Chriss fouled Biyombo on a lob attempt, Biyombo walked toward Chriss and Chriss pushed Biyombo's arm away, leading to a stare-down that was broken up by officials.

While Biyombo left the court through the Suns' tunnel, Chriss decided against leaving through the visitors' tunnel and followed Biyombo instead.

Tensions and emotions were seemingly running high in a one-sided affair that saw the top-seeded Suns take a 3-2 series lead over the No. 4 Mavs.

Also, Chriss was playing in a building he called home for the first two years of his career when he was a member of the Suns, which may have been a case of familiarity breeding contempt.

Now, the series will head back to Dallas for Game 6 on Thursday for what will be a must-win situation for the Mavs.

If Dallas is unable to bounce back with a win in Game 6, it will send the Suns to the Western Conference Finals for the second consecutive season.

Memphis Grizzlies star Ja Morant is expected to miss the remainder of the 2022 NBA playoffs with a knee injury, the team announced Tuesday.

That said, he is expected to make a full recovery. 

Morant was absent for Memphis' Game 4 loss to the Golden State Warriors because of a right knee injury. The injury happened in Game 3, potentially when Jordan Poole caught Morant's knee while going for a loose ball.

Ja was frustrated after an apparent injury on this play.

Hope he's okay 🙏 https://t.co/aXt1GNFkSQ

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) May 8, 2022

However, Morant may have initially hurt the same knee after contesting Klay Thompson's three-point attempt and making contact with him in the third quarter.

This appeared to be the play where Ja Morant actually injured his knee, bumping Klay Thompson on the shot contest.pic.twitter.com/qp8en3k08I

— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) May 8, 2022

Regardless of the mechanism of injury, the Grizzlies lost 101-98 on Monday night to fall behind Golden State 3-1 in the Western Conference semifinals with their best player out. Given the Warriors' slim margin of victory, it's fair to argue Memphis could've evened things up if it had been at full strength.

Now, Taylor Jenkins' squad truly faces an uphill battle against the Warriors with Morant absent. Reeling off three straight wins will be no easy feat, and it becomes nearly impossible with the reigning Most Improved Player sidelined.

Morant was excellent in the regular season, averaging 27.4 points, 6.7 assists and 5.7 rebounds, and his performance in the playoffs has been just as good.

Thanks in part to the injury to the 2022 All-Star, though, a great season for the Grizzlies might be heading toward a disappointing outcome. 

San Antonio Spurs chairman Peter J. Holt released a statement Tuesday saying the NBA franchise is "here to stay" despite rumors about potential relocation.

The Spurs posted Holt's full comments on Twitter:

A letter to San Antonio from Peter J. Holt pic.twitter.com/mj7k22Akoy

— San Antonio Spurs (@spurs) May 10, 2022

Last week, officials in Texas' Bexar County granted the Spurs an expansion on the number of games it can host outside its home arena, which is set to go through a name change ahead of the 2022-23 season, from two to four.

County Judge Nelson Wolff said during the meeting the narrow success of the vote, 3-2, showed there was concern and requested further information from team ownership, per KSAT's Garrett Brnger.

"That's not a good sign. Alright?" Wolff said. "It shows you that there's a divided opinion in this community as to the intention of the Spurs, that there's a lot of concern about just what the heck you're doing."

Wolff wrote on Twitter he now has "full confidence" in the Spurs' future based on the "heartfelt statement" from Holt.

The previously named AT&T Center was also part of the concern after the telecommunications giant opted against extending its naming rights agreement.

Team CEO R.C. Buford maintained the Spurs were "committed" to the city while also trying to expand their reach beyond the U.S.' 31st-ranked media market, per Scott Huddleston of San Antonio Express-News.

"We are committed to finding new, creative ways to purposefully engage and celebrate our fans from Mexico to Austin, continuing to expand our regional fanbase," Buford said.

The Spurs are looking at the possibility of playing "home" games in Austin, Mexico City and San Antonio's famed Alamodome in 2022-23, according to Huddleston.

One goal is to avoid the "rodeo road trip," which often forces the franchise away from its home arena for much of February during the San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo.

The Spurs franchise, which began as the Dallas Chaparrals in 1967, has resided in San Antonio since 1973 and joined the NBA in 1976.

Their five NBA championships rank fifth in league history behind only the Los Angeles Lakers (17), Boston Celtics (17), Chicago Bulls (six) and Golden State Warriors (six). All of those titles have come since 1999.

The Dallas Mavericks released a statement after fans allegedly harassed Phoenix Suns guard Chris Paul's family during Sunday's game at American Airlines Center.

Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium shared the statement which explained the two "unruly" fans are banned from the arena until 2023 because they "attempted to give unwanted hugs and have conversations with members of the Paul family."

Statement from the Dallas Mavericks on the incident involving Chris Paul’s family and fans. Two fans, who gave unwanted hugs to Paul’s family, will be banned from American Airlines Center until 2023: pic.twitter.com/tDTVcD36uU

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) May 9, 2022

The incident first made national headlines when Paul tweeted after the game: "Wanna fine players for saying stuff to the fans but the fans can put they hands on our families… .f--k that!!"

ESPN's Dave McMenamin reported several of the point guard's family members were "harassed and physically contacted," which left them feeling "very unsafe."

According to McMenamin's report, a fan physically contacted Paul's mother, Robin, and someone pushed his wife, Jada. Someone also reportedly followed Jada up the aisle when she left her seat that was located behind the Suns' bench.

The Mavericks released a statement following Paul's tweet that said: "The Dallas Mavericks are aware of an incident between a fan and the family of Chris Paul. It was unacceptable behavior and will not be tolerated. The Mavericks, along with American Airlines Center, swiftly removed the fan from today's game."

It's not the first incident in this series to turn heads, as Dallas star Luka Doncic was held back from a spectator in Phoenix:       

Luka had to be held back after getting into with a Suns fan 👀 https://t.co/8hS36zR7KC

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) May 5, 2022

Paul's family were subject to the unwanted contact during Game 4, which the Mavericks won 111-101 to even the series at two apiece. The future Hall of Famer played just 23 minutes before he fouled out with five points, seven assists and five rebounds.

He also struggled in the Mavericks' Game 3 win with seven turnovers.

The home team has won every game in this series to this point, and it returns to Phoenix's Footprint Center for a critical Game 5 on Tuesday.      

Dallas Mavericks guard Jalen Brunson is in the middle of a well-timed playoff breakthrough ahead of free agency, but the only NBA team he has ever known reportedly plans on keeping him.

Marc Berman of the New York Post cited a source who spoke to Mavericks governor Mark Cuban and said he would be "shocked" if Dallas didn't re-sign the Villanova product.

This is just the latest evidence the Mavericks are going to do what they can to keep Brunson in the fold.

Tim MacMahon of ESPN reported they have "no intention of cooperating in potential sign-and-trade scenarios" while also explaining they have the guard's Bird rights that would allow them to offer him a five-year deal compared to four-year ones other teams can offer.

A significant raise is surely in order considering he is making $1.8 million this season. MacMahon noted scouts and executives believe he could make up to $25 million annually with his next deal. 

Yet Brunson isn't thinking about the upcoming payday and is instead focused on the postseason.

"Not at all. Not at all. I promise you," he said. "My dad, we'll joke about it, but [my family knows] that I don't want to talk about it until the season's over. That's really not going to help me right now. ... I know it's a weird situation. People don't believe that I don't talk about it, but it's not a topic of conversation until I guess we get there."

Focusing on basketball has worked out well these playoffs.

He carried Dallas when Luka Doncic was sidelined for some of its first-round series against the Utah Jazz with 41 and 31 points in back-to-back showings in Games 2 and 3. The Mavericks won both of those games after dropping the opener, which cleared the way for Doncic to return and help clinch the series.

Brunson is averaging 23.5 points, 4.6 rebounds and 3.9 assists through 10 playoff games to this point and has played important defense on Chris Paul at times in the second round.

If he can continue playing at such a high level and the Mavericks advance past the top-seeded Phoenix Suns after splitting the first four contests, an even bigger contract may be ahead this offseason.