Luka Doncic

The Dallas Mavericks defeated the Atlanta Hawks 103-94 on Sunday at American Airlines Center to move to 31-23 on the season. The win comes after the team mounted a 16-point comeback to defeat the Philadelphia 76ers 107-98 on Friday.

Sunday's win was another massive one for Dallas as both Luka Doncic and Jalen Brunson were limited in the second half after racking up five fouls each. Despite being limited, Doncic still finished with a triple-double, and the bench was particularly impressive in what has been a phenomenal week for the Mavs.

Dallas is continuing to make a statement in the Western Conference, sitting in fifth place behind the Phoenix Suns, Golden State Warriors, Memphis Grizzlies and the Utah Jazz.

Doncic has been on a tear, and he continues to be a significant reason Dallas continues to rise in the standings. His performance in Sunday's game was nothing short of impressive, especially with Kristaps Porzingis, Tim Hardaway Jr., Sterling Brown and Maxi Kleber out due to injuries.

Notable Stats

Luka Doncic, PG, DAL: 18 PTS, 10 REB, 11 AST, 1 STL

Trae Young, PG, ATL: 17 PTS, 2 REB, 11 AST

Jalen Brunson, PG, DAL: 22 PTS, 5 REB, 5 AST, 1 STL

John Collins, PF, ATL: 22 PTS, 18 REB, 1 AST, 1 STL

Reggie Bullock, SF, DAL: 22 PTS, 9 REB, 2 AST,  2 STL

De'Andre Hunter, SF, ATL: 14 PTS, 6 REB, 2 AST

Mavericks Depth Tested

Doncic and Brunson found themselves in foul trouble in the second half, so Mavs head coach Jason Kidd opted to bench and then rotate the two until the end of the fourth quarter when he put both players back on the floor to close out the game.

With Doncic and Brunson limited, the Dallas bench was tested against the high-scoring Hawks, and it did an impressive job of keeping the team in it until the very end.

Josh Green, Trey Burke and Marquese Chriss combined for 18 points, 13 rebounds and two assists in the win. They also played lockdown defense down the stretch, though that should come as no surprise.

The Mavericks entered Sunday's game with the fifth-best defensive rating in the NBA, per NBA.com, and they held Atlanta to just 94 points. In addition, they held Young to 0-of-6 shooting from deep.

It's also important to note that the Mavs were missing Porzingis, Hardaway, Brown and Kleber. That makes the performance of their bench that much more impressive and puts into context just how deep the team is.

If the Mavericks can continue getting more contributions out of unlikely players, such as Green, the team has a great chance of making it past the first round of the playoffs for the first time since 2011.

Trae Young, Hawks' Offense Struggles

The Hawks offense on Sunday night wasn't good, and that's putting it lightly.

Young, who has starred all season for the franchise, finished with just 17 points in what was his lowest scoring output since a Jan. 26 win over the Sacramento Kings, when he also had just 17 points.

Young also went 0-of-6 from deep, which is quite uncharacteristic for someone who entered the game making 37.8 percent of his shots from beyond the arc.

However, this is the second straight game Young has gone without a three-pointer, having gone 0-of-4 from deep against the Toronto Raptors on Friday. It marks the first time this season that he has been held scoreless from deep in two straight games.

In addition to Young, though, the entire Hawks offense struggled. The team made just 37 of 95 shots (38.9 percent) from the floor and five of 25 (20 percent) from deep.

To put those numbers into context, the Hawks entered Sunday's game with the second-best offense in the NBA, averaging 113.5 points per game. They were also making 37.6 of their shots from deep, the best in the league.

In addition, Atlanta hadn't scored less than 100 points since a 115-91 loss to the Miami Heat on Jan. 12.

With the second half of the season well underway and the trade deadline coming up Thursday, the Hawks could look to add some reinforcements to make a push for the playoffs.

However, it all starts with the team being better on offense. If the Hawks want to make another run to the Eastern Conference Finals, they'll need to be much more consistent moving forward. 

What's Next?

The Hawks will host the Indiana Pacers on Tuesday, while the Mavericks will host the Detroit Pistons.

The NBA announced the reserve selections for the 2022 All-Star Game between Team James and Team Durant on Thursday, with Luka Doncic, James Harden and Jimmy Butler among the prominent players added.

Here is a look at how the rosters for both conferences play out before Kevin Durant and LeBron James divvy up the players in the All-Star draft.

Western Conference Starters
Frontcourt: LeBron James, Andrew Wiggins, Nikola Jokic
Backcourt: Ja Morant, Stephen Curry

Western Conference Reserves
Frontcourt: Rudy Gobert, Karl-Anthony Towns, Draymond Green
Backcourt: Luka Doncic, Devin Booker, Chris Paul, Donovan Mitchell

Eastern Conference Starters
Frontcourt: Kevin Durant, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Joel Embiid
Backcourt: DeMar DeRozan, Trae Young

Eastern Conference Reserves
Frontcourt: Jayson Tatum, Khris Middleton, Jimmy Butler
Backcourt: James Harden, Zach LaVine, Darius Garland, Fred VanVleet

Notable Snubs

Eastern Conference: Jarrett Allen, LaMelo Ball

Western Conference: Dejounte Murray, Anthony Davis

While the teams will bear their names, it's unclear whether James or Durant will be on the court when the teams tip off Feb. 20 in Cleveland. James has been out of the lineup since Jan. 25 with swelling in his knee, and Durant has already been ruled out through the All-Star break.

Durant missed last year's All-Star Game as well with a hamstring injury, becoming the first captain to miss the exhibition since it moved to its new format. It's possible both teams this year will be captained by players who are physically unable to compete two weeks from now.

But with the game coming to Cleveland for the first time in James' career, it's hard to see him missing out on taking part in the spectacle.

If James winds up suiting up, he'll be doing so without a teammate for just the second time in the last decade. Anthony Davis was among the most surprising names left off the Western Conference list, thanks in large part due to Davis' extended absence due to injury and the Lakers' disappointing record.

Unless NBA Commissioner Adam Silver selects Davis as an injury replacement, he'll miss the game for the first time since 2013, his first NBA season. 

Durant is joined by teammate James Harden, who was selected for his 10th appearance. Harden has been the only consistent fixture in the lineup for Brooklyn with Durant missing time because of a knee injury and Kyrie Irving missing most of the season because he has refused to get the COVID-19 vaccine.

Zach LaVine joins teammate DeMar DeRozan for the East-leading Bulls, who have been one of the NBA's most surprising stories this season. 

By far the most surprising team of the 2021-22 season is the Cleveland Cavaliers, who enter Thursday only two games behind the Bulls in the standings. They're represented by point guard Darius Garland, who makes his first appearance, but they did not get a second selection in center Jarrett Allen. The big man has been a nightly double-double all season and might be first in line to replace Durant.

The biggest snub on the Western Conference side belongs to San Antonio Spurs guard Dejounte Murray, who has emerged as one of the best two-way guards in basketball. Murray is averaging 19.6 points, 9.1 assists, 8.5 rebounds and 2.0 steals per game while regularly locking down the opponent's top guard on defense.

It seems likely that Silver will select Murray as the replacement for Green, who announced Thursday that he would not participate in the All-Star Game because of a back injury. 

Joel Embiid's recent hot streak in real life has paid off for his overall rating in NBA 2K22. 

Per the latest update for the video game, the Philadelphia 76ers star has been given a one-point boost to 96 overall:

This season, the Sixers' superstar is averaging 29 points per game, 10.8 rebounds per game, 4.3 assists per game, and 1.4 blocks per game. Those numbers are already impressive, but when you consider what he's doing without Ben Simmons and Tobias Harris, who's been injured on and off this year, his numbers are even more jaw-dropping. Over his last 10 games, Embiid is scorching the opposition by averaging 35.2 points per game, while adding 11 rebounds per game. The former Kansas Jayhawk is seeing red right now and has more than earned this bump to his overall rating.

Other notable players who saw an increase in their overall rating include Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic (94 OVR, +1), Brooklyn Nets guard James Harden (91 OVR, +1) and Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (87 OVR, +1). 

The Sixers are currently sitting in fifth place in the Eastern Conference with a 29-19 record overall. They have won 13 of their past 16 games since a 98-96 loss to the Atlanta Hawks on Dec. 23. 

During this 16-game stretch, Embiid is averaging 34.1 points, 10.6 rebounds and 4.4 assists per contest. He has put himself squarely in the MVP discussion thanks to this recent hot streak. 

Embiid's 96 overall rating ties him with four other players, including LeBron James and Kevin Durant, for the second-best mark in the game. Giannis Antetokounmpo leads all players with a 97 OVR mark. 

Doncic is still trying to find his shooting form, but his ability to impact the game in other ways has made him a driving force behind the Mavs' recent surge. The 22-year-old is averaging 26.3 points, 10.6 rebounds and 8.0 assists per game in his past nine starts, despite shooting 42.5 percent from the field. 

Dallas has climbed up to fifth in the Western Conference with a 28-21 overall record. The team is 10-3 in the last 13 games Doncic has played. 

Harden, who missed Wednesday's game with a hamstring injury, has had an interesting season.

The nine-time All-Star is not playing at his MVP level, but he's looked better since Kevin Durant went down with a sprained MCL on Jan. 13. He nearly averaged a triple-double with 25.0 points, 11.5 assists and 8.3 rebounds per game in six starts from Jan. 15-25. 

It's not easy to get attention playing for the Oklahoma City Thunder right now, but Gilgeous-Alexander continues to solidify his status as a franchise player. The four-year veteran has put up 26.2 points, 6.8 assists and 5.0 rebounds in six games since the last update on Jan. 14. 

Like Doncic, Gilgeous-Alexander is still struggling to find consistency with his shot. He's only connecting on 42.4 percent of his field-goal attempts this season. The 23-year-old has to get better in that area, but there should be no other complaints with his game right now. 

This marks the sixth update to NBA 2K22 since the start of the regular season. The next update should be available in two weeks on Feb. 11. 

The New York Knicks got back to .500 with a 108-85 victory over the Dallas Mavericks at Madison Square Garden on Wednesday. RJ Barrett had 32 points as New York improved to 21-21.

Julius Randle added 17 points, 12 rebounds and eight assists. The Knicks now have an 11-11 record on their home floor. New York overcame the absences of veteran point guards Kemba Walker (knee) and Derrick Rose (ankle).

The Mavericks fell to 22-19 and had their six-game win streak come to an end. Luka Doncic led the team with 21 points and 11 rebounds in the loss.

Dallas was without head coach Jason Kidd and power forward Kristaps Porzingis, who are both in the NBA's health and safety protocols.

Notable Stats

G RJ Barrett, NYK: 32 points, 7 rebounds

C Mitchell Robinson, NYK: 19 points, 10 rebounds

F Julius Randle, NYK: 17 points, 12 rebounds, 8 assists

G Luka Doncic, DAL: 21 points (8-of-23 FG), 11 rebounds

Knicks Starters Shine in Victory

For much of the season, New York's starting five has struggled to find a rhythm together. That wasn't the case on Wednesday, as all of the starters scored in double figures for the Knicks.

New York did a great job of sharing the basketball early on with 13 assists on their 20 field goals in the first half.

The Knicks built a lead of as much as 25 in the second half thanks to some efficient play. New York attacked the rim relentlessly and shot 12-of-17 (70.6 percent) in the third quarter with only three of their field goal attempts coming from outside the three-point line.

Veteran guard Alec Burks was excellent in his role as distributor and finished with six assists. Randle made some nice passes on the interior and he also made good decisions on when to look for his own offense. Barrett was consistent from both inside and outside.

Mitchell Robinson had 19 points on 9-of-10 shooting with 10 rebounds. Evan Fournier added 13 and Burks finished with 10. The Knicks also played a relatively clean game, finishing with 24 assists against just eight turnovers.

New York has not had the first half of the season that it had hoped for, but this recent stretch is something to build on going forward. The Knicks have scored over 100 points in each of their last four wins. If New York continues to play like this, it will be in position to fight for a second consecutive trip to the postseason.

Dallas Doomed by Poor Shooting

The Mavericks had their opportunities on Wednesday but quite simply, they didn't make shots. Dallas shot a horrendous 8-of-37 (21.6 percent) from three-point range in the loss.

The peculiar thing about it is that the Mavericks ran good offense and consistently had good looks. Doncic and company used good ball movement to generate open shots for one another, but they just didn't connect.

Doncic shot 1-of-9 from beyond the arc. Swingmen Tim Hardaway Jr. (1-of-7) and Dorian Finney-Smith (0-of-4) didn't hit the shots they normally make. Maxi Kleber was second on the team behind Doncic with eight three-point attempts, but he only made three of them.

Dallas' defense also faltered against the Knicks. Wednesday's game was just the second time in their last seven contests that the Mavericks have allowed an opponent to score more than 100 points.

Dallas has shown the ability to shoot at an efficient rate, so Wednesday's dismal performance was likely an anomaly. But the Mavericks will have to find a way to adjust their game plan when their outside shots aren't falling. Instead of jacking up threes, the team would do better if it pushed the pace and attacked the basket.

What's Next?

The Knicks will enjoy a couple days of rest before traveling to face the Atlanta Hawks on Saturday. The Mavericks will remain on the road to take on the Memphis Grizzlies on Friday.

The Dallas Mavericks are starting to play like threats in the Western Conference.

Dallas defeated the Golden State Warriors 99-82 in Wednesday's showdown and potential playoff preview at American Airlines Center. It was the first of four matchups between the two teams this season.

Luka Doncic led the way for the victors, who improved to 20-18 on the campaign with their fourth straight win.

Stephen Curry struggled on the other end for the Warriors as they fell to 29-8 and saw their two-game winning streak come to an end.

Notable Player Stats

• Luka Doncic, G, DAL: 26 PTS, 8 AST, 7 REB, 2 STL
• Dorian Finney-Smith, F, DAL: 17 PTS, 9 REB, 2 BLK
• Jalen Brunson, G, DAL: 15 PTS, 4 AST, 2 REB
• Stephen Curry, G, GS: 14 PTS, 9 REB, 5 AST, 5-of-24 FG, 1-of-9 3PT
• Andrew Wiggins, F, GS: 17 PTS, 3 REB, 2 STL, 2 AST
• Gary Payton II, G, GS: 11 PTS, 11 REB, 3 AST, 2 STL

Luka, Team Defense Lead Way for Mavs

The Mavericks are trying to take the next step with Doncic and go from a team that makes the playoffs and loses in the first round to one that can challenge the top teams in the West for a deep run.

That meant this was something of a measuring-stick game against the conference-leading Warriors, and they wasted no time setting the tone by jumping out to a double-digit lead by halftime.

As expected, Doncic led the way by attacking the lane, drawing contact, battling for boards and facilitating when needed. It was far from a one-man show, though, as Jalen Brunson added secondary scoring and Tim Hardaway Jr. provided a spark off the bench with his outside shooting.

Even with all that, the Mavericks were most impressive on the defensive end with their collective effort on Curry, which prevented the two-time MVP from taking over like he so often does.

It was just a matter of time before No. 30 at least started scoring some, but the defense prevented his individual brilliance even when the Warriors came charging back in the third quarter. The Mavericks' biggest issue was finding scoring outside of Doncic with Kristaps Porzingis sidelined, especially when they went cold and allowed the visitors back into the game for the final quarter.

To the Mavericks' credit, they fought right back after giving up the lead and reestablished a double-digit advantage by the middle of the fourth quarter with Hardaway and Dorian Finney-Smith capitalizing on the openings created by Doncic. That was missing for a time in the third, but the spark, along with the continued defensive effort, helped the victors seize control for good.

Doncic is always going to stuff the stat sheet, but the Mavericks are far more dangerous when Hardaway and Finney-Smith are also hitting shots like they did as they pulled ahead. If they can play defense like they did against the formidable Warriors, they can continue climbing the standings.

Steph Struggles As Warriors Offense Falters

The scariest thing about Golden State entering play with the NBA's best record is Klay Thompson could return as soon as Sunday. That meant this game was another chance to send a message against a possible Western Conference playoff contender that this is the Warriors' title to lose.

So much for that.

The Warriors managed just 39 points in the first half with Curry missing all five of his three-point attempts and going just 1-of-10 from the field. It was partially a testament to the Mavericks' defensive effort, as the home team cut off his driving lanes, sent doubles his way and swarmed any potential open looks on the outside.

Draymond Green was also scoreless in the first half, and Golden State struggled with turnovers and failed to generate any type of rhythm with its two primary playmakers held in check.

That changed somewhat in the third quarter as Curry hit his first three and got to the basket multiple times, Gary Payton II impressed on the glass while still scoring some, and Andrew Wiggins played well for stretches. The Warriors even took the temporary lead and were well within striking distance heading to the fourth.

Still, Golden State fell behind once again in that final quarter and continued to struggle on the offensive end.

Curry never got going like he typically does, which marked the second straight game after he shot just 1-of-10 from deep in a win over the Miami Heat. One particularly poor turnover undercut a last comeback attempt in the final minutes, although it surely won't take him long to rediscover his greatness even after two bad shooting games.

What's Next?

Both teams are on the road for their next game when the Warriors face the New Orleans Pelicans on Thursday and the Mavericks play the Houston Rockets on Friday.

Dallas Mavericks star Luka Doncic reportedly won't travel with the team for Saturday's Christmas Day road game against the Utah Jazz.

NBA insider Marc Stein reported Friday the two-time All-Star remains in the NBA's COVID-19 health and safety protocols.

Doncic has experienced ankle issues throughout the 2021-22 season and has missed 10 games in total this year, which isn't great for the Mavericks. 

The 22-year-old is the Mavs' most important player as he's averaging 25.6 points, 8.5 assists and 8.0 rebounds per game on 44.7 percent shooting from the floor and 32.6 percent shooting from deep in 21 games this season. 

Dallas will always struggle to replace Doncic's production. Kristaps Porzingis is heavily relied on to handle the scoring load as he's averaging 19.4 points on 43.8 percent shooting in 22 games this season. 

Jalen Brunson and Frank Ntilikina will likely take care of ball-handling duties while Doncic is sidelined. However, neither player can replace the Slovenian.

The Mavericks are 15-16 this season, seventh place in the Western Conference. They'll need Doncic to be healthy moving forward if they want to compete with the top teams in the West. 

The Dallas Mavericks announced Luka Doncic entered the NBA's health and safety protocols.

As a result, the two-time All-Star will be out for Thursday's game against the Milwaukee Bucks. He has already missed Dallas' last five games because of an ankle injury, with the Mavs going 3-2 over that span.

Teams around the NBA are struggling to have enough players active amid the surge in positive COVID-19 cases due to the omicron variant. On Wednesday, the NBA postponed two more games because the Toronto Raptors and Brooklyn Nets fell below the eight-player threshold.

Despite the difficulties posed by the present situation, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver told ESPN's Malika Andrews on Tuesday that the league isn't going to enter a temporary pause:

As a result, the Mavericks will have to continue forging ahead without their best player. The NBA could be without another of its biggest stars for Christmas, with Trae Young of the Atlanta Hawks possibly missing out on the noon ET game at the New York Knicks before the Mavs are slated to play at the Utah Jazz at 10:30.

Doncic is averaging 25.6 points, 8.0 rebounds and 8.5 assists. Wednesday's news is another setback in a season when off-court stories have overshadowed his performance on it.

The 22-year-old's absence will force Jalen Brunson to take over as Dallas' lead playmaker. The 6'1" guard is dishing out 5.2 assists per game, second-best on the team, and averaging 15.3 points.

Dallas Mavericks forward Kristaps Porzingis is one of a number of players who will miss Tuesday's game against the Minnesota Timberwolves.

According to Mark Medina of NBA.com, Porzingis will be sidelined with right toe soreness.

What's more, Luka Doncic is out with a sore left ankle, and Reggie Bullock, Tim Hardaway Jr, Josh Green and Maxi Kleber are all in the league's health and safety protocols. 

Porzingis was forced to leave Sunday's game against the Timberwolves with what was later described as toe soreness.

The 26-year-old has also missed time this season because of a knee contusion, ankle sprain and low back tightness.

Injuries have long been an issue for Porzingis, who hasn't played more than 60 games in a season since 2016-17 with the New York Knicks. He tore his ACL the next season and has been in and out of the lineup over the past three years with the Mavericks.

Knee, ankle and back issues limited him to just 43 games in 2020-21.

Porzingis remains an impact player when on the floor, averaging 19.4 points, 7.9 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per game in 2021-22. The production is still likely less than Dallas was expecting when he was signed to a five-year, $158 million contract extension.

Dwight Powell should see more minutes with Porzingis dealing with the latest injury.