The Dallas Mavericks lost their third consecutive game on Wednesday night to the last-place team in the NBA’s Western Conference New Orleans Pelicans 119-116. The nature of the defeat is what drew attention, however.

The Oklahoma City Thunder fell behind by 20 points at halftime, then started the second half on a 26-to-6 run to get back in it, before losing at Dallas 106-98 on Friday night at the American Airlines Center.

Heads back to bench

Dinwiddie posted 16 points (4-13 FG, 0-3 3Pt, 8-10 FT), four rebounds, 10 assists and one steal over 39 minutes during Sunday's 112-101 loss to Denver.

The Denver Nuggets and the Dallas Mavericks opened a two-game mini-series on Tuesday. Denver and Dallas are 1-1 in the season series, so the winner gets the advantage.

Nikola Jokic posted his league-leading 17th triple-double of the season, bundling 24 points with 12 rebounds and 10 assists in the Denver Nuggets' 133-113 road win over the Miami Heat on Friday night.

The Oklahoma City Thunder lost 106-98 against the Dallas Mavericks Friday night. Oklahoma City trailed by 20 at halftime and managed to take a two-point third-q

Both Dallas and OKC were missing MVP candidates on Friday night, but the Mavericks were able to get a much-needed victory.

Rookie Stephon Castle impressed with 20 points of his own for San Antonio. Devin Vassell chipped in 21 while Victor Wembanyama had 19 points, 12 boards and six blocks. The team falls to 19-21 on the season and have now lost five of their last six games.

Kyrie Irving scored 25 points, Spencer Dinwiddie and P.J. Washington Jr. added 16 apiece and the Dallas Mavericks beat Oklahoma City 106-98 Friday night as Thunder All-Star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander missed his first game of the season.

That decision forced the Thunder to stick close to the Mavericks' role players throughout the first quarter. Once Washington scored the first five points, Irving asserted himself and drained a 3-pointer before finishing at the basket with a finger roll to give the Mavericks an early 10-0 lead.

The Oklahoma City Thunder suffered a 106-98 loss to the Dallas Mavericks. The rare defeat had plenty of caveats for both sides. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was a late scratch with a wrist sprain. He joined Chet Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein in street clothes. Dallas was without Luka Doncic and Dereck Lively II.