DALLAS – 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.

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

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It was a short-handed Southwestern Division matchup between the Dallas Mavericks and New Orleans Pelicans, as Luka Doncic, Kyrie Irving, Dereck Lively II, Zion Williamson, Brandon Ingram, and Herb Jones were among the key players out on both sides.

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The Dallas Mavericks hosted the Denver Nuggets on Sunday afternoon, the first of two straight home games against the Nuggets. Dallas is still down their two biggest stars as Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic recover from injuries, but Denver got Aaron Gordon back for this game after missing the last nine games with a calf strain.

Jan 12, 2025; Dallas, Texas, USA; Denver Nuggets guard Jamal Murray (27) brings the ball up court against the Dallas Mavericks during the second half at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images / Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

It’s hard to figure out just how good the Mavericks are at the midway point of the season given the litany of injuries to their key players.