Trey Murphy reveals Naji Marshall’s playful text following the controversial ending to the Pelicans' 119-116 win over the Mavericks.

Jason Kidd went with an unorthodox starting lineup in an attempt to end a season-long four-game losing streak. The Dallas Mavericks coach inserted Naji Marshall as the primary ball handler in the first unit and did not start any of his traditional point guards.

Marshall won't start in Friday's game against the Thunder, Mike Curtis of The Dallas Morning News reports. Marshall is retreating to Dallas' bench with Kyrie Irving back in the lineup. Over his last six games, Marshall is averaging 11.3 points, 4.2 assists, 3.8 rebounds, 1.3 steals and 1.0 threes in 28.4 minutes.

There's no doubt that the Mavericks are proving to be a legitimate contender in the Western Conference, when their superstar trio is healthy.

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

The Dallas Mavericks returned home to host the Oklahoma City Thunder in a one-game tilt at the American Airlines Center on Friday night. The Mavericks narrowly defeated the Thunder 106-98 in regulation.

Marshall has seen a boost in minutes with Luka Doncic on the mend and is coming off a decent performance in the win over the Trail Blazers. The 26-year-old has scored in double digits in two of the last three games, with Dallas needing to continue to lean on him until Doncic returns.

After some much-needed time off, the Dallas Mavericks hosted the Denver Nuggets in the third game of the four-game homestand. The Mavericks knew defense was key, especially without Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving,

Warriors' Draymond Green addresses the on-court altercation between Jusuf Nurkic and Naji Marshall, and the suspensions that followed.

The Dallas Mavericks are taking on the Memphis Grizzlies ... And Dallas is getting a big one for Monday night. Naji Marshall has served all four games of his suspension from his role in an ...

The Dallas Mavericks bounced back from a three-game losing streak, including a controversial loss to the New Orleans Pelicans on Wednesday, to beat the Oklahoma City Thunder on Friday night. OKC entered the game tied for the NBA's best record and had just beaten the other team with the top record by 20 points.