Dallas, TX
3 observations following a gutsy Dallas Mavericks win over the Phoenix Suns, 98-89
The Dallas Mavericks maintained their stranglehold on the fourth seed in the Western Conference by defeating the Phoenix Suns on the road Friday night, 98-89. Kyrie Irving led a balanced scoring effort for Dallas, scoring 20. Kevin Durant poured in 35 in defeat for the Suns.
With Dallas missing not only Luka Doncic but Dereck Lively, one might’ve expected a lackluster start from the Mavericks. Instead, the threes reigned early, led by three straight from Kyrie Irving, to give Dallas a 14-4 early advantage. Following a Suns timeout, the Mavericks lost focus and allowed Phoenix to get right back in the game. It remained a back-and-forth affair the rest of the quarter, with Kevin Durant sinking tough shots and Dallas finding ways to score. After one quarter, Dallas led 28-25.
The bench unit from Dallas managed to defend well and hit shots in the second quarter and slowly grew the lead back to double digits. Elite role player production from Maxi Kleber (who dunked!), Naji Marshall, and even some work from Dwight Powell kept the pressure on Phoenix. Irving picked up his third foul on a kickout, but head coach Jason Kidd elected to keep him in the contest. Dallas played lockdown defense in the frame and walked into halftime with a 55-39 lead.
Dallas kept the pressure on in the third, holding the double-digit lead. The intense defense got under the skin of Jusif Nurkic, who committed an offensive foul which drew the ire of Naji Marshall. The ensuing kerfuffle escalated to the point where Nurkic, Marshall, and PJ Washington got kicked out. The Mavericks struggled offensively in the quarter, making only four field goals. The Suns weren’t much better and Dallas maintained the large lead until the final minutes when Durant free throws brought the lead back to single digits. Dallas took a 72-64 lead into the final frame.
Klay Thompson got the party started for Dallas in the fourth hitting a pair of distance shots (one was later ruled to be a two pointer) that pulled the momentum back to the Mavericks. The squads exchanged baskets only for the Mavericks to hit more threes than twos and inch back to a 15 point lead. The Suns wouldn’t go quietly, culling the lead back to eight only for a Daniel Gafford dunk via Maxi Kleber to give Dallas enough of a cushion to ride out the game. Dallas took one in Phoenix, 98-89.
Now, some thoughts.
Welcome back, Maxi Kleber
Look guys, Maxi scored 33 points this season prior to his 15-point outburst against the Suns. And with Luka and Lively out and Marshall and Washington ejected, Kleber remembering that he is, in fact, a professional basketball player capable of doing more than some help defense really helped the Mavericks in this game.
Do we expect this kind of game out of Maxi again? He had five double-digit scoring efforts last season in 43 games and this was his first since May, so I think it’s possible he helps out more during the upcoming stretch for the Mavericks. Really, what we should hope for is for Kleber to look confident and play as such. He’s been a shell at times the last two years, his body having suffered some weird injuries. But he’s still a useful player! Here’s hoping it continues.
Find a way to get Kyrie some more rest, please
Kyrie started an incredible 4-of-4 from three. He proceeded to shoot 2 for his next 17, including a ridiculous 1-of-11 from two-point range. The man just couldn’t buy a basket. Of course, it’s fair to think Irving was tired. He gutted out 37 minutes against the Wolves in a loss just two days ago, then Kidd played him for most of the second half (Irving finished with 40 minutes tonight) in large part because he had no one left.
Still, though, if Dallas is to survive (and maybe thrive?) without Doncic these next however many games, it’s important that the other Dallas start doesn’t burn out.
Thoughts on a fight
Just kidding, I’m not that stupid. Well, maybe I am. Marshall sticking up for Gafford was pleasing to see. Marshall punching Nurkic’s clown face was even more pleasing. PJ Washington issuing the shove of Nurk, which ended the fight and might have saved us from actual fisticuffs, was delightful. Love to see players compete and for things to spill over sometimes.
You can listen to our latest podcast episode in the player embedded below, and to make sure you don’t miss a single one moving forward, subscribe to the Pod Maverick podcast feed on Apple, Spotify, Pandora, Pocketcasts, YouTube, YouTube Podcasts, Amazon Music, Castbox.
You can check out our After Dark Recap podcasts, YouTube Live recordings, and guest shows on the Pod Maverick Podcast feed. Please subscribe, rate, and review.
Dallas, TX
Anti-ICE protest outside Dallas City Hall follows deadly shooting in Minneapolis
Watch CBS News
Dallas, TX
Dallas Weather: Changes on the way for North Texas
DALLAS – The warm and muggy weather will give way to much cooler temperatures in the Dallas-Fort Worth area over the next few days.
Thursday Forecast
According to the FOX 4 Weather team, rain chances return on Thursday as a disturbance moves through the Plains.
The best chance for showers and storms will be north of Interstate 20. There’s a marginal risk for severe storms for the areas northwest of DFW and along the Red River.
A southwest wind will also keep things very warm throughout the day. Expect highs to climb into the upper 70s to 80s. Wind gusts may reach as high as 25 to 30 mph.
Weekend Forecast
The next cold front swings through on Friday afternoon. Ahead of it, there are rain chances, especially southeast of DFW.
Behind this front, noticeably colder air moves in for the weekend. Expect lows in the 30s and afternoon highs in the 50s.
7-Day Forecast
A slow warm-up is expected heading into early next week.
The Source: The information in this story comes from FOX 4 Weather Meteorologist Ali Turiano’s weather report.
Dallas, TX
Live updates: Washington Capitals vs Dallas Stars at Capital One Arena
Justin Sourdif gave Capitals fans one of the most fun individual efforts of the season, recording five points and scoring his first career hat trick against the Anaheim Ducks on Monday. Sourdif had fantastic chemistry with Connor McMichael and Ryan Leonard in their first game together.
Now the question becomes – Can the Young Guns 2.0 keep it up against a usually-stingy, defensively stout Dallas Stars team?
With Tom Wilson and Aliaksei Protas out again due to injury, Brett Leason will make his season debut with the Capitals. Meanwhile, Dylan McIlrath will remain in the lineup.
The Stars come into on a six-game losing streak. Casey DeSmith will start in goal over Jake Oettinger while the Capitals will counter with Logan Thompson.
Puck drop for today’s game is scheduled for a little after 7:00 pm. The game’s national and on TNT.
I’m dedicating my work tonight to Callie. I love you, my sweet girl. 💔
Get RMNB ad-free
Support us on Patreon for $5 to hide all ads and get other perks
More Info
Lines
Washington Capitals
Beauvillier
Strome
Ovechkin
McMichael
Sourdif
Leonard
Dallas Stars
Duchene
Johnston
Rantanen
Tunnel shenanigans
1st Period
Puck is dropped. McMichael-Sourdif-Leonard and Fehervary-Carlson get the start.
Ilya Lyubushkin to the box for holding Jakob Chychrun at 2:44.
Stars’ Radek Faska goes 1 on 3 shorthanded and scores after Logan Thompson loses sight of a rebound. WHAT WAS THAT.
1-0 Dallas Stars
SHG: Radek Faksa (2). Assists: E. Lindell (14). Time: 3:06
Back to the power play and… Justin Sourdif gets tossed from the faceoff dot, starts screaming at the official, Connor McMichael comes in, says something, and he gets an unsportsmanlike doncut penalty, killing the rest of the team’s power play. You can tell Carbery is fuming.
The two teams are now playing four-on-four.
Puck bounces over Dylan Strome’s stick on a wide-open net down low after a great setup by John Carlson.
Stars are outshooting the Capitals 5-0, 5:30 into the first period.
Apparently Beck Malenstyn has returned to the Capitals because one of the commentators said he just made a play. Lmao. No one on the Capitals even wears no. 47.
Sam Steel ailing and holding his left arm after a big hit by Ethen Frank.
At intermission: The Stars lead 1-0. The Caps didn’t really do anything in the first period. They were there. They existed. But that was about it. Shots on goal are 10-8 Dallas.
2nd Period
Puck is dropped.
Ilya Lyubushkin and Brandon Duhaime throwing punches at each other after the play at 1:12. Lyubushkin is going down the tunnel due to a cut on his nose.
John Carlson… just watching a pass through the paint to his man, no stick lift or anything, just chillin.
2-0 Dallas Stars
Goal: Sam Steel (7). Assists: T. Harley (14), M. Duchene (6). Time: 2:37
Ryan Leonard fakes a dump-in and almost scores with a crazy shot to the far side from center ice.
Brandon Duhaime and Ilya Lyubushkin drop the gloves right off a faceoff at 12:53. Duhaime punches Lyubushkin about 5 times hard in the back of the helmet. Hope his knuckles are doing okay. The Caps crowd is finally into it, though.
Logan Thompson stops Roope Hintz on a two-on-none breakaway after Nic Dowd fails to get the puck deep. Caps look awful.
Mikko Rantanen slashes Justin Sourdif at 15:55. Caps going back to the power play.
At intermission: The Stars lead 2-0. Dallas leads in shots on goal 20 to 13.
3rd Period
Puck is dropped.
Anthony Beauvillier takes it hard to the net, and gets two opportunities but can’t whack the puck through.
Nic Dowd to the box for hooking at 4:57. The Caps look awful. Just listless. Can’t get anything going. A lot of standing around.
4 shots by the Stars on the power play. Thompson keeping the Caps close.
McMichael ices the puck at the end of the kill.
Caps have one shot on goal through the first 7:03 of the third period.
Jason Robertson rips one hard off the post. Thompson is flopping all over the place to keep the puck out.
McMichael and Duchene trade opportunities down the wing off the rush.
Beauvillier sends a horrible pass backwards to Matt Roy in the defensive zone, turnover to the Stars’ Steel, and Wyatt Johnston scores easily in front of the net. YIKES.
3-0 Dallas Stars
Goal: Wyatt Johnston (24). Assists: S. Steel (9). Time: 2:37
Caps pull Thompson with 2:26 remaining. Why not?
Alex Ovechkin scores his 915th career goal via a one-timer at the top of the left circle.
3-1 Dallas Stars
Goal: Alex Ovechkin (18). Assists: J. Carlson (23), J. Chychrun (17). Time: 17:41
Capitals pull Thompson again.
Timeout Washington with 1:20 remaining.
Comment below. Refresh for live updates during the game. The thread will be closed shortly after the game is completed.
-
Detroit, MI5 days ago2 hospitalized after shooting on Lodge Freeway in Detroit
-
Technology2 days agoPower bank feature creep is out of control
-
Dallas, TX4 days agoDefensive coordinator candidates who could improve Cowboys’ brutal secondary in 2026
-
Health4 days agoViral New Year reset routine is helping people adopt healthier habits
-
Nebraska2 days agoOregon State LB transfer Dexter Foster commits to Nebraska
-
Iowa2 days agoPat McAfee praises Audi Crooks, plays hype song for Iowa State star
-
Nebraska2 days agoNebraska-based pizza chain Godfather’s Pizza is set to open a new location in Queen Creek
-
Entertainment1 day agoSpotify digs in on podcasts with new Hollywood studios