Dallas, TX
Mavs’ rally sputters against Suns as Dallas adds to longest losing skid in almost 10 years
PHOENIX — It’s not every day that Patrick Dumont visits an opposing NBA arena, but the Mavericks governor sat courtside at Mortgage Matchup Center on Tuesday to watch his team attempt to snap a seven-game losing streak.
However, any hopes he and the Mavericks had of righting the ship were spoiled by the second quarter when they were faced with a 31-point deficit that made a comeback too difficult to overcome.
The Mavericks suffered a 120-111 loss to the Phoenix Suns and increased their season-long skid to eight games — the franchise’s longest losing streak since the 2016-17 season.
The last time the Mavericks lost eight consecutive games was nearly 10 years ago, and that streak lasted from Nov. 6, 2016 to Nov. 27, 2016.
After trailing by double digits for the majority of the game, Dallas valiantly fought back in the fourth quarter to cut the deficit to six with 2 minutes left, but ran out of gas.
“We got off to a slow start,” Kidd said. “They were physical and we weren’t in that first half. I thought the group did a better job in that second half. Getting to the free throw line 44 times. We gotta be able to produce more 3s. We just didn’t do that…The group fought.”
There are several reasons why the Mavericks haven’t been able to snap out of their funk, starting with their 3-point struggles.
Three-point shooting has also been an issue during the last seven games as Dallas has only been able to convert on 10 triples per game, which is 29th in the NBA over that stretch. Tuesday night was a nightmare from the 3-point line as the Mavericks connected on just 5 of 22 from beyond the arc.
“Sometimes when they don’t go down early, we kind of get discouraged and we gotta be better,” Kidd said. “In this league, you miss some and we gotta look at tape, especially with a team like this that are going to pack the paint.”
Dallas also entered Tuesday’s matchup losing by an average of 8.6 points during their streak, but it’s been a struggle on the offensive end with just 113 points per game since a loss to the Los Angeles Lakers on Jan. 24.
The Mavericks attempted the third-most field goal attempts (94.9) across the league over the last seven games, but they’re 27th in the NBA in efficiency, making just 44.6% from the field. On Tuesday, they attempted 77 field goals and finished shooting 48.1%.
Naji Marshall and Cooper Flagg were the Mavericks’ leading scorers on Tuesday, each bouncing back from uncharacteristic performances on Saturday night in San Antonio.
Marshall led Dallas with 31 points on 12 of 17 from the field, his fifth outing of 25 points or more, setting a new career-high for most 25-point games in a single season.
Flagg added 27 points with 11 of 14 coming from the free throw line. Tuesday marked Flagg’s 24th career 20-point effort, which tied Kobe Bryant for the sixth-most 20-point games by a teenager in NBA history.
“I was aggressive,” Flagg said. “Getting downhill to my spots, trying to play with physicality and I was rewarded with getting to the free-throw line. I thought that was good.”
He nearly reached a significant milestone, but came four points short of 1,000 career points. Flagg added another highlight to his rookie reel late in the second quarter when he threw his left shoulder into the chest of Dillon Brooks and posterized the Suns forward with a one-handed dunk.
Dumont was pleased with his star rookie’s performance. During the fourth quarter, Flagg connected on a baseline midrange jumper through contact, which led to an enthusiastic round of applause by the Mavericks governor.
After the game, Dumont hung around in the Mavericks locker room to congratulate Flagg on a good game, along with Caleb Martin, who suffered a left knee and ankle injury.
It was nearly five years ago when Khris Middleton made his NBA Finals debut in Phoenix. On Tuesday, the veteran sharpshooter returned to that same arena for his first game in a Mavericks uniform. However, those fond memories of his lone championship were sullied by yet another loss by his new team.
Middleton played 21 minutes off the bench and finished with 13 points and five rebounds. PJ Washington added 13 points and 5 rebounds as well. Marvin Bagley III had another solid game with nine points and eight rebounds.
Tyus Jones, who started in Marshall’s place, struggled with just two points and three assists and did not start in the second half.
While the blowout loss and growing losing streak looks bad on paper, it helps the Mavericks (19-34) inch closer to the floundering Utah Jazz (17-37) in the league’s infamous race toward the bottom of the standings as teams position themselves for a top-heavy 2026 NBA draft.
Dumont is also expected to be at Crypto.Com Arena for Thursday’s game against the Lakers, the final game before the All-Star break begins.
X: @MikeACurtis2
Find more Mavericks coverage from The Dallas Morning News here.
Monday was a wild day for the NFL with two blockbuster trades. First was Myles Garrett, who both the Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles were rumored to have interest in.
Cowboys fans never bought into these rumors, knowing that Jerry Jones was unlikely to make such an investment. The Eagles, however, have been known to get aggressive. Thankfully for Dallas fans, they didn’t make the move as the Cleveland Browns sent Garrett to the Los Angeles Rams for Jared Verse and a package of picks.
Not long after that trade was finalized, the Eagles did wind up making a trade. After months of speculation surrounding A.J. Brown and the New England Patriots, the two sides made it official as Brown was reunited with Mike Vrabel in exchange for a 2028 first-round pick and a 2027 fifth-rounder.
Dallas Cowboys could take the NFC East crown in 2026
The writing has been on the wall all offseason regarding Brown, who has been unhappy with the Eagles for a while. His departure seemed confirmed when they traded up with Dallas in the 2026 NFL draft for USC receiver Makai Lemon.
While Lemon has the tools to be a difference-maker, he won’t be able to perform at the same level as Brown during his rookie season. The Eagles do still have DeVonta Smith at receiver as well as running back Saquon Barkley and quarterback Jalen Hurts.
That said, there’s no denying that they’re weaker this season than they were with Brown. Just as important, however, is the fact that general manager Howie Roseman didn’t pull off a shocking move for Garrett, which would have made them the overwhelming favorites in the division.
Cowboys chances hinge on defensive changes
Another reason the Cowboys are confident they can hang with Philadelphia this season is the presence of Christian Parker, who they hired as their defensive coordinator after he spent the past two seasons as the passing game coordinator and defensive backs coach with the Eagles.
Parker brings in a new scheme and plenty of confidence, but more importantly, he has several new weapons at his disposal. Dallas traded for veterans Rashan Gary and Dee Winters, signed Jalen Thompson and Cobie Durant, and selected Caleb Downs and Malachi Lawrence in the draft.
Those are just some of the moves they made on defense, and they’re banking on that to be enough to help propel them past the team that has won the division the past two seasons.
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FOX 4’s Clarice Tinsley celebrates the following members of the Class of 2026: Zavion Berry, Demi Glenn, Peyton Jankowski, Brynnah Stone, Bailee Swilling and Caroline Woahloe.
The Dallas Cowboys’ goal of having a bounce-back season in 2026 after missing out on the NFL playoffs for two consecutive years begins on Monday, June 1, with the start of organized team activities (OTAs).
OTAs are voluntary, so the whole squad will not be on the field when the team returns to The Star on Monday afternoon, but it’s our first look at the veteran players coming together with the impressive 2026 rookie class to begin preparations for the new year.
Dallas completely revamped its defense in the offseason after firing defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus and hiring Christian Parker away from the division rival Philadelphia Eagles, so there will be plenty of attention on the defensive rebuild.
One of the players who will have all eyes on them when OTAs kick off is first-round pick Caleb Downs, who made a positive impression during rookie minicamp. Downs impressed the Cowboys front office, coaching staff, and star players with his poise during his first camp as a rookie, and the hope is that he can develop into the defensive leader that Parker needs on the roster.
There will also be plenty of positional battles to watch, from determining who will start at EDGE, linebacker, and even a heated competition in the team’s loaded tight end room, so there is plenty for fans to look forward to as the team ramps up its offseason program.
When will the players be strapping up their helmets for OTAs and minicamp over the next few weeks?
A full look at the schedule for the Cowboys’ offseason program and preseason can be seen below.
2026 Cowboys Offseason Program: OTAs & Mandatory Minicamp Dates
OTAs
Session 1: Monday, June 1
Session 2: Tuesday, June 2
Session 3: Thursday, June 4
Session 4: Monday, June 8
Session 5: Tuesday, June 9
Session 6: Thursday, June 11
Mandatory Minicamp: Thursday, June 16 through Saturday, June 20
Training Camp: Dates TBD
Dallas Cowboys Preseason Schedule
Week 1 – Saturday, August 15, 8:00 p.m. ET: at Seattle Seahawks | Lumen Field | Seattle, Washington
Week 2 – Saturday, August 22, 9:00 p.m. ET: at Arizona Cardinals | State Farm Stadium | Phoenix, Arizona
Week 3, Friday, August 28, 7:00 p.m. ET: New Orleans Saints | AT&T Stadium | Arlington, Texas
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