Marshall returned from his suspension, but Daniel Gafford left the game in the second quarter with a left ankle sprain as Dallas lost its fifth

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.

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.

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.

The Dallas Mavericks expect Luka Doncic will return before the All-Star Break, according to "NBA on TNT" reporter Jared Greenberg.

Warriors F Draymond Green reveals why he thinks Phoenix Suns center Jusuf Nurkic got into a scuffle the game before he was set to play Golden State.

Warriors forward Draymond Green critiques Suns center Jusuf Nurkic’s recent behavior, calling for him to get help.

The long-standing feud between Draymond Green and Jusuf Nurkic has taken another turn. Nurkic received a three-game suspension for getting into a fight with Naji Marshall during the Phoenix Suns’ game against the Dallas Mavericks in late December.

Jun 4, 2023; Denver, CO, USA; Denver Nuggets forward Aaron Gordon (50) and guard Jamal Murray (27) react in the second quarter against the Miami Heat in game two of the 2023 NBA Finals at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports