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.

The early tip-off led to a back-and-forth tilt between the two teams, but Dallas couldn’t overcome its shortcoming of depth and left with a 110-105

Marshall returned to a bench role Friday due to the return of Kyrie Irving, but the former Xavier forward still made his presence felt in this matchup by recording a double-double off the bench. Marshall has been playing well of late and has scored in double digits in five of his seven outings this month,

LaMelo Ball and Miles Bridges each scored 23 points and the Charlotte Hornets held on to beat the Dallas Mavericks 110-105 on Monday to extend their winning streak to a season-high three games. Nick Smith Jr.

The Dallas Mavericks had an early tip to start Martin Luther King Jr. Day against the Charlotte Hornets, entering the game wildly short-handed. Dallas was without Luka Doncic, Dereck Lively II, Quentin Grimes, Dante Exum, Dwight Powell, and Jaden Hardy, while Charlotte was missing Brandon Miller, Tre Mann, and Grant Williams.

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.

Grimes won't play Monday against the Hornets due to back spasms, Grant Afseth of DallasHoopsJournal.com reports. Grimes was a very late addition to the injury report and will miss his first game since Nov.

Dan Titus gets you ready for the week ahead in fantasy hoops with his top players to add, led by the newest member of the Suns.

The Dallas Mavericks are no exception, as they may have to face the likes of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Anthony Edwards, Kevin Durant, LeBron James in a seven-game series just to reach the NBA Finals. To help the Mavs matchup against those opponents,

The NBA continues its tradition of honoring Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s legacy with eight games on Monday's slate. The Boston Celtics heading to the West Coast to face the Golden State Warriors.