Cooper Flagg scored 20 points, Brandon Williams hit the winning 3-pointer with 33.9 seconds to play, and the Dallas Mavericks held on for a 100-98 win over the Sacramento Kings on Tuesday night to snap a seven-game road losing streak.Anthony Davis had 19 points and 16 rebounds for the Mavericks, who trailed 98-97 when Williams hit his 3-pointer for a 100-98 lead.The Kings had multiple chances to retake the lead, but Dennis Schroder, Russell Westbrook and DeMar DeRozan all missed 3-point tries in the final seconds.Sacramento, which lost its sixth game in a row, was led by DeRozan with 21 points. Zach LaVine had 20 and Maxime Reynaud added 14. The Kings’ last win was Dec. 27 against Dallas. The Kings at 8-29 have the second-worst record in the Western Conference.Williams ended up with 18 for Dallas, and Naji Marshall had 15. Daniel Gafford had 13 rebounds for the Mavericks, who have won back-to-back games following a four-game losing streak. They beat the Rockets on Saturday, 110-104.The Mavericks trailed 58-46 at halftime, but cut the deficit to 78-76 after three. The Mavericks outscored the Kings by 14 points over the final two quarters.Even though LaVine returned to the lineup after a nine-game absence due to a left ankle sprain, the Kings played without forward Keegan Murray, who suffered a left ankle sprain in Sunday’s loss to the Milwaukee Bucks. He will be reevaluated in three to four weeks. Murray missed the start of the season with a thumb injury.Up nextDallas plays at Utah on Thursday night.Sacramento is at Golden State on Friday night.See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel
SACRAMENTO, Calif. —
Cooper Flagg scored 20 points, Brandon Williams hit the winning 3-pointer with 33.9 seconds to play, and the Dallas Mavericks held on for a 100-98 win over the Sacramento Kings on Tuesday night to snap a seven-game road losing streak.
Anthony Davis had 19 points and 16 rebounds for the Mavericks, who trailed 98-97 when Williams hit his 3-pointer for a 100-98 lead.
The Kings had multiple chances to retake the lead, but Dennis Schroder, Russell Westbrook and DeMar DeRozan all missed 3-point tries in the final seconds.
Sacramento, which lost its sixth game in a row, was led by DeRozan with 21 points. Zach LaVine had 20 and Maxime Reynaud added 14. The Kings’ last win was Dec. 27 against Dallas. The Kings at 8-29 have the second-worst record in the Western Conference.
Williams ended up with 18 for Dallas, and Naji Marshall had 15. Daniel Gafford had 13 rebounds for the Mavericks, who have won back-to-back games following a four-game losing streak. They beat the Rockets on Saturday, 110-104.
The Mavericks trailed 58-46 at halftime, but cut the deficit to 78-76 after three. The Mavericks outscored the Kings by 14 points over the final two quarters.
Even though LaVine returned to the lineup after a nine-game absence due to a left ankle sprain, the Kings played without forward Keegan Murray, who suffered a left ankle sprain in Sunday’s loss to the Milwaukee Bucks. He will be reevaluated in three to four weeks. Murray missed the start of the season with a thumb injury.
For over a year, the Sixers’ three players inked to max contracts have been discussing the importance of continuity for the sake of building a rhythm. Perhaps this is what they had in mind.
WASHINGTON, DC – DECEMBER 16: U.S. President Donald Trump (L) looks on as Miriam Adelson speaks during a Hanukkah Reception in the East Room of the White House on December 16, 2025 in Washington, DC. Trump hosted attendees to celebrate the holiday and the lighting of the menorah on the third night of Hanukkah. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
Anna Moneymaker
Getty Images
President Donald Trump has spent years sending mixed signals about serving beyond two terms.
Those comments recently resurfaced after Dallas Mavericks owner Miriam Adelson told Trump she would support him if he ran in 2028, which sparked fresh questions from people who aren’t sure what the Constitution actually permits.
The rules are more straightforward than the speculation suggests. Here’s what to know about presidential term limits and what’s legally possible.
🔥 In case you missed it…
What does the Constitution say about presidential term limits?
The Constitution limits presidents to two elected terms.
According to the Constitution Center, the 22nd Amendment states that “no person shall be elected to the office of the President more than twice.”
The amendment also says that anyone who serves more than two years of another president’s term can only be elected once. This prevents a president from stretching their time in office much longer than eight years.
Because Trump has already been elected twice, the amendment blocks him from running in 2028.
Why do people think Trump might still try for a third term?
Trump’s mixed comments over the years have created space for speculation, and those remarks often pick up momentum when they’re echoed by his supporters.
Former strategist Steve Bannon has been one of the most vocal.
During an interview with The Economist, Bannon said “Trump is going to be president in ‘28 and people just ought to get accommodated with that.”
He also claimed there are “different alternatives” or “workarounds” to the Constitution’s amendment and that a plan would be laid out “in the appropriate time.” Other allies have taken more formal steps. Rep. Andy Ogles, a Tennessee Republican, introduced a resolution earlier this year that would amend the Constitution so a president could be elected to three terms.
But Trump has recently acknowledged the limit, telling reporters in late October that he’s “not allowed to run” again and calling it “too bad.”
Could Trump return to the presidency through another route?
There are unusual scenarios that legal scholars have debated, but none are tested or realistic.
For example, some law professors have questioned whether a former two-term president could serve as vice president, but the 12th Amendment says anyone ineligible to be president is also ineligible to be vice president.
Others have wondered whether a former president could become Speaker of the House and then enter the presidential line of succession.
The Library of Congress has discussed these hypotheticals, but notes neither the 12th nor the 22nd Amendment clearly addresses such scenarios.
Experts told CBS News that changing the Constitution to allow a third term would be extremely unlikely because it would require support from two thirds of Congress and ratification by three fourths of states.
In practice, there is no real path for Trump to legally serve a third term.
Tiffani is a service journalism reporter for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. She is part of a team of local journalists who answer reader questions about life in North Texas. Tiffani mainly writes about Texas laws and health news.
Joel Embiid (illness; right knee injury management) is doubtful for the Sixers’ home contest against the Dallas Mavericks on Saturday night, according to the team’s initial injury report for the game unveiled on Saturday afternoon. The report also lists Paul George as out on the second leg of the team’s back-to-back:
The Sixers have an injury report for tonight’s game vs. Dallas:
Joel Embiid – illness; right knee injury management – DOUBTFUL
Embiid, initially listed as questionable for Friday’s game in New York due to an illness, was later ruled out with the additional tag of right knee injury management applied. It was the first time Embiid’s right knee has been officially reported as an issue in over two weeks, when he returned from a nine-game absence. Sixers head coach Nick Nurse provided the following comments on Friday evening:
George, meanwhile, has yet to play in both legs of any back-to-backs this year. The nine-time All-Star logged 33 minutes for the third consecutive game on Friday at Madison Square Garden; he only shot 2-for-10 from the field but was a team-best +16, largely because of his continued defensive impact.
The expected absences are the same: Kelly Oubre Jr., who has been out for well over a month with his left knee LCL sprain and still does not have a timeline to return, and Trendon Watford, who is coming up on a month-long absence due to a left adductor strain and also does not have a timeline to return.
For Dallas, Anthony Davis is probable with an illness and Klay Thompson is questionable due to left knee soreness.
Naz Reid scored a season-high 22 points and the Minnesota Timberwolves beat the short-handed Dallas Mavericks 120-96 Monday night.
Reid scored 10 points in the first quarter and led all scorers with 19 points in the first half. He hit a 3-pointer just before the end of third quarter, capping his 22-point game and sending Minnesota into the fourth quarter with a 32-point lead.
Six Timberwolves scored in double figures, including all five starters. Jaden McDaniels and Rudy Gobert scored 15 points apiece and star Anthony Edwards had a relatively quiet night with 13 points on 5-for-14 shooting.
Top draft pick Cooper Flagg and Brandon Williams each had 15 points for Dallas, which fell to 1-2 in the second game of back-to-backs this season. The Mavericks were coming off a win over Portland on Sunday.
Dallas was without two of its big men who were being rested for injury management in the second game of a back-to-back. Daniel Gafford sat out Monday’s game with an ankle injury, while Dereck Lively II was held out with a knee injury. Anthony Davis also remains sidelined for the Mavericks, giving rookie big man Moussa Cissé his first career start.
The Mavericks hung around early in the second quarter, trailing by seven points before the Timberwolves extended their lead to 17 points, at 61-44, at the break.
Minnesota continued to control the game in the second half. McDaniels hit three straight 3-pointers to push the Wolves’ lead to 30 points at 85-55 in the third quarter. Minnesota shot under 33% from deep for the fourth straight game, finishing at 32% (14 for 44).
The Mavericks also struggled from 3-point range, connecting on 9 of 30 shots. Dallas entered the game with the second-worst 3-point percentage in the league (31.1%).
Dallas: Hosts the New York Knicks on Wednesday.
Minnesota: Hosts the Washington Wizards on Wednesday.
Note: The attached video first aired on Nov. 13, 2025.
DALLAS (AP) — The Dallas Mavericks fired general manager Nico Harrison on Tuesday, an admission nine months later that the widely criticized trade of Luka Doncic backfired on the franchise.
The move came a day after Mavericks governor Patrick Dumont attended a 116-114 loss to the Bucks in which fans again chanted “fire Nico,” a familiar refrain since the blockbuster deal in February that brought Anthony Davis from the Los Angeles Lakers and angered the Dallas fan base.
The Mavericks appointed Michael Finley and Matt Riccardi as co-interim general managers to oversee basketball operations.
Dumont’s hope for goodwill with the fans never came even after Dallas landed No. 1 overall pick Cooper Flagg with just a 1.8% chance to win the draft lottery.
There have been plenty of empty seats in the upper deck of American Airlines Center this season, something not seen consistently since 2018, when the Mavericks traded up to get Doncic with the third overall pick.
Doncic was a 25-year-old generational point guard in his prime when Harrison unloaded him for the oft-injured Davis, who has missed 30 of 44 regular-season games since his arrival in February.
Harrison was in his fourth season and had engineered three trades that helped the Mavs go on a run to the Western Conference finals in 2022 and the NBA Finals two years later.
The Doncic trade and a slow start to the first full season without the young superstar led to a stunning downfall for Harrison, who declined to comment to The Associated Press. Dallas is 3-8, and Davis has missed six of the 11 games with a calf injury.
“No one associated with the Mavericks organization is happy with the start of what we all believed would be a promising season,” Dumont wrote in a letter to fans. “You have high expectations for the Mavericks, and I share them with you. When the results don’t meet expectations, it’s my responsibility to act.”
While Dumont didn’t directly mention the Doncic trade in the letter, he acknowledged the vitriolic reaction of fans, who protested after the shocking deal. The Las Vegas-based Dumont and Adelson families, who bought the Mavericks from Mark Cuban in late 2023, were targets of the criticism as well.
“I understand the profound impact these difficult last several months have had,” Dumont wrote. “Please know that I’m fully committed to the success of the Mavericks.”
Dumont approved Harrison’s decision to trade Doncic, which kept the Mavericks from having to commit to a $346 million, five-year supermax extension for the Slovenian star.
Harrison tried to defend the deal by repeating a “defense wins championships” line. But with Davis sidelined by a calf injury and star guard Kyrie Irving still out after tearing the ACL in his left knee last March, defense hasn’t mattered much because Dallas has one of the worst offenses in the NBA.
With Davis and Irving playing together for just part of one game last season, the Mavericks missed the playoffs a year after Doncic led them to the NBA Finals.
The slow, injury-plagued start to this season for the Mavericks coincided with Doncic joining Wilt Chamberlain as the only NBA players to open a season with three consecutive games of at least 40 points.
Doncic’s historic run was interrupted by a three-game injury absence, but the Lakers won twice without him and are 8-3.
Harrison had spent 20 years with Nike and had close relationships with several NBA stars, including the late Kobe Bryant, when Cuban hired him in 2021.
The hiring of Harrison was the first step in trying to restore stability after former general manager Donnie Nelson was fired, then Rick Carlisle resigned as coach a day later. Nelson and Carlisle had been together for 13 years.
Harrison hired Jason Kidd as coach, and the Mavericks reached the Western Conference finals their first season together after Harrison’s first blockbuster trade.
He broke up the European pairing of Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis and got Spencer Dinwiddie, who played a key supporting role with Doncic as the Mavericks stunned Phoenix with a Game 7 blowout in the second round before losing to Golden State in five games.
A year later, Dinwiddie was part of the next blockbuster trade, which brought Irving from Brooklyn. The Mavericks faltered the rest of that season largely because of injuries, but they reached their first NBA Finals in 13 years in 2023-24, led by the pair of star guards. Dallas lost to Boston in five games.
That deep playoff run came in the first six months after Cuban sold the team. He said then that he would maintain control of basketball operations, but that didn’t happen.
Dumont quickly put full control of the basketball side in the hands of Harrison, who saw Davis as a championship-caliber player in the mold of Bryant. Davis won a title with LeBron James and the Lakers in 2020.
Cuban criticized the trade of Doncic, saying he never would have approved it and adding that he didn’t think Dallas got enough in return. Months later, though, Cuban credited Harrison for his salary cap management.
Finley, who was Harrison’s top assistant and has been in the Dallas front office for a decade, was a two-time All-Star for the Mavericks in the early 2000s when Hall of Famer Dirk Nowitzki was coming of age.
Finley had moved on to San Antonio when Nowitzki led the Mavericks to the NBA Finals in 2006. Dallas lost to Miami that year but beat the Heat five years later for the franchise’s only championship.
Dallas Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd, joined by players PJ Washington and Daniel Gafford, talked about the dismissal of the former Nike executive Wednesday.
“We can only hope that we don’t have to go through that again, because it was a little disrespectful, because the guys are playing hard, and they’re trying to win, but that chant when we’re shooting free throws is very disrespectful, but understanding that they got their point across, the fans, but we have to move forward. I understand the healing process for the fans, but these guys are playing hard. Ever since the trade, these guys have given everything,” said Kidd, “We got over, I think, $100 million sitting on the sideline, and we’re still competing. We’re still in games, and we’re learning how to win. So I would hope that we start to get a little credit for that.”
Kidd also pointed out that it was important for players to feel support, not disrespect, from fans.
“These guys, they can hear those things, and they feel really disrespected, and it’s hard to keep guys here in this league when they start to think that the home team is not home, and it becomes a visiting place and so hopefully that changes.”
Washington who had previously complained about the chants, which happened when he was at the free-throw line, talked about how he hopes fans move forward.
“I felt the same way [as Kidd], I felt like people weren’t really cheering us on, it felt like from a player standpoint. So hopefully that changes,” said Washington. We’ll see tonight; hopefully everybody starts cheering up and be quiet during free throws.”
Kidd also talked about how hard it was to lose someone you had worked with.
“Yesterday was a tough day for everyone, for the organization, anytime you lose someone because you’ve spent the last four years, but it’s tough. But I think when you look at the NBA, season keeps going, we have to continue to push forward,” said Kidd.
Gafford spoke on how the team moves forward and the firing of Harrison and what the team’s mentality is.
“I think, just like the outlook of it for the team, it’s just the business of basketball, and when it comes to that, our main focus right now is just the basketball side of it. We can’t really focus on just whatever goes on behind the scenes, and all the stuff that goes on, the front office stuff. We got games to win at the end of the day. We’ve had a bit of an up-and-down beginning of the season, so our main focus right now is just coming out, just playing hard, just winning basketball games for sure,” said Gafford.
Lawrence Dow is a digital sports reporter from Philadelphia. He graduated with a master’s degree in journalism from USC. He’s passionate about movies and is always looking for a great book. He covers the Texas Rangers and other sports.
(CNN) — The Dallas Mavericks fired general manager Nico Harrison on Tuesday, dismissing the man who traded away fan-favorite Luka Dončić in one of the most shocking NBA trades in recent memory.
Mavs fans essentially rebelled against Harrison in the months after the early February trade, chanting, “Fire Nico!” at every opportunity. Harrison became something akin to Public Enemy No. 1 in Dallas, even after lucking into the top pick in the 2025 NBA Draft and drafting Duke star Cooper Flagg.
In a letter to fans, owner Patrick Dumont said the current state of the organization is not in line with the expectations fans have set for the Mavs.
“No one associated with the Mavericks organization is happy with the start of what we all believed would be a promising season,” Dumont wrote. “You have high expectations for the Mavericks, and I share them with you. When the results don’t meet expectations, it’s my responsibility to act. I’ve made the decision to part ways with General Manager Nico Harrison.”
He added, “I know our players are deeply committed to a winning culture, this decision was critical to moving our franchise forward in a positive direction.”
The organization announced Michael Finley and Matt Riccardi will serve as co-interim general managers while a permanent replacement is sought.
The Dončić trade ended up ushering in one of the bleakest stretches for any NBA team in recent memory. On February 1, the Mavericks sent Dončić, Maxi Kleber and Markieff Morris to the Lakers for Anthony Davis, Max Christie and the Lakers’ 2029 first-round draft pick.
In the period after the deal, the Mavericks went 14-21, lost Anthony Davis – the main player Dallas received in return for Dončić – for weeks due to injury in his first game with the team, lost talisman Kyrie Irving to a season-ending ACL injury and watched a slew of other players go down hurt. Davis returned as the Mavs tried to win a spot in the NBA playoffs through the play-in round but ultimately fell short.
During that entire time, the fans demanded Harrison be fired and pundits declared that the Mavericks had just made a potentially franchise killing move. Dončić is just 26 years old, led the team to the NBA Finals in the 2023-24 season, had been named All-NBA each year he had been in the league and was entering his prime. All reporting around the deal indicated that Dončić never planned to leave Dallas, and his emotional return to Texas in April indicated that the pain of the surprise move still pained him.
The 26-year-old told ESPN that he threw and cracked his phone when he first heard about the trade, adding that he felt “sadness mostly” and that he “felt like my heart was broken, honestly.”
Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic reacts while watching a tribute video before first game in Dallas after the trade. Credit: Kevin Jairaj/Imagn Images / Reuters via CNN Newsource
“I did know that Luka was important to the fanbase,” Harrison told reporters during his season-ending news conference. “I didn’t quite know to what level.”
At the time, Harrison remained staunch in his belief that Dallas has the makings of a winning team despite the trade and fan backlash.
“We feel that’s a championship-caliber team and we would have been winning at a high level and that would have quieted some of the outrage,” Harrison said, adding that being healthy is the only thing keeping the team from challenging for a title. “And so unfortunately we weren’t able to do that, so it just continued to go on and on.”
But how the franchise handled the Dončić trade and its immediate aftermath sealed Harrison’s fate in the minds of many Mavs fans.
Dallas Mavericks fans hold up a sign referring to Mavs general manager Nico Harrison during the game against the Sacramento Kings at American Airlines Center on February 10. Credit: Tim Heitman / Getty Images via CNN Newsource
One of the things that particularly irked fans was a report after the trade that slammed Dončić’s conditioning, with ESPN citing sources inside the franchise revealing frustration with his diet. The treatment of a player who was widely revered as an icon in Dallas, especially less than a year after an NBA Finals appearance, went over like a ton of bricks.
“Everyone wants to point at Luka’s flaws, at least for a half-second,” Mavs fan Matthew Slovak told CNN. “The overwhelming narrative is that this is the most ridiculous thing ever, but there was that, ‘Yeah, but.’ There is no ‘yeah, but.’ – this is the most indefensible trade of all time.”
In his letter, Dumont emphasized that he understood the frustrations of the fans.
“I understand the profound impact these difficult last several months have had. Please know that I’m fully committed to the success of the Mavericks,” he wrote.
“Thank you for your support, thank you for holding us accountable, and thank you for your passion and for your patience. You deserve transparency and a team that reflects your spirit. Our goal is to return winning basketball to Dallas and win championships. Our family is committed to that mission and to continuing to invest in Dallas and the Mavericks’ future.”
CNN’s Ben Morse and Andy Scholes contributed to this report.
This blog contains links from which we may earn a commission.Credit: LOGAN WEAVER | @LGNWVR-Unsplash
The Philadelphia 76ers have built their reputation on more than just star power; they thrive on defensive intensity, tactical discipline, and adaptability.
As the NBA evolves into an offense-driven league defined by pace, spacing, and three-point volume, the Sixers continue to assert themselves as one of the few teams capable of neutralizing high-octane attacks.
Their ability to defend elite offenses like those of Cleveland, Dallas, Denver, and even the upstart Houston Rockets tells a compelling story about where this team stands, and what it will take to make a deep postseason run.
Let’s take a deep dive into the elite opponents the 76ers could face and what that reveals about Philadelphia.
When the Philadelphia 76ers face the Cleveland Cavaliers, the matchup becomes a showcase of defensive intelligence versus calculated offense.
Cleveland thrives on tempo control and physical half-court sets driven by Darius Garland and Donovan Mitchell. Yet, Philadelphia’s defense, anchored by Joel Embiid’s rim protection and reinforced by versatile wings, forces Cleveland’s guards into uncomfortable midrange attempts.
The Sixers excel in closing driving lanes and switching seamlessly between pick-and-roll coverages, limiting Cleveland’s second-chance opportunities. Tyrese Maxey’s quick rotations and Kelly Oubre Jr.’s length have become essential in stifling perimeter scorers, forcing the Cavs to rely more heavily on interior playmaking.
According to recent trends on FanDuel, the Sixers often hold the Cavaliers below their season scoring average, underscoring their ability to dictate tempo and defensive flow.
This matchup reflects what defines Philadelphia’s defensive identity: physical containment, communication, and a refusal to let opponents dictate pace.
Dallas Mavericks: Neutralizing An Elite Offense
Few teams present a greater tactical challenge than the Dallas Mavericks. Kyrie Irving’s shot creation creates a near-impossible puzzle for most defenses, but not for the Philadelphia 76ers. Philly’s defensive strategy against Dallas focuses on calculated containment rather than overcommitment.
By deploying length on the perimeter and funneling drives into Embiid’s area, the Sixers force Dallas to take tough step-backs rather than create open looks for shooters.
Philadelphia’s help defense is among the most disciplined in the league; rotations are crisp, and double-teams are timed to disrupt rhythm rather than simply pressure.
Against Dallas’s spread offense, the Sixers rely heavily on switching versatility. The 76ers’ defensive IQ and Tobias Harris’s mobility allow them to handle mismatches without compromising structure.
The result is a system custom-built to frustrate Dallas’s preferred pace and expose the Mavericks’ overreliance on isolation play, a testament to how fundamentally sound the Sixers’ defense remains.
Denver Nuggets: A True Test of Defensive Structure
Defending the reigning champions, the Denver Nuggets, is the ultimate measuring stick for any contender. Nikola Jokić is an offensive system unto himself, capable of dissecting defenses with surgical precision.
Yet, the Philadelphia 76ers have found ways to challenge his dominance through layered defensive schemes.
When Embiid anchors the paint, the Sixers can afford to stay home on shooters, forcing Jokić into contested hook shots rather than wide-open kick-outs. Philadelphia alternates between drop coverage and soft doubles, ensuring Jokić sees multiple looks without exposing weak-side vulnerabilities.
Perimeter containment is equally vital: Maxey will disrupt Jamal Murray’s timing, while Oubre’s wingspan deters entry passes. Against Denver’s movement-heavy offense, the Sixers rely on communication and positional awareness, hallmarks of a mature defensive identity.
The result isn’t always perfection, but Philadelphia’s ability to slow the Nuggets’ efficiency demonstrates how preparation and versatility can stand up to elite offensive orchestration.
Houston Rockets: Young Energy vs. Veteran Discipline
While the Houston Rockets are still developing into a playoff-caliber team, their youthful energy and uptempo offense provide a valuable test for the Philadelphia 76ers’ defensive endurance.
Houston’s attack thrives on pace, quick decision-making, and aggressive penetration, the kind of approach that punishes sluggish defensive rotations.
Philadelphia inevitably responds with discipline. The Sixers excel in limiting transition points, forcing Houston’s young guards to operate in half-court scenarios where mistakes are magnified. Embiid’s rim presence discourages reckless drives, while defenders use physicality to deny second-chance buckets.
In these matchups, Philadelphia’s experience becomes its greatest weapon. The Sixers slow down Houston’s rhythm, impose half-court sets, and capitalize on defensive rebounding.
Their ability to neutralize high-energy teams showcases how defensive maturity can outlast youthful exuberance, a defining characteristic for a team aiming to contend deep into the postseason.
Bettor Takeaway
For bettors, understanding the Philadelphia 76ers’ defensive blueprint offers a clear advantage. While many wagerers focus on offensive trends, defense often dictates the spread and total outcomes.
Credit: LOGAN WEAVER | @LGNWVR-Unsplash
When the Sixers face top-tier offenses, their ability to hold teams below average scoring outputs can make under wagers particularly appealing.
The Sixers’ consistency in forcing inefficient shots and slowing the pace translates directly into betting value. Games against Cleveland and Denver, for instance, tend to be lower-scoring affairs, while matchups with Dallas and Houston often depend on how well Philadelphia controls the first quarter.
Savvy bettors on platforms like FanDuel recognize that the Sixers’ defense doesn’t just win games, it reshapes odds.
Moreover, Philadelphia’s combination of Embiid’s rim protection and elite team defense often leads to in-game betting opportunities, such as live unders or player prop unders for opposing stars.
Understanding these defensive patterns is key for bettors looking to capitalize on value that others overlook.
The Blueprint for Sustained Success
The Philadelphia 76ers’ identity rests on defense, intelligence, adaptability, and relentlessness.
Against elite offensive teams, from Cleveland’s methodical approach to Denver’s fluid precision, the Sixers continue to prove that defense can still win in a league dominated by offense.
Their ability to impose pace, protect the paint, and frustrate superstars isn’t just a byproduct of talent; it’s a philosophy.
When the postseason looms, the Sixers’ path to contention will hinge not only on scoring power but on maintaining their defensive DNA. In an NBA landscape where points come easy, Philadelphia reminds the league that containment, communication, and discipline still separate the great from the merely good.
For fans and bettors alike, the message is clear: the Sixers’ defensive evolution isn’t just about stopping opponents, it’s about redefining what it takes to win in modern basketball.
The Dallas Mavericks continued their disappointing start to the 2025-26 NBA season with another loss on Monday night, falling to the reigning champion Oklahoma City Thunder with a 101-94 final score at the American Airlines Center.
No. 1 overall pick Cooper Flagg put forth the worst performance of his young NBA career so far, scoring just two points on 1 of 9 shooting from the field and 0 for 3 shooting from behind the 3-point arc. The 18-year-old rookie also recorded two rebounds and two steals through 31 minutes of action.
This lack of production could be connected to a hit Flagg took during the first possession of the game. From that point forward, the presumed NBA Rookie of the Year wore heavy wrapping on his left shoulder whenever he went to the bench.
“Cooper Flagg has had a big wrap on his left shoulder while on the bench throughout the game. Appeared to take a shot on it first possession of the night,” Mavericks insider Tim MacMahon of ESPN reported.
After the game, Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd said Flagg played through shoulder soreness.
Kidd said the team will see how Flagg feels on Tuesday before determining his status for the rest of the week.
“We’ll see how he feels tomorrow. His shoulder is sore, we’ll see how he feels tomorrow. He played through it, he’s a tough kid, but we’ll have more tomorrow,” Kidd said, via Noah Weber.
This disappointing performance comes just after the Mavericks’ first win of the season on Sunday night. In a 139-129 victory over the Toronto Raptors, Flagg recorded a career-high 22 points on 8 of 14 shooting from the field. The reigning NCAA National Player of the Year also had four rebounds, four assists, one block and a highlight-reel fast-break dunk.
The Mavericks will provide further details regarding Flagg’s injury status as they approach their next matchup against the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday night.
It didn’t take long for pundits to find issue with the new-look Dallas Mavericks, with Charles Barkley lambasting the franchise’s use of No. 1 overall draft pick Cooper Flagg in his debut.
Flagg got off to slow start in the first half with zero points, while initiating the offense at times in a role that Barkley, the NBA Hall of Famer and “Inside the NBA” commentator, said misused the Duke product.
“The Dallas Mavericks trying to outthink everybody, think they the smartest dude in the world and realized it’s just basketball,” Barkley said. “They need a point guard, first of all. Cooper Flagg, he only got two attempts. Why’s he only got two attempts? They got him trying to initiate the offense. Man, start D’Angelo Russell till Kyrie [Irving] comes back. These guys always wanna act like lets reinvent the wheel. Man, it’s basketball. … They didn’t even put Cooper Flagg in a position to be successful.”
Flagg eventually scored the first bucket of his NBA career at the beginning of the first half, a top of the key jump shot off a handoff from Dereck Lively.
The Mavs started Flagg, Klay Thompson, PJ Washington, Anthony Davis and Lively. With Kyrie Irving not expected back till January, head coach Jason Kidd has been vocal about Flagg playing point guard.
Kenny Smith agreed with Barkley, arguing that Flagg shouldn’t be concerned about the duties of a point guard and that he should instead be focused on offensive rebounding, finishing and cutting, saying those are the things he’ll be great at.
Lawrence Dow is a digital sports reporter from Philadelphia. He graduated with a master’s degree in journalism from USC. He’s passionate about movies and is always looking for a great book. He covers the Texas Rangers and other sports.
Cooper Flagg made his much-anticipated Mavericks debut Monday night at Dickies Arena, showing flashes of the two-way game that made him the No. 1 pick while helping Dallas to a 106-89 preseason victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Flagg finished with 10 points and a handful of eye-catching plays that energized the crowd and hinted at the role he could play as the regular season approaches.
The 18-year-old logged just 14 minutes but filled the box score, posting 10 points, six rebounds, three assists and a block while shooting efficiently.
Even in a limited preseason role, his energy shifted the pace — the kind of presence that can quietly change a team’s rhythm.
Flagg’s versatility stood out most. At 6-foot-9, he defended multiple positions, crashed the glass, and spaced the floor with confidence. His ability to cut without the ball, rotate early on defense, and find open shooters gave Dallas fans a glimpse of a player whose impact goes beyond the box score.
The Mavericks continue their preseason Saturday when they host the Charlotte Hornets at American Airlines Center.
Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg warms up prior to the first half of a preseason NBA game between the Dallas Mavericks and Oklahoma City Thunder at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth on Monday, Oct. 6, 2025. Christopher Torres ctorres@star-telegram.com
Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg warms up prior to the first half of a preseason NBA game between the Dallas Mavericks and Oklahoma City Thunder at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth on Monday, Oct. 6, 2025. Christopher Torres ctorres@star-telegram.com
Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg (32) is introduced prior to the first half of a preseason NBA game between the Dallas Mavericks and Oklahoma City Thunder at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth on Monday, Oct. 6, 2025. Christopher Torres ctorres@star-telegram.com
Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg (32) passes the ball in the first half of a preseason NBA game between the Dallas Mavericks and Oklahoma City Thunder at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth on Monday, Oct. 6, 2025. Christopher Torres ctorres@star-telegram.com
Mavericks forward Anthony Davis (3) has a word with forward Cooper Flagg (32) in the first half of a preseason NBA game between the Dallas Mavericks and Oklahoma City Thunder at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth on Monday, Oct. 6, 2025. Christopher Torres ctorres@star-telegram.com
Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg passes the ball in the first half of a preseason NBA game between the Dallas Mavericks and Oklahoma City Thunder at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth on Monday, Oct. 6, 2025. Christopher Torres ctorres@star-telegram.com
Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg (32) goes up for a layup in the first half of a preseason NBA game between the Dallas Mavericks and Oklahoma City Thunder at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth on Monday, Oct. 6, 2025. Christopher Torres ctorres@star-telegram.com
Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg (32) sits alone on the bench in the second half of a preseason NBA game between the Dallas Mavericks and Oklahoma City Thunder at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth on Monday, Oct. 6, 2025. Christopher Torres ctorres@star-telegram.com
Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg (32) is interviewed following the second half of a preseason NBA game between the Dallas Mavericks and Oklahoma City Thunder at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth on Monday, Oct. 6, 2025. Christopher Torres ctorres@star-telegram.com
Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg (32) is interviewed following the second half of a preseason NBA game between the Dallas Mavericks and Oklahoma City Thunder at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth on Monday, Oct. 6, 2025. Christopher Torres ctorres@star-telegram.com
Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg (32) greets fans following the second half of a preseason NBA game between the Dallas Mavericks and Oklahoma City Thunder at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth on Monday, Oct. 6, 2025. Christopher Torres ctorres@star-telegram.com
Chris Torres is a staff visual journalist for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. He previously worked as a photojournalist for the Santa Clarita Valley Signal in California for two years. He grew up in Los Angeles, but now resides in west Fort Worth.
It’s really a complicated time to be a sports fan in Dallas. Maybe you’ve sought therapy, or maybe you’re all ‘love and happiness’ about all these situations and have simply moved on…
The Mavs also picked up a future superstar when they landed Duke star Cooper Flagg with the No. 1 pick in this past June’s NBA Draft.
Thompson’s still part of the roster and seems capable of continuing to contribute, but time will tell. Meanwhile, he might have shared some significant insight into what he plans to do when he’s done with the NBA.
DALLAS, TEXAS – OCTOBER 31: Klay Thompson #31 of the Dallas Mavericks gestures after a three pointer against the Houston Rockets in the second half of a basketball game at American Airlines Center on October… DALLAS, TEXAS – OCTOBER 31: Klay Thompson #31 of the Dallas Mavericks gestures after a three pointer against the Houston Rockets in the second half of a basketball game at American Airlines Center on October 31, 2024 in Dallas, Texas. Thompson will be honored by the Warriors.
Photo by Richard Rodriguez/Getty Images
Thompson recently spoke to NBA great Michael Cooper, now a coach in the Big3, who asked him if he’d consider playing for the Big3 Basketball League upon retirement.
The four-time NBA Champion didn’t hesitate to give his early application and a strong endorsement to the league.
“Absolutely, especially with that four-point ball. That gets me excited,” Thompson told Cooper.
“I want the Big3 to go international. That’d be so fun to see the Big3 go overseas,” he said, adding, “3-on-3 basketball is played more around the globe than 5-on-5.”
Cooper agreed that the league is heading in the overseas direction with its popularity. The league debuted in 2017 and has mostly continued until 2025, except for canceling the season in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Just recently, the Miami 305, coached by Cooper, won the championship, defeating the league’s Chicago Triplets, coached by NBA legend Julius Erving.
The Big3 currently features eight teams. In addition to Miami and Chicago, there are squads representing Dallas, Los Angeles, Boston, Detroit, Houston, and the Delaware-Maryland-Virginia (DMV) region.
Among the former NBA players participating in the league are Dwight Howard, Michael Beasley, Lance Stephenson, Joe Johnson, and Jason Richardson.
As of this report, Thompson hasn’t announced his NBA retirement. He spent the first 13 years of his career with the Golden State Warriors, capturing four championships alongside stars including Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, and Draymond Green.
He signed a three-year $50-million contract with the Mavericks in a six-team sign-and-trade that the NBA reported last July.
Last season, Thompson started and played in 72 games for the Mavericks, averaging 14 points, 3.4 rebounds, and two assists per game. That scoring average is his lowest since his rookie season in 2011-12.
From top to bottom in the Celtics‘ organization, they did what needed to be done to win a championship.
Whether it was role players going above and beyond, the number 2 option exceeding expectations, the scouting department finding the right guy, the coach leading them to victory, etc., they succeeded at the highest level.
Every team in the league should use the Celtics as a blueprint for winning a championship.
The Celtics Stuck With Their Guys
Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum have played their whole careers in Boston together. They have grown and developed into one of the best (if not THE best) duos in the NBA today. Even after coming up short for a few years, the front office kept building around them and drafting other guys who contributed to the team in major ways.
Not every guy on the team was drafted by them, but a few of the free agents they’ve signed have played for them for multiple years. Derrick White, Luke Kornet, and Al Horford have all spent time on different teams, but they’ve been on the Celtics for at least the last 2 years, building chemistry with the main guys (Brown and Tatum).
Also, Sam Hauser and Payton Pritchard, drafted in 2021 and 2020, both have spent their short careers fully with the Celtics. Having 7 guys who know the organization and build chemistry together for years will yield strong results a lot of the time. That’s exactly what happened with the Celtics.
The Value of Drafting
Over the years, the Sixers have traded many of their picks away to get a “star” in return. How has that worked out?
The Celtics use their draft picks much more productively to acquire talent. Not only do they choose better players, they are much more patient to let the talent develop. Outside of the top-5, most players need time to grow into real contributors. The Celtics understand that. They let their players develop over time and learn how to play around the guys they have on the team. This gives the team cheap talent, which helps them acquire players like Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday.
The Sixers need to value their drafting more. If they invest more into their scouting department and take the draft more seriously, they could give Tyrese Maxey another great player who could play with him for years to come.
Celtics are Smart with their Contracts
When teams draft and develop their own players, it also allows them to keep players on more affordable contracts instead of overpaying in free agency. This year, the Finals MVP (Jaylen Brown) only made the 4th most money on his team, and the team leader (Jayson Tatum) made the 3rd most. Drafting these two guys put the Celtics in a very good position to build talent and get the job done.
While they did make some major additions with Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis, they didn’t just sign someone because of their name. The Sixers seem to have a tendency to sign names rather than players, while the Celtics do the opposite.
Players like James Harden make way too much money than they believe they are worth, which puts teams in a bad spot. The Sixers couldn’t get it done with him, and neither could the Clippers.
The Sixers need better league and draft scouting. Finding players on more valuable contracts could send them to the next level.
Kyrie Irving #11 of the Dallas Mavericks and Jayson Tatum #0 of the Boston Celtics look on during the second quarter in Game One of the 2024 NBA Finals at TD Garden on June 06, 2024 in Boston, Massachusetts.
Maddie Meyer/Getty Images
After an exciting Game 1 of the 2024 NBA Finals, the Dallas Mavericks are back to face the mighty Boston Celtics. Sunday night plans are as locked in as Kristaps Porzingis on the three-point line.
Keep reading to learn how and when to watch the Mavericks vs. Celtics in Game 2 of the 2024 NBA Finals tonight.
How and when to watch Dallas Mavericks vs. Boston Celtics Game 2
Game 2 of the Dallas Mavericks vs. Boston Celtics NBA Finals series will be played on Sunday, June 9, 2024 at 8:00 p.m. ET (5:00 p.m. PT). The game will air on ABC and stream on Sling TV and the platforms featured below.
How to watch Dallas Mavericks vs. Boston Celtics Game 2 without cable
If your cable subscription doesn’t carry ABC or you’ve cut the cord with your cable company, you can still watch today’s game. Below are the platforms on which you can watch today’s game live.
If you don’t have cable TV that includes ABC, one of the most cost-effective ways to stream today’s game is through a subscription to Sling TV. To watch today’s game, you’ll need a subscription to the Blue tier, which includes access to your local network affiliate’s live feed (excluding CBS). To level up your coverage and get access to sports and content broadcast on ESPN and TNT, subscribe to the Orange + Blue tier plan.
The Blue tier is $45 per month. The Sling’s Orange + Blue tier costs $60 per month, but the platform currently offers 50% off the first month of any pricing tier, making the Orange + Blue tier $30 for the first month.
Note: Because Sling TV doesn’t carry CBS, you won’t be able to watch CBS-aired programming like next year’s NFL games on CBS. To watch these games, plus PGA golf, UEFA Champions League and more live sports, we recommend you also subscribe to Paramount+ with Showtime. Paramount+ with Showtime costs $12 per month after a one-week free trial.
Top features of Sling TV Orange + Blue tier:
Sling TV is also our top choice to stream the NHL Finals.
There are 46 channels to watch in total, including ABC, NBC and Fox (where available).
You get access to NBA games airing on TNT.
All subscription tiers include 50 hours of cloud-based DVR storage.
You can also catch today’s game on Fubo. Fubo is a sports-centric streaming service that offers access to ABC and ESPN, in addition to almost every NFL game next season.
To watch the NBA Finals without cable, start a seven-day free trial of Fubo. You can begin watching immediately on your TV, phone, tablet or computer. In addition to NBA basketball, you’ll have access to NFL football, MLB, NBA, NHL, MLS and international soccer games. Fubo’s Pro Tier is priced at $80 per month after your free seven-day trial.
Sports fans will want to consider adding on the $7.99 per month Fubo Extra package, which includes MLB Network, NBA TV, NHL Network, Tennis Channel, SEC Network and more channels with live games. Or upgrade to the Fubo Elite tier and get all the Fubo Extra channels, plus the ability to stream in 4K, starting at $90 per month ($70 for the first month).
Top features of FuboTV Pro Tier:
There are no contracts with Fubo, you can cancel anytime.
The Pro tier includes over 180 channels, so there’s something for everyone to enjoy.
Fubo includes most channels you’ll need to watch live sports, including CBS (not available through Sling TV).
All tiers come with 1,000 hours of cloud-based DVR recording.
Stream on your TV, phone, tablet and other devices.
You can watch today’s game with the Hulu + Live TV/ESPN+ bundle. The bundle features 95 channels, including ABC, TNT, local network affiliates and ESPN. It also includes the ESPN+ streaming service. Unlimited DVR storage is also included. Watch today’s game, the 2024 NBA playoffs, MLB this season and network-aired NFL games next season with Hulu + Live TV/ESPN+ bundle.
Hulu + Live TV comes bundled with ESPN+ and Disney+. It’s priced at $77 per month after a three-day free trial.
Watch today’s game live with a digital HDTV antenna
Amazon
You can also watch today’s game on TV with an affordable indoor antenna, which pulls in local over-the-air HDTV channels such as CBS, NBC, ABC, Fox, PBS, Univision and more. Here’s the kicker: There’s no monthly charge.
For anyone living in a partially blocked-off area (those near mountains or first-floor apartments), a digital TV antenna may not pick up a good signal — or any signal at all. But for many homes, a digital TV antenna provides a seriously inexpensive way to watch NBA basketball without paying a cable company. Indoor TV antennas can also provide some much-needed TV backup if a storm knocks out your cable.
This amplified digital antenna with a 50-mile range can receive hundreds of HDTV channels, including ABC, CBS, NBC, PBS, Fox and Univision and can filter out cellular and FM signals. It delivers a high-quality picture in 1080p HDTV and top-tier sound.
The best place to get NBA Finals fan gear: Fanatics
Rooting from home is more fun while repping your team with the latest NBA fan gear. Fanatics is our first stop for the newest NBA fan gear, our go-to for the latest drop of NBA Finals merch like jerseys, commemorative T-shirts, hats and more. Fanatics also has just-released NFL Draft jerseys, like No. 1 overall draft pick Caleb Williams‘ new Chicago Bears jersey. Fanatics is offering free shipping on orders over $24 through June 8, 2024 (exclusions apply, use code FS24).
2024 NBA Playoffs: Full playoff schedule and results
Kristaps Porzingis #8 of the Boston Celtics reacts during the first quarter against the Dallas Mavericks in Game One of the 2024 NBA Finals at TD Garden on June 06, 2024 in Boston, Massachusetts.
Maddie Meyer/Getty Images
2024 NBA Finals schedule
The 2024 NBA Finals is a best-of-seven series beginning on June 6, 2024 airing on ABC. All times Eastern.
BOSTON — Twenty years after the Seven-Seconds-or-Less Phoenix Suns shook up the NBA with an offense the likes of which the league had never seen or tried to defend before, the Boston Celtics have taken things to the next level.
Behold the perfect modern NBA offense, matching 3-point volume and efficacy with ruthlessly efficient midrange shooting, with the occasional drives, dives and triples from the best forward tandem in the league in Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown crushing opponents’ will.
The Celtics did the same thing to the Dallas Mavericks in Game 1 of the NBA Finals on Thursday that they’ve done to opposing defenses all season. They stretched the Mavs to the breaking point, then broke them behind a barrage of first-half 3s and a sensational return to action from Kristaps Porziņģis. Even after Dallas cut a 29-point first-half deficit to 8 midway through the third quarter, Boston had plenty left in the tank to stretch its lead right back to 20 and put away Game 1, 107-89.
Like a great boxer, Boston just bludgeons you with punches from all angles and speeds. Thursday, it was Porziņģis — in his first action since straining his calf in Game 1 of the first round against the Miami Heat in April — who set the tone off the bench. Dallas threw everyone it could at the 7-foot-2 big man: Luka Dončić, Derrick Jones, Jaden Hardy, rookie Dereck Lively II. No one slowed him, much less stopped him; Porziņģis made 7 of 9 shots and scored 18 of his 20 points in the first half, raining jumpers from the elbows and nail. The Cs made 16 of 42 from deep, including three quick ones to end the third quarter and put the Mavericks right back in their place after getting within 72-64.
GO DEEPER
Kristaps Porziņģis’ career was at a crossroads. Then he learned to trust the numbers
At the same time, Brown was turning the game back in Boston’s favor as well by drawing Lively’s fourth and fifth personal fouls within a minute, forcing Dallas to bench its big man, who defends best in space.
“When a team goes on a run, you got to manage it, you got to stay composed, and you got to keep playing basketball,” Brown said of that end-of-quarter stretch. “It’s almost like you just have short-term memory a little bit, like the team’s not even on a run. You got to play smart basketball and make great plays to get us on a (run), get our flow back, and I think in that third quarter, I got to the free-throw line. I think that helped us get going. Then we made some kick-outs to the corner. Al (Horford) got a 3. We was able to get some good offense going.”
Brown finished with 22 points and six rebounds. Tatum was just 6 of 16 from the floor but had 11 rebounds and five assists and made his bones against Dallas as a playmaker, piling up hockey assists all night. Jrue Holiday was a plus-20 in nearly 35 minutes on the floor. The Celtics’ relentless pressure on defenses over 48 minutes this season is why they’re now three games away from the franchise’s 18th NBA title. Pick your poison? It’s all poison when Boston is rolling. And it gets in opponents’ heads.
“We let the crowd get to us, we let the refs get to us, we let them making shots get to us,” Dallas forward P.J. Washington said.
This series isn’t over. Dallas almost always does its best work after a bad Game 1 in a seven-game series. But the Mavericks’ dilemma, again, is that what they’ve become great at defensively this season is what Boston is not dependent upon: scoring in the paint.
Dallas has been an outstanding defense since acquiring Daniel Gafford from the Washington Wizards and Washington from the Charlotte Hornets. Gafford and Lively shut down the lane. The Celtics were good this season at scoring in the paint, finishing tied for eighth in the league with the Milwaukee Bucks in paint points per game (43.7). But that’s not what Boston counts on to take out teams.
Boston has turbocharged what Phoenix did to the league 20 years ago, when the Suns found success playing small ball. The 2003-04 Suns had a brilliant point guard in two-time league MVP Steve Nash, who pushed the pace at every opportunity, never gave up his dribble and sliced up defenses all season. They had wings in Shawn Marion, Quentin Richardson and Joe Johnson, who could all shoot and finish downhill. And the Suns had a sledgehammer of a young power forward in Amare Stoudemire, who dove to the rim for lobs and pocket passes from Nash.
The Suns led the NBA in 2003-04 in 3-point attempts and makes, with 2,026 3-point attempts and 796 makes. This season, Boston also led the NBA in 3-point attempts and makes, after finishing second in each category last season.
The Celtics had 3,482 3-point attempts this season and 1,351 makes. Boston finished just 12 3s short of the single-season team record set last season by the Warriors. And the Celtics are not doing it by playing small; they have massive size up front with Tatum, Brown, Horford and Porziņģis.
“I think we do our best to find what works and then keep doing it,” Holiday said. “I think that’s something that we kind of lock into. And then, at the same time, in NBA games, 20-point (leads) can mean nothing. I just think staying poised and being able to keep our heads helps us with that. I think being consistent and doing things that we feel work worked out tonight.”
The addition of Porziņģis from Washington last summer only adds to the Celtics’ offensive riches.
He gives Boston a dimension it didn’t have in previous years: a big man who can get his shot off, any time, against just about everyone. His development as a scorer at the elbows and nail makes it extremely difficult even if defenses sell out completely on closing out on Boston’s 3-point shooters. Now it doesn’t matter if Tatum or Brown has an off-night shooting. Boston just runs Porziņģis off a pick-and-roll with Derrick White or Holiday, and he squares up (always smaller) defenders and lets it fly.
That takes some pressure off Tatum. But make no mistake: Tatum remains the catalyst for everything that’s happened here over the past several seasons. Even on off-nights shooting like Thursday, his presence tilts the floor.
“For us, it starts with JT, and then it’s kind of a trickle-down effect,” Horford said. “And we’ve all kind of fallen in line because of it. And he is, I feel, a big part of why everybody else gets all these things. He opens up a lot of things for us. And this, tonight, was just another night of us being consistent in that regard.”
The Mavericks spoke afterward about how they have to defend the 3 better and how they’ll do better in Game 2. And they might. Kyrie Irving had an off-night; if he had made two or three wide-open shots, Dallas might have been able to withstand the Celtics’ offensive onslaught into the fourth quarter, when Dallas can close out tight games behind its two premier offensive talents.
But we’re into June now. No one has been able to stop Boston’s offense all season. It’s starting to feel like no one can and might not be able to for quite a while.
(Photo of Kristaps Porziņģis: Maddie Meyer / Getty Images)
Thanks to Thursday night’s impressive blowout win over the Minnesota Timberwolves in Minneapolis, the Dallas Mavericks are headed to the NBA Finals. That’s where the Luka Doncic-led squad will face off against the Boston Celtics…
MINNEAPOLIS — Luka Doncic had a 20-point first quarter on his way to 36 points for his high this postseason, and the Dallas Mavericks beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 124-103 on Thursday night to breeze through the Western Conference finals in five games.
Kyrie Irving also scored 36 points for the Mavericks, who built a 29-point halftime lead on 61% shooting to deflate the once-energized crowd before most fans got up for their first snack break. The Mavs went up by as much as 36 in the third quarter, all the while keeping the Timberwolves offense all out of whack.
The Mavs, who had the fifth seed in the West, have a full week to rest before the NBA Finals begin in Boston on June 6 for the franchise’s first appearance since winning the championship in 2011. The Celtics will have had 10 days between games after sweeping Indiana in the Eastern Conference finals.
Luka Doncic #77 of the Dallas Mavericks drives to the basket against Anthony Edwards #5 of the Minnesota Timberwolves during the third quarter in Game Five of the Western Conference Finals at Target Center on May 30, 2024 in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
David Berding / Getty Images
Anthony Edwards scored 28 points and Karl-Anthony Towns had 28 points and 12 rebounds for the third-seeded Wolves, who met their match with the defense-smashing duo of Doncic and Irving after stifling Phoenix in a first-round sweep and then dethroning defending champion Denver in a seven-game series.
Irving improved to 15-1 in his career in closeout games in the playoffs.
Doncic set a defiant tone by starting 4 for 4, hitting rainbows from 28 and 31 feet as he turned to talk trash to the courtside fans with each swish, often with a sly smile. He drained a 32-footer later in a first quarter as the Mavs closed on a 17-1 spurt, a run they pushed to 28-5 over a nine-minute stretch.
It was Doncic’s second 20-point quarter in his postseason career, following a 21-point fourth quarter in the Western Conference finals loss to Golden State in 2022.
Doncic, who shot 14 for 22 and grabbed 10 rebounds, and his savvy sidekick Irving, who has a championship ring from 2016 with Cleveland, were the superior stars in this series as this Wolves team found its first taste of a sustained postseason run to be a bitter — but perhaps ultimately beneficial — one.
Though he familiarly and persistently waved his arms at the officials almost every time a whistle didn’t go his way, the 25-year-old Doncic played with an unshakeable confidence and unflappable joy from start to finish. As he was taunted by the fans with a “Flopper!” chant when he shot free throws in the third quarter, Doncic smiled and mockingly mouthed the words along with them.
Edwards, though he hit the 25-point mark for the 15th time in 27 career playoff games, had trouble finding his rhythm amid all the double-teams. The Wolves, for all their progress this season, were reminded they don’t yet have a championship offense despite his dynamic skills and clutch mentality.
They had several wince-inducing possessions in the decisive first half, with the coaches struggling to find a group that could play in sync together.
As the final seconds of the second quarter ticked away, Edwards drove to the lane and kicked the ball to the corner to Kyle Anderson, who swung it back to Towns on the wing and failed to find a look he liked. He passed back to Anderson, who tried to move closer and had the shot clock expire on him.
P.J. Washington, who had 12 points, flexed his arms in celebration of yet another stifling defensive sequence by the Mavs.
The Mavs got 7-foot-1 rookie Dereck Lively II back from the sprained neck that kept him out of the previous game, restoring the complete rim protection duo with Daniel Gafford that helped them disrupt Rudy Gobert in the post and just about everyone else who tried to attack the basket.
Gafford had 11 points and nine rebounds, and Lively added nine points and eight rebounds.
MINNEAPOLIS — Optimism among many Timberwolves fans is still high heading into Sunday’s pivotal Game 3 against the Dallas Mavericks.
One of the reasons for that is Naz Reid, the team’s sixth man who’s become a cult hero during this playoff run.
Kyle Dennis is such a big fan that he spray-painted “Naz Reid” in giant letters on the garage of his home in St. Francis.
“I’ve had some people driving by taking pictures, honking their horn, yelling, ‘Naz Reid’ out the window,” Dennis said.
Neighbors approve of the new garage art.
“At first I thought, ‘I don’t know what he’s doing,’” said Elyssia Tradewell, who lives across the street from Dennis. “[My husband’s] like, ‘I bet he’s doing a sign,’ but we didn’t know what the sign was for really, and then when it came up, we were like, ‘Ok, yeah!’”
Danny Stupca and his son, Thomas, made the trip from Minnetonka to Dallas for Game 3.
They booked their flight before Game 7 of the last round when the Wolves hadn’t even beaten the Denver Nuggets yet.
“Some of the best basketball memories I have with my dad was the Western Conference Finals back in 2004,” Stupca said. “I’ve had season tickets for a decade and a half, so it’s so cool to finally have the opportunity to bring my son to the game as well and recreate that experience for him.”
David joined the WCCO team in April 2020, previously working at CBS 58 in Milwaukee. Prior to that, he worked in Las Vegas. While there, David covered several stories in the national spotlight, including the October 1 mass shooting and political visits from President Barack Obama and candidates Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton.
