The Mavericks have publicly campaigned for Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving to be voted as starters for this year’s All-Star Game.

Nets team, saying the Mavericks didn’t just win the swap that brought him to Dallas, but got the best deal in the NBA.

Even without important pieces like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Luka Doncic, Chet Holmgren, Isaiah Hartenstein and Dereck Lively II, both teams' role players simmered the beef between the ball clubs. The usually well-mannered Thunder were hit with multiple technical fouls. PJ Washington continued to poke the bear.

A lot of this stems back to the 2024 playoffs when Dallas beat the top-seeded Thunder in the second round in six games, but this is becoming one of the best rivalries in the NBA, and Kyrie Irving had an up-close view of all of it.

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.

Irving is listed on the injury report as he continues to deal with a lumbar back sprain. Meanwhile, Dereck Lively II (right ankle sprain), Luka Doncic (left calf strain) and Dante Exum (right wrist surgery) are all out for Friday's game. It is worth noting that Mavs head coach Jason Kidd previously said he expects Irving to play on Friday.

In a recent interview, Kyrie Irving described his trade from the Brooklyn Nets to the Dallas Mavericks as a victory.

The Dallas Mavericks are playing a second straight game against the Denver Nuggets on Tuesday night after falling 112-101 at home on Sunday. They could be getting a major boost to the lineup for this game, though, as Kyrie Irving is nearing a return.

Mavs-Thunder rivalry stirring up from 'Last Time That I Checc'd' The song "Last Time That I Checc'd" has plenty of history beginning with the Mavs. The team was blaring the song f