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.

Both Dallas and OKC were missing MVP candidates on Friday night, but the Mavericks were able to get a much-needed victory.

Nikola Jokic posted his league-leading 17th triple-double of the season, bundling 24 points with 12 rebounds and 10 assists in the Denver Nuggets’ 133-113 road win over the Miami Heat on Friday night.

In a matchup of depleted rosters, the Oklahoma City Thunder suffered a 106-98 loss to the Dallas Mavericks on Saturday. The Thunder were without Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Chet Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein.

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.

The Mavericks have had some ups and downs. Will they make moves for the better as February's trade deadline draws near?

It’s hard to figure out just how good the Mavericks are at the midway point of the season given the litany of injuries to their key players.

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.

The Mavericks will need to have a quick memory before playing the Pelicans on Wednesday night. before then, here are three takeaways from Tuesday's disappointment. READ MORE: Mavericks' Luka Doncic Now Ineligible For NBA Postseason Awards, Including MVP

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