One could argue it has been a year of transition for the NBA’s Dallas Mavericks. Things did not go according to plan when they traded Luka Doncic to the Lakers last season, and the Mavericks have needed time to develop since selecting Cooper Flagg first overall in the 2025 NBA Draft.
However, on Friday night there was a glimmer of hope for Mavericks fans about the possibility of what we could see from this Mavericks group in the future. Dallas was not expected to beat the Portland Trail Blazers as they were an 11 point underdog on the road heading into their game at the Moda Center in Portland, Oregon, but it was the Mavericks that came through with an impressive 100-93 victory.
Four Mavericks players reached double digits in scoring. Power forward Marvin Bagley III of Tempe, Arizona led the way with 26 points. (Bagley III was traded from the Washington Wizards to the Mavericks at the 2026 trade deadline in the deal that saw Anthony Davis be traded from the Mavericks to the Wizards. Davis was the principal player the Mavericks received in the Doncic deal). Meanwhile, Flagg, a small forward from Newport, Maine, had 24 points, small forward Naji Marshall of Atlantic City, New Jersey had 19 points, and point guard Brandon Williams of Los Angeles, California had 10 points.
The Mavericks improved to a record of 24 wins and 50 losses. However, they were eliminated from participation in the controversial play-in tournament a week ago. Portland rebounded on Sunday by beating the Wizards 123-88 as a 16.5 point favourite.
