Trey Murphy reveals Naji Marshall’s playful text following the controversial ending to the Pelicans' 119-116 win over the Mavericks.

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.

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.

There's no doubt that the Mavericks are proving to be a legitimate contender in the Western Conference, when their superstar trio is healthy.

The Dallas Mavericks are in title contention this season but have unfortunately dealt with injuries to Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving as the role players try to steer the ship until the stars return.

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

Marshall has seen a boost in minutes with Luka Doncic on the mend and is coming off a decent performance in the win over the Trail Blazers. The 26-year-old has scored in double digits in two of the last three games, with Dallas needing to continue to lean on him until Doncic returns.

After some much-needed time off, the Dallas Mavericks hosted the Denver Nuggets in the third game of the four-game homestand. The Mavericks knew defense was key, especially without Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving,

The Dallas Mavericks sought a two-game winning streak, and so did the Portland Trail Blazers, as the two West teams entered Thursday night’s game. The Mavericks defeated the Trail Blazers 117-111 at the American Airlines Center on Thursday night.