Hardy missed nearly three weeks in December because of a right ankle injury. His newfound consistency since returning resulted in a season-high 25 points

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 played the fourth and final matchup of the season against the Portland Trail Blazers on Thursday night, with an early start time due to inclement weather in the Dallas area. Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving remain out for the Mavs, but they did get Daniel Gafford back already.

DALLAS — No one in the NBA is shooting better from beyond the 3-point line over the last two weeks than Jaden Hardy ... Klay Thompson and Naji Marshall, but Hardy’s contributions are years ...

The Mavs have gotten that surge from third-year pro Jaden Hardy, who has stepped up in the absence of the two Dallas stars. "Third-year guard Jaden Hardy was a major bright spot for the Mavs ...

January 10 - Jaden Hardy came off the bench to score a season-high ... The Mavericks connected on 45.5 percent of their shots and were 10 of 30 from behind the arc. Naji Marshall added 11 points for Dallas. Portland shot 41.9 percent from the field ...

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. It was Marshall’s first game since serving ...

The Dallas Mavericks returned home to host the Oklahoma City Thunder in a one-game tilt at the American Airlines Center on Friday night. The Mavericks narrowly defeated the Thunder 106-98 in regulation.

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.

T he short handed Dallas Mavericks (23-19) bested the short handed Oklahoma City Thunder (34-7) 106-98 in an intense matchup Friday night in Dallas. Kyrie Irving led all Mavericks

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.

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