At the new Fiserv Forum on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, the Mavericks gave the start to Jalen Brunson in what might be the last game without Dennis Smith, Jr. for the foreseeable future. Brunson rose to the challenge, coming out firing in the first quarter and keeping Dallas in the game as Luka Doncic and Harrison Barnes struggled from the field. After a big second-quarter surge led by team defense, three-point shooting, and Wesley Matthews, Dallas fought back to take a 59-57 lead into halftime.
After falling behind again in the third quarter and weathering the ejection of a stunned Dwight Powell when Dallas seemed unable to buy a foul call, the Mavericks fought back hard to within six points with under five minutes to go in the game, only to have comeback hopes snuffed out in three successive plays with about three minutes to go.