Naji Marshall gave the Mavericks exactly the kind of jolt they were missing in San Antonio.
After a quiet return from illness against the Sacramento Kings on Monday night, Marshall looked much more like himself in a tight game against the Spurs. He finished with 22 points on 75 percent shooting, and 13 of those came in the fourth quarter as Dallas dug out of a 19-point hole and pulled back into the fight against one of the league’s top defensive teams.
The Mavericks had trouble finding easy offense early, especially without their usual transition rhythm. That pushed Head Coach Dusty May to lean on smaller lineups in the second half, using more Marshall alongside Caleb Martin and P.J.
Washington in the frontcourt. The change opened up more space and more shooting, and Marshall started to take over from there.
He got going in the third quarter with a drive into open space for a layup, then knocked down a corner shot in the closing seconds that counted as a 2-pointer because his foot was on the 3-point line. By the fourth, he was rolling. Marshall made all three of his 3-pointers and added two more buckets in the paint, turning limited chances into real production.
That’s the part Dallas can lean on. Marshall can score in different ways, and that matters when the offense bogs down.
If Cooper Flagg is in a rough stretch or Daniel Gafford and Morez Johnson Jr. can’t get much going inside, Marshall’s ability to finish around the rim gives the Mavericks another answer. When the jumper is falling, he can look like a legitimate second- or third-option scorer.
His value goes beyond the raw points, too. Last season, Marshall was highly efficient in the short mid-range and at the rim, shooting 71 percent at the rim and 54 percent from the short mid-range. Both marks were well above the league average for forwards, and his short mid-range work ranked among the best in the league.
He’s also been one of Dallas’ most effective half-court pick-and-roll scorers, ranking second on the team behind Flagg in both efficiency and frequency. That kind of variety gives the Mavericks a different kind of weapon on nights when transition offense isn’t there and shot creation gets sticky.
The nickname may be “The Knife,” but Marshall looked more like a Swiss Army knife in this one. If he keeps getting downhill, keeps punishing defenses with his floater, and keeps making teams pay when they leave him open from deep, Dallas will have a much better chance to survive the stretches when the offense stalls.
In Other News...
Cooper Flaggs Historic Start Just Got More Complicated
Cooper Flaggs first month in the NBA has already pushed him into rare company, and the early numbers are still striking for a 19-year-old trying to find his footing in Dallas. Entering the recent game against the San Antonio Spurs, he was averaging 25.2 points, 5.7 rebounds and 6.5 assists, production that has helped him move into the conversation with some of the best teenage scorers the league has ever seen.
The recent scoring dip has made the climb a little more complicated, even as his place on the all-time list continues to grow. With 17 games left before he turns 20, Flagg still has time to add to that standing, but the next few weeks will say plenty about how high he can rise before this chapter closes. [Read more 🡒]
Cooper Flaggs Scoring Slump Is Becoming A Real Mavericks Concern
Cooper Flagg still found ways to impact the game in the Mavericks 112-111 loss to the Spurs, finishing with 19 points, 10 rebounds and five assists. Even so, the bigger takeaway was the same one that has followed him lately: the shot is not falling with the kind of consistency Dallas needs, and the rookies recent stretch has started to draw real attention inside the building.
Dusty May and Kyrie Irving both addressed Flaggs performance and the challenge he is working through, a sign that this is becoming more than a one-game issue. For a Mavericks team trying to steady itself in close games, Flaggs production matters, but so does the way he responds when the scoring comes harder than expected. [Read more 🡒]
Dereck Livelys Long Absence Is Creating A Mavericks Dilemma
Dereck Lively IIs long rehab has quietly become one of the more important issues hanging over the Mavericks this season. The young center has not played in the 2026-27 campaign while recovering from a right foot injury that required a second surgery, and Dallas still has not put a timetable on when he might return. For a team trying to plan both its present rotation and its future frontcourt, that uncertainty matters.
Livelys situation also has contract implications that go beyond the injury report. The Mavericks declined to offer him a contract extension before the season, so he is now headed toward restricted free agency after the year, with his health and performance set to weigh heavily in whatever comes next. Dallas will have to decide whether to commit long term based on what it sees once he is back on the floor, but for now the most important question remains unanswered. [Read more 🡒]