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.

Kyrie Irving got brutally honest on the Mavericks' brewing rivalry with the Thunder after Friday night's game.

Kyrie Irving scored 25 points as the Dallas Mavericks brought the high-flying Oklahoma City Thunder down to earth with a 106-98 victory over the Western Conference leaders on Friday. Oklahoma City, riding high after their rout of Eastern Conference pace-setters Cleveland on Thursday,

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

Trade rumors are flying across the NBA as the trade deadline is less than a month away (February 6th), and most trade restrictions let up this week on January 15th. The Dallas Mavericks have been connected in some trades for players like Jimmy Butler and Kyle Kuzma, but one NBA writer believes in a different strategy for the Mavs.

When diving into the latest trade rumors, it's clear that the Dallas Mavericks were smart to not pursue a blockbuster trade for this intriguing forward.