Dallas Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving has gone against San Antonio Spurs big man Victor Wembanyama a few times now. Irving has come away impressed with the Spurs rookie.

"You got to be aware of him late challenging, and he has the timing of a guard. I don’t know if it’s just he’s played against guards, but I’m just saying, I think he’s got a lot of reps of playing against good guards and guarding them one-on-one. Today, I thought I had a reverse layup and he ended up blocking it on the left side, because I thought he was going to be on the right side. But he has this long wingspan, so he covers up a lot of space. Me as a competitor and challenger, I like going in there and challenging him, because if you can finish on [Victor Wembanyama], I feel like you can finish on anybody in the world. He’s going to block some and he’s going to make you change it, but it’s only going to make you better as a basketball player, and that’s what I want, and I think everybody should relish in that. But also be smart in challenging him, because he does bate you a lot," Irving said. "He does do things like a Defensive Player of the Year would. He’s showing signs that’s he’s exceeded all the Defensive Player of the Year stats of the previous guys that have won it. You guys see it. I don’t know. who they’re going to pick, but I mean he has all the tools to be named Defensive Player of the Year. He’s for sure a candidate. I don’t know how he wouldn’t be, unless the games played and minutes. But every Defensive Player of the Year that’s won the past few years, he’s almost head and shoulder and we still have what 15 or some odd games left? I give him credit for being such a young player but learning on the fly and doing everything he can to get his team wins.”

Irving's Mavs won all three matchups he played in against the Spurs (and the one game between the two that Irving missed), but Wembanyama was impressive each game. The Dallas star is the latest in a long line to hype up the San Antonio rookie big man.

The Dallas Mavericks will be without a key rotation player for at least a couple of weeks. Josh Green will be out at least two weeks due to a severe right ankle sprain, according to Mavs head coach Jason Kidd.

Green previously missed a month of action from early-December to early-January due to an elbow injury. Green has alternated between coming off the Dallas bench and starting this season.

In 54 games, the fourth-year wing has averaged 8.5 points on over 40% three-point shooting. Green has also grabbed 3.2 rebounds in 26.6 minutes per game.

An MRI on Luka Doncic's hamstring returned clean, according to Jason Kidd.

Doncic, who missed the Mavs' lost to the Thunder on Thursday, did not travel with the team to Oklahoma City.

Doncic will be re-evaluated this weekend. 

The Mavs play the Nuggets at home on Sunday.

Luka Doncic left the Dallas Mavericks' win over the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday night in the fourth quarter due to left hamstring soreness.

Jason Kidd said he was unsure as to the extent of the injury.

"We'll have a better answer (Thursday). This is a fluid thing. This thing is being talked about now," said Kidd.

Doncic finished with 21 points, 9 rebounds, and 3 assists, snapping his streak of seven straight triple-doubles. 

DeMar DeRozan and Luka Doncic have been named the NBA's Players of the Week for Week 20.

DeRozan averaged 29.8 points, 5.5 rebounds and 6.3 assists as the Chicago Bulls went 3.1.

Doncic averaged 37.7 points, 10.3 rebounds and 10.7 assists as the Dallas Mavericks went 2-1.

Luka Doncic and Jayson Tatum were named Players of the Month for their respective conferences for the month of February.

Doncic averaged 33.4 points, 9.6 rebounds and 10.3 assists. Doncic's Dallas Mavericks went 8-3 in February.

Tatum averaged 27.2 points, 8.9 rebounds and 6.7 assists. Tatum's Boston Celtics went 9-1 in February.

The NBA has rescinded a technical foul issued to Luka Doncic in the fourth quarter of the Dallas Mavericks' loss on Sunday to the Philadelphia 76ers.

Doncic has had one other technical foul rescinded by the NBA.

Doncic currently has 13 technical fouls and is three short of a one-game suspension. 

Alex Fudge has agreed to sign a Two-Way contract with the Dallas Mavericks.

Fudge was previously on a Two-Way with the Los Angeles Lakers. In 18 games with the South Bay Lakers, Fudge averaged 7.8 points, 5.1 rebounds and 1.7 blocks in 17.3 minutes. 

Fudge is represented by Shayaun Saee.

The Dallas Mavericks are converting AJ Lawson from a Two-Way contract to a standard NBA contract, sources told Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.

Lawson has appeared in 28 games for the Mavs this season.