The Dallas Mavericks are in title contention this season but have unfortunately dealt with injuries to Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving as the role players try to steer the ship until the stars return.

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.

The Mavericks have had some ups and downs. Will they make moves for the better as February's trade deadline draws near?

Heads back to bench

Dinwiddie posted 16 points (4-13 FG, 0-3 3Pt, 8-10 FT), four rebounds, 10 assists and one steal over 39 minutes during Sunday's 112-101 loss to Denver.

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

The NBA's two-minute report won't help the Mavericks fans' belief that they were robbed of a win on Wednesday.

Dejounte Murray scored 30 points, Trey Murphy III blocked Spencer Dinwiddie’s layup for the lead with 4 seconds left and the New Orleans Pelicans outlasted the injury-depleted Dallas Mavericks 119-116.

Both Dallas and OKC were missing MVP candidates on Friday night, but the Mavericks were able to get a much-needed victory.

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.

The Dallas Mavericks played the second game of back-to-back games against the New Orleans Pelicans at the Smoothie King Center on Wednesday night. The Mavericks lost to the Pelicans 119-116.