Dallas Mavericks May Have Stumbled Into Elite Lineup in Shocking Win Over Cavaliers

The Dallas Mavericks dominated the Cleveland Cavaliers on the road on Sunday afternoon, winning 130-120. This came as a huge surprise, considering the Cavs just torched the Mavs in Dallas on Friday, 138-105, but the Mavericks responded in a big way on Sunday.

The biggest difference in the game was the starting lineup. Jason Kidd decided to go small, going with a first five of Ryan Nembhard, Max Christie, Cooper Flagg, Naji Marshall, and P.J. Washington. This came after Flagg praised Nembhard and how much he loved playing with him after Friday's game, but starting Washington at center was a new one. And the Mavs' entire frontcourt had big outings.

Cooper Flagg led the way with 27 points, 10 assists, 6 rebounds, and 2 blocks on 10/17 shooting. He finally looks to be comfortable after returning from his midfoot sprain. Naji Marshall was just behind him with 25 points, 7 assists, and 5 rebounds on 8/12 shooting. And, finally, P.J. Washington had a nice game with 20 points, 11 rebounds, and 5 steals.

Jason Kidd spoke about the lineup change after the game. "We were just looking to generate some more 3s, and we thought with [P.J. Washington] at the 5, we could do that with Ryan and him. Being able to generate 3s. Playing with pace. I thought the energy with the ball was moving there with that first group."

They did make more threes, going 15/30 from behind the arc, but they didn't necessarily take any more. In fact, those 30 attempts were below their season average. The 15 makes were 50% more than their per game average, though, and it's a big reason why they won this game.

Mar 15, 2026; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard James Harden (1) drives to the basket against Dallas Mavericks forward P.J. Washington (25) during the second half at Rocket Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images | Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

Mavericks Could Look to Go Small Next Season

While Dereck Lively II should hopefully be healthy for next season, and Daniel Gafford and Marvin Bagley III could come back (possibly even Moussa Cisse), going small in certain situations could really benefit the Mavs.

Imagining a lineup of Kyrie Irving, Max Christie (or a lottery pick like Kingston Flemings, Mikel Brown Jr., or Darius Acuff Jr.), Cooper Flagg, Naji Marshall, and P.J. Washington would bring a lot of on-ball playmaking, enough shooting if Flagg develops his three-point shot, and defensive versatility. We know how much Coach Kidd prides himself on defense, which is why Acuff may not be the best fit as a prospect, but that lineup would have all of the versatility needed to compete with teams.

They'd still have Lively and possibly Gafford to contend with the bigger lineups like the Houston Rockets, and could give them a lot of different combinations to beat a lot of teams if Irving is anywhere near the player he used to be.

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