Time is running out for the Dallas Mavericks, whose once-promising season has taken an unexpected turn south in recent weeks.

Dallas (36-39) has lost four straight and seven of its last nine heading into Monday’s critical matchup against the Indiana Pacers in Indianapolis.

Dallas sits in 11th place in the Western Conference, one loss behind the Oklahoma City Thunder in the race for the final spot in the play-in tournament. The Thunder were scheduled to play later Sunday night.

The Mavericks will have Luka Doncic for the contest, however. The four-time All-Star picked up his 16th technical foul of the season in Sunday’s 110-104 loss to the Charlotte Hornets, but the league office rescinded the technical Monday afternoon. He remains at 15 technicals on the season.

Doncic scored 40 points on Sunday as the Mavericks lost to Charlotte for the second time in three days. Dallas fell to 7-13 since Kyrie Irving was acquired in a trade from the Brooklyn Nets.

“It’s unfortunate that we let these two games go and we have to figure out a way to stop the bleeding,” Mavericks coach Jason Kidd said.

Kidd is also working closely with Doncic to rediscover his star’s love of the game. Doncic spoke about his frustration level after Friday’s loss to the Hornets.

“I think you can see it with me on the court,” Doncic said. “Sometimes I don’t feel it’s me. I’m just being out there. I used to have really fun, smiling on court, but it’s just been so frustrating for a lot of reasons, not just basketball.”

After beginning its five-game road trip with another disappointing loss, the Mavericks will look to regroup against Indiana (33-42), which has lost five of its last seven.

Dallas dropped its first meeting against Indiana 124-122 on Feb. 28. Doncic scored a game-high 39 points in the loss, while Tyrese Haliburton had 32 points to lead Indiana.

The Pacers concluded a four-game trip on Saturday with a 143-130 loss to the Atlanta Hawks. Indiana dropped three of the four games and is 3 1/2 games behind the Chicago Bulls for 10th place and the final play-in spot in the Eastern Conference.

One bright spot in Saturday’s loss was the play of third-year pro Jordan Nwora, who was acquired from the Milwaukee Bucks on Feb. 9. Nwora scored 25 points in the second quarter against Atlanta and finished with a season-high 33 points.

“He has the ability to get going,” Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said. “We saw it when he was with Milwaukee against us. The thing I loved is he did it in the most efficient way. He’s got the touch and he’s got the range. He’s a good player.”

With Indiana’s hopes for a spot in the play-in tournament fading, Carlisle has started looking more toward the future. The Pacers’ focus over the past week has been on the development of young players such as Bennedict Mathurin and Nwora.

Nwora, a 6-foot-9 forward, finished 12-of-17 shooting against Atlanta, including 4-of-7 from 3-point range.

“The kid can flat-out score,” Pacers guard T.J. McConnell said. “I gotta keep feeding him and continue the hot hand. Since he’s gotten here, he’s been unbelievable. He’s a great kid, great teammate and a special scorer.”

Indiana center Myles Turner could be available Monday after sitting out one game with lower back soreness. Turner is averaging 18 points and 7.5 rebounds while shooting 54.8 percent from the field.

–Field Level Media

The Denver Nuggets got through one test and now they have another ahead of them despite the opponent being without its best player.

Denver (50-24) used a huge second half to beat the Milwaukee Bucks on Saturday night and face another top team from the Eastern Conference when it hosts the Philadelphia 76ers on Monday night.

Philadelphia (49-25) is coming off a 20-point loss at Phoenix on Saturday night, its second straight and third in the last four. The Sixers are four games behind Milwaukee for the top seed in the Eastern Conference and are in second place in the Atlantic Division.

One reason Philadelphia is scuffling is the absence of James Harden, who has missed three games with a sore Achilles. Harden leads the NBA in assists per game at 10.8 and is averaging 21.4 points a game.

Harden reportedly is expected to play against the Nuggets, but coach Doc Rivers said he will prioritize health with his point guard.

“You want them to get healthy, and you don’t want to coach trying to push guys to play, put any pressure on guys,” Rivers said Saturday. “We’ve got to be healthy when it counts. If that means James doesn’t play Monday, I have no qualms with that. We need him back, but we want him back for the long haul. We don’t want him in and out, especially at this point in the season.”

A subplot of Monday’s game had been Joel Embiid going against Nikola Jokic in a matchup of MVP candidates. However, the 76ers have reportedly decided to sit Embiid (calf) for precautionary reasons, given the density of their schedule.

Embiid leads the NBA in scoring with 33.3 points a game and had a statement game when the teams played in Philadelphia on Jan. 28. Embiid finished with 47 points and 18 rebounds in a 126-119 win.

Jokic, meanwhile, is eight assists shy of averaging a triple-double for the season and is coming off a 31-point, 11-assist performance against the Bucks. Jokic has won the last two MVP awards and appeared to be the favorite for a third straight before Embiid’s recent play.

While Jokic winning the MVP would be a bonus, the Nuggets are focused on clinching the top seed in the Western Conference. Entering Sunday, they lead Memphis by 3 1/2 games with eight remaining, and a win over Philadelphia would get them a step closer.

Denver has recovered from a recent four-game losing streak to win its last three and can push that to five if it can sweep this quick homestand. However, coach Michael Malone isn’t taking anything for granted.

“I worry about everything. I don’t ever assume anything,” Malone said. “I think with (eight) games to go, we’ve seen here in Denver the last seven, eight games some pretty uncharacteristic basketball for us.”

The Nuggets clicked in the second half against Milwaukee, outscoring the Bucks 66-40. Jamal Murray, considered the key to a deep playoff run, had 26 points and is finding his stroke down the stretch but was happier with the team’s defense.

“When we’re playing defense at a high level and rotating, everybody knows exactly what they’re doing, we’re tough to beat,” he said.

–Field Level Media

Nikola Jokic had 25 points, 17 rebounds and 12 assists for his 29th triple-double of the season, leading the host Denver Nuggets to a 116-111 victory over the short-handed Philadelphia 76ers on Monday night.

Jamal Murray added 19 points, Bruce Brown scored 18, Michael Porter Jr. supplied 15 and Aaron Gordon 12 for Denver (51-24). The Nuggets have won four straight.

Tyrese Maxey scored 29 points, Paul Reed and Tobias Harris had 16 points apiece and Jalen McDaniels finished with 14 for Philadelphia (49-26). Joel Embiid (calf) and James Harden (Achilles) didn’t play for the Sixers, who have lost three straight but nearly rallied to win it late in the game.

Denver led by as much as 11 in the first quarter but Maxey got hot in the second. He was 8-for-11 shooting, made a pair of 3-pointers and finished with 20 points in the period. He made two layups late to help the Sixers get within 61-57 at halftime.

Philadelphia opened the third quarter with a basket, but the Nuggets started to take control. Jokic scored 12 points and Gordon had six during a 22-2 run that put Denver ahead 83-61.

Reed heated up late in the period with eight points in less than two minutes to get the Sixers back within 16, and they were within 91-77 heading into the fourth.

The Nuggets’ bench came alive at the start of the final period to expand the lead. Brown scored four points, Zeke Nnaji had a dunk on a feed from Murray and Christian Braun had a follow-up dunk and corner 3-pointer to force a Philadelphia timeout.

The lead was 20 after another dunk by Nnaji, but the Sixers’ bench mounted a late rally. Philadelphia went on a 16-2 run to get within 112-107 with 1:23 left. Jeff Green’s dunk made it a seven-point game, but a layup by Furkan Korkmaz and a dunk from Montrezl Harrell made it 114-111 with 28.9 seconds left.

Green made two free throws with 13.3 seconds left to seal it.

–Field Level Media

Devin Booker scored 24 points and the Phoenix Suns dominated the fourth quarter to finish off a 117-103 victory over the Utah Jazz in Salt Lake City on Monday night.

Deandre Ayton added 14 points with eight rebounds, Chris Paul dished out 10 assists with nine points and three reserves scored in double figures — Terrence Ross (13 points), Cameron Payne (12) and Bismack Biyombo (11) — to help the Suns (40-35) keep momentum from a win over Philadelphia on Saturday.

The Jazz (35-40), paced by Lauri Markkanen’s 25 points and nine rebounds, erased a double-digit deficit and even took a lead late in the third quarter before falling apart in the fourth en route to their fourth loss in a row.

Utah was outscored 33-22 in the final 12 minutes at home after playing well in the middle quarters to turn the game competitive.

Walker Kessler contributed 18 points, eight rebounds and seven blocks, Kelly Olynyk had 10 points, seven rebounds and seven assists and Talen Horton-Tucker totaled 16 points, eight rebounds and eight assists in the loss.

Phoenix dominated the first quarter, going up by double digits after a 9-2 run and then taking a 37-26 lead into the second.

The Jazz used a 17-3 spurt to momentarily surpass the Suns late in the second quarter after a Horton-Tucker layup.

Phoenix bounced back to seize a 57-52 lead by halftime.

Utah briefly caught up to the Suns in the third quarter after Ochai Agbaji drained consecutive 3-pointers during a 10-0 run. The Jazz were up by three before Phoenix closed out the quarter by scoring six straight points for an 84-81 lead heading into the fourth.

Ross hit two jumpers and Payne drained three free throws as the Suns scored seven unanswered points to open the final stanza and reclaim their double-digit lead.

The Suns’ bench outscored Utah’s reserves 57-25 to help Phoenix overcome poor shooting marks from the field (42.6 percent) and from beyond the arc (30.6 percent).

–Field Level Media

Immanuel Quickley scored a career-high 40 points and the New York Knicks snapped a three-game losing skid with a 137-115 victory over the visiting Houston Rockets on Monday.

Quickley finished 14 of 18 and drilled five 3-pointers to lead the Knicks (43-33). He joined Julius Randle, RJ Barrett and Jalen Brunson in recording 40-point games for the Knicks this season.

Randle added 26 points while Barrett scored 19 to co-author the runaway win over Houston (18-58), which fell to 0-4 on its current five-game road trip. Brunson (hand) was unavailable.

Behind Quickley’s game-high nine assists, the Knicks finished with a season-high 35 helpers while shooting 58.1 percent.

Kevin Porter Jr. led Houston with 26 points while Jalen Green added 19 points and Kenyon Martin Jr. 18. Rookie Jabari Smith Jr. had a double-double of 14 points and 11 rebounds plus six assists.

Quickley and Randle scored 11 points in the Knicks’ 13-6 run to open the third quarter, a run that allowed the Knicks to push to a 79-67 lead. Quickley did not relent, scoring at will and in a timely fashion whenever the Rockets appeared poised to make a rally. He paired 15 points with five assists in the third, and when Randle beat the buzzer with a 3-pointer, the Knicks led 102-90.

When the Knicks opened the final period with a 10-0 burst, the rout was fully underway.

The Rockets were in the fight early, shooting 60 percent in the opening quarter to keep pace. There were 12 lead changes and four ties in the first, and while Martin led Houston with 11 points in the frame, Randle (15 points) and Quickley (13) combined for 28.

The Knicks appeared to seize control when they grabbed their first double-digit lead at 49-39 on a Josh Hart layup following a Houston turnover less than five minutes into the second quarter. Yet, despite the Rockets going nearly five minutes without a field goal, the Knicks failed to pull away. And when Green buried a 19-foot, step-back baseline jumper, Houston drew even at 49-49 with 5:12 remaining in the first half.

Quickley ended the Rockets’ 10-0 spurt with a 3-pointer before adding a steal and transition layup and a jumper with 12.6 seconds remaining in the second that provided the Knicks a 66-61 halftime lead. Barrett scored 12 points in the period to round out the Knicks’ scoring, with Quickley and Randle combining for 39 points prior to the intermission.

–Field Level Media

Luka Doncic scored 25 points and Jaden Hardy added 20 off the bench as the Dallas Mavericks snapped a four-game losing streak with a 127-104 rout of the short-handed Indiana Pacers on Monday in Indianapolis.

Kyrie Irving had 16 points, Tim Hardaway Jr. scored 13, Reggie Bullock added 11, and JaVale McGee had 10 for Dallas (37-39), which shot 56.6 percent from the field and 18 of 37 (48.6 percent) from 3-point range.

The Mavericks are in 11th place in the Western Conference, a half-game behind the Oklahoma City Thunder in the race for the final spot in the play-in tournament.

Indiana (33-43) trailed by as many as 31 and lost its third straight despite rookie Bennedict Mathurin’s 26 points. Andrew Nembhard scored 17 points, T.J. McConnell added 15 off the bench, and Jordan Nwora had 13 points and nine rebounds.

Indiana played without guards Buddy Hield (non-COVID illness) and Chris Duarte (sore left ankle), as well as All-Star point guard Tyrese Haliburton and center Myles Turner (injury management).

Doncic avoided a one-game suspension and was able to play after his 16th technical foul of the season was rescinded by the NBA league office on Monday afternoon. Players automatically receive a one-game suspension after 16 technical fouls each season.

After Irving scored 11 points in the first quarter to help Dallas to a 29-27 lead after 12 minutes, the Mavericks began to take control by opening the second quarter on a 14-2 run.

Dallas led by as many as 17 late in the second quarter, but Nwora hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer to cut the deficit to 59-47 at the break. Nwora and Mathurin scored 10 points apiece in the first half for Indiana, which shot 2 of 13 from beyond the arc.

Doncic provided the highlight of the night late in the third quarter with a dazzling crosscourt pass around two defenders to Hardy, who drained a 3-pointer to extend the Mavericks’ lead to 89-72.

Dallas outscored Indiana 40-27 in the third quarter and carried a commanding 25-point lead into the final period.

Doncic, who finished with seven rebounds and six assists, rested for the entire fourth quarter as the Mavericks maintained their double-digit lead.

Jalen Smith scored 11 points and Oshae Brissett added 10 for Indiana, which split the season series against Dallas at a game apiece. Isaiah Jackson had a game-high 12 rebounds.

–Field Level Media

Khris Middleton poured in 34 points and the visiting Milwaukee Bucks continued their dominance over the Detroit Pistons with a 126-117 win on Monday night.

Milwaukee (54-21) has won 17 of the last 18 meetings against its Central Division rival and swept the four-game season series. Detroit (16-59) has lost its last six games and 17 of its last 18 outings.

Brook Lopez had 24 points and 14 rebounds, while Jevon Carter supplied 22 points for the Bucks. Bobby Portis added 21 points and grabbed 14 rebounds.

Jaden Ivey led the Pistons with 32 points, eight rebounds and eight assists. Jalen Duren had 18 points and 10 rebounds, while Marvin Bagley III added 16 points and nine rebounds. James Wiseman and Killian Hayes chipped in 14 points apiece.

Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo missed the game with right knee soreness. Jrue Holiday took the night off due to personal reasons. The Pistons were once again missing numerous regulars due to a variety of injuries.

Milwaukee used a 14-3 second-quarter run to open up a 15-point lead but Detroit closed the half with an 11-2 run to cut its deficit to 57-51.

Middleton led four Bucks players in double figures with 17 points, while Ivey topped the Pistons with 11 first-half points.

Milwaukee continued to hold a single-digit advantage most of the third quarter. Isaiah Livers knocked down a 3-pointer to cut the Pistons’ deficit to five, 74-69. Bagley’s 3-pointer cut it to one, 78-77, with 5:12 left in the period.

Lopez had six points in the last four minutes of the quarter but Duren scored two inside baskets in the final minute and Detroit trailed just 94-90 entering the fourth.

Carter nailed a 3-pointer with 9:30 left to give the Bucks a 102-95 lead. Lopez’s layup less than a minute later nudged the advantage to double digits, 106-95.

Another Carter 3-pointer pushed the lead to 14 and forced Detroit to call timeout. The Pistons got it down into single digits again on two Ivey free throws with 3:29 remaining.

A three-point play by Middleton pushed the lead to 12 with 1:32 left.

–Field Level Media

Returning home after splitting a four-game West Coast road trip, the Oklahoma City Thunder face a critical two-game homestand in their pursuit of a playoff spot in the crowded Western Conference race.

The Thunder will host the bottom two teams in the Eastern Conference in back-to-back games, beginning with Tuesday’s visit from the Charlotte Hornets.

The Hornets have helped the Thunder’s cause over the last two games, knocking off Dallas twice to help lift Oklahoma City ahead of the Mavericks for the 10th spot in the Western Conference.

The Thunder have been the outmanned but plucky underdog over the last few seasons as they’ve undergone a major rebuild.

Now, Oklahoma City finds itself on the other side of things as it looks to knock off some teams that aren’t in serious contention for a playoff spot down the stretch.

The Thunder held off the Trail Blazers, 118-112, on Sunday in Portland to snap a two-game losing streak and remain in a play-in spot in the Western Conference.

Oklahoma City will face the Detroit Pistons following its meeting with Charlotte, and a sweep of the two-game set would put the Thunder (37-38) above .500 for the first time since early November.

“When guys get an opportunity, usually their energy level’s high,” Oklahoma City guard Josh Giddey said. “It’s a bit more loose with the way they play.”

The Thunder have won nine of their last 13 games, and Luguentz Dort’s defense has been a big reason for Oklahoma City’s recent success.

Dort kept the Clippers’ Kawhi Leonard from getting off a final shot in the Thunder’s 101-100 win last Tuesday, then sealed Sunday’s win when he ripped the ball from Portland’s Shaedon Sharpe and dunked in the closing seconds.

“He just doesn’t get screened very easily,” Oklahoma City coach Mark Daigneault said. “He’s not a speed athlete, but he’s a ground athlete, and he’s a fire hydrant physically. And so if you’re going to generate an advantage against him in pick-and-roll, you have to lay a screen on him.”

With six games to go, Hornets coach Steve Clifford said Monday that he would rotate centers Kai Jones, Nick Richards and Mark Williams the rest of the way.

“I want all the young guys to be able to play,” Clifford said. “Every third game, one of them is going to be sitting.”

Clifford said Williams would be the odd-man out Tuesday, saying it made more sense to split minutes between just two of the three instead of all three.

“This way, they play more normal minutes where they have a chance to play better,” Clifford said.

Williams had 15 points and 16 rebounds in Sunday’s victory over the Mavericks.

Tuesday’s game marks the second and final meeting of the season between the teams.

The Hornets (25-51) won the first contest 121-113 in Charlotte on Dec. 29. Charlotte has won four consecutive games in the all-time series.

The Thunder haven’t beaten the Hornets in Oklahoma City since Nov. 23, 2018.

The Hornets’ Terry Rozier (foot) and Kelly Oubre Jr. (shoulder) have each missed the last two games. Rozier will not play against the Thunder, while Oubre is questionable.

Oklahoma City was without Lindy Waters III in Sunday’s win due to plantar fasciitis.

–Field Level Media

Ja Morant is back in the starting lineup for the Memphis Grizzlies, who carry a six-game winning streak into Tuesday’s matchup against the visiting Orlando Magic.

Morant made his first start since serving an eight-game suspension in Sunday’s 123-119 win over the Atlanta Hawks. The two-time All-Star played 29 minutes and scored 27 points as he continues to ramp up his conditioning.

“I’m getting there,” Morant said. “I’m getting a lot more comfortable. Getting my legs under me a little bit. My staff is preparing me the right way, having me ready for games each and every night. I believe in them 100 percent in how they’re managing me and ramping me back up.”

Desmond Bane added 25 points in the win over Atlanta, while Jaren Jackson Jr. and Xavier Tillman each had 15 points and eight rebounds. Memphis (47-27) is second in the Western Conference with eight games remaining.

The Grizzlies have received a welcome boost from guard Luke Kennard, who was acquired from the Los Angeles Clippers on Feb. 9. Kennard matched his career high with 30 points in last Friday’s win over the Houston Rockets and is quickly growing more comfortable with the team’s offense.

“I was passing up some shots once I first got here, and the coaches were on me,” Kennard said. “As soon as I came out of the game, they were letting me know. I was watching film with one of our guys during practices like, ‘Why didn’t I shoot this?’ Now it’s in my head as soon as I step on the floor. Any kind of space that I have, I’m going to let it go.”

The Grizzlies are returning to FedEx Forum, where they have won 11 straight games and boast the NBA’s best home record at 32-5. They’re facing an Orlando (32-43) team that has won three straight.

Orlando is looking to avenge a 123-115 loss to Memphis on Jan. 5, when Morant and Jackson combined for 63 points.

The Magic beat the Brooklyn Nets 119-106 on Sunday. Orlando outscored Brooklyn 58-38 in the paint, and Cole Anthony had 21 points to lead eight Magic players in double figures.

“Tonight we did it by committee. That’s the message that we continue to sell,” Magic coach Jamahl Mosley said. “Eight guys in double figures, 30 assists. Our ability to do it together is the most important thing for this group.”

The Magic also welcomed back guard Jalen Suggs (16 points), who had missed the previous four games with a concussion. Suggs, who has missed 29 games this season due to injury, played 24 minutes against Brooklyn and finished 6-of-9 shooting from the floor.

“I was so eager to get back on the court,” Suggs said. “I think I’ve missed my fair share of time now.”

Anthony has recorded at least 14 points and five rebounds in eight straight games for the Magic, who are 13-24 on the road compared to 19-19 at the Amway Center.

Anthony has played a key role in Orlando’s rejuvenated offense this month. The Magic are averaging 117.2 points over the last 13 games while scoring at least 110 points in 12 of those games.

–Field Level Media