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The Hot Corner | Doncic Returns in Loss

Hot Corner
Texas Rangers Stadium | Image by Frank Romeo/Shutterstock

The Dallas Mavericks and Texas Rangers played on Wednesday while the Dallas Stars were off.

Here is what happened on the court, on the field, and behind the scenes.

NBA

Dallas Mavericks (36-37, second in Southwest Division, ninth in Western Conference)

Last Game: Golden State Warriors 127, Mavericks 125

This game was tightly contested all night, as neither team ever led by double digits. Christian Wood pulled the Mavericks within one on a floater with 1:16 left, but Stephen Curry immediately answered, and Kevon Looney’s free throws gave Golden State a two-possession lead. Reggie Bullock hit a three in the final seconds as the Mavs fell by two at home.

Noteworthy: Luka Doncic returned to the lineup after missing the last five games with a thigh strain, while Kyrie Irving was kept out of the lineup. Doncic finished the game with 30 points, 17 assists, and seven rebounds.

— Dallas drops to ninth place in the Western Conference, outside the playoffs but part of the play-in field. The Mavericks trail Golden State by a game and a half and Minnesota and Oklahoma City by half a game.

— The Mavericks filed an official protest with the league over the loss, citing a “miscommunication” with the referees. Mav owner Mark Cuban explained in a tweet what happened:

“The ref called Mavs ball. The announcer announced it. Then there was a timeout. During the time out the official changed the call and never told us. Then when they saw us line up as if it were our ball, he just gave the ball to the warriors. Never said a word to us They got an easy basketball. Crazy that it would matter in a 2 point game. Worst officiating non call mistake possibly in the history of the NBA. All they had to do was tell us and they didn’t.”

— Dallas finishes the regular season series 1-2 against Golden State.

Next Up: Charlotte Hornets (23-50) at Mavericks, 7:30 p.m. CDT Friday

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MLB — SPRING TRAINING

Texas Rangers (12-13, eighth in Cactus League)

Last Games: Rangers (split-squad) 2, Chicago White Sox 0; San Francisco Giants 4, Rangers (split-squad) 0

The Rangers returned from an off day and split their two games on Wednesday. A Jackson Frazier homer and another run on a balk were enough to beat the White Sox, while Texas failed to push anyone across the plate and allowed four unearned runs in a loss to San Francisco.

Noteworthy: Nathan Eovaldi and Jon Gray both had outstanding pitching performances on Wednesday. Eovaldi pitched five innings allowing no runs and striking out four against Chicago, while Gray threw four and two-thirds innings without an earned run against San Francisco.

— Neither Eovaldi nor Gray has allowed an earned run this spring.

— Shortstop Corey Seager extended his hitting streak to 13 games with a 2-4 performance against the Giants. It is the longest spring training hitting streak for the Rangers since Elvis Andrus in 2013.

— Rangers radio announcer Eric Nadel has announced he will miss the beginning of the 2023 season as he steps away to deal with his mental health.

Next Up: Oakland Athletics (10-13) at Rangers, 8:05 p.m. CDT Thursday

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NHL

Dallas Stars (38-19-14, tied for first in Central Division, tied for third in Western Conference)

Noteworthy: Dallas remains in third place in the Western Conference after the night off but is now tied with Minnesota and Edmonton at 90 points each. Colorado can also tie with a Stars loss on Thursday and a win against Phoenix on Friday. Vegas leads the conference with 94 points, while Los Angeles has 92.

— There are 11 games remaining in the regular season — six at home and five on the road.

Next Up: Pittsburgh Penguins (35-26-10) at Stars, 8 p.m. CDT Thursday

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