The Mavericks trailed by as many as 17, but made the game interesting by bringing the game within five nearly halfway through the fourth quarter. Their comeback efforts to achieve a Christmas miracle fell short once Stephen Curry drilled a 26-foot 3-pointer to give the Warriors an 11-point lead.

The Mavs have form in this area. They tanked their final games of the 2022/23 season, instead of trying to make the play-in, to ensure they kept their top 10 protected pick, which they used to get Derek Lively. Of course, embracing sellers mode doesn’t mean the Mavs have to tear it down completely or make trades for the sake of it.

Anthony Davis jokes about Cooper Flagg missing out on a triple double in the Mavericks' victory against the Denver Nuggets.

Nikola Jokić and Cooper Flagg put on a holiday show for NBA fans Tuesday, and Peyton Watson missed his chance to play Grinch to the Dallas Mavericks fans at American Airlines Center.