Marshall authored another impressive performance in the loss, totaling 18 points and six rebounds.
Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert works to the basket for a shot as Dallas Mavericks' Naji Marshall, left, defends in the first half of an NBA basketball game Wednesday, Jan. 28, 2026, in Dallas.
have played with inconsistent lineups all season because of injury or illness, but Naji Marshall has provided consistency in what’s turning into the best season of his career. Over the last 11 games as a starter, the Mavericks forward has been a stable force on offense with an average of nearly 20 points per game. Marshall led the Mavericks once again in Wednesday’s 118-105 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves, but the short-handed home team didn’t have enough firepower to contain Plano native Julius Randle in his homecoming game at American Airlines Center.Marshall scored a 18 points with six rebounds, but was bested by Randle’s game-high 31 points with five rebounds and four assists.“I love playmaking wings,” Finch said. “I think guys who are super hard to guard are so valuable in the league right now. Feels like he’s comfortable getting to his spots as well. In situations where he’s been forced to probably score a bit more, he’s been able to measure up.” The third quarter was a shining example of how valuable Marshall has been for the Mavericks through their injury woes. Functioning as the point guard in Jason Kidd’s non-traditional starting five, Marshall used his handle to penetrate into the paint often. From there, he created enough separation to launch his signature floater. “That’s the league right now, people put their head down and get to the paint, put your defense under pressure,” Finch said. “You got to be able to kind of stand him up at the point of attack, guys that can playmake right now increases the value of everyone’s 3-point shooting.” In theory, Marshall’s ability to get into the paint should’ve helped space the floor, but the Mavericks struggled from beyond the arc with only three triples on just 18 attempts. None of the starters managed to connect from 3-point range, including Marshall who didn’t attempt one for the first time since New Year’s Day. Marshall was frustrated once the Mavericks went down by 15 with 6 minutes and 48 seconds left. He launched a towel toward the team tunnel, which summed up another rough night on offense without a true point guard. There’s a strong argument to be made that there wouldn’t be a game between the Mavericks and Timberwolves on Wednesday if it wasn’t for the man of the hour, Norm Sonju, co-founder of the Mavericks.. At Wednesday’s shootaround, Dwight Powell discussed the importance of the man responsible for laying the foundation for the franchise in 1980, along with “It’s huge,” Powell said. “I think the foundation of this organization is very strong and we’re honored to put on this jersey and to be of the cloth and lineage of those guys. It’s been some time since played, but I think it’s great that we’re honoring them now and I’m looking forward to it.” The celebration will continue during Thursday’s game against the Charlotte Hornets, when Aguirre’s jersey is raised to the rafters of American Airlines Center. It’s the fifth jersey to be retired by the franchise, a moment decades in the making.Mavericks’ franchise father figure Norm Sonju finally receives ‘well-overdue’ recognitionMike is the Mavericks Beat Writer for The Dallas Morning News. Before his arrival at the DMN, he spent two seasons covering the Detroit Pistons at The Detroit News. Mike earned his bachelor's degree in Communications from Tennessee State University and received his master's degree in Media and Communication from Middle Tennessee State University.Texas man convicted of 2 fatal shootings becomes first to be executed in the U.S. this year
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