The Dallas Mavericks got the upper hand on the Oklahoma City Thunder for the second time this season, though it was undermanned.

In the first quarter of the Oklahoma City Thunder ’s 106-98 loss to the Dallas Mavericks on Friday, Lu Dort received a technical foul for flopping before he was hit with an unsportsmanlike technical foul in the second quarter.

Like the new kid at school who gets bullied by the older kids, sometimes the best advice a parent can give involves consequences — fight back and stand up for yourself, suspensions be damned. The Oklahoma City Thunder might need to apply that mindset against PJ Washington in their next matchup against the Dallas Mavericks.

Kyrie Irving may have returned to the court Friday to help the Dallas Mavericks defeat top-seeded Oklahoma City, but his ongoing back injury will require rest in some instances. Irving missing Wednesday’s controversial loss to the New Orleans Pelicans was an example of him taking a night off to manage a bulging disc in his back.

Even without important pieces like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Luka Doncic, Chet Holmgren, Isaiah Hartenstein and Dereck Lively II, both teams' role players simmered the beef between the ball clubs. The usually well-mannered Thunder were hit with multiple technical fouls. PJ Washington continued to poke the bear.

That decision forced the Thunder to stick close to the Mavericks' role players throughout the first quarter. Once Washington scored the first five points, Irving asserted himself and drained a 3-pointer before finishing at the basket with a finger roll to give the Mavericks an early 10-0 lead.

TL;DR: Live stream Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Dallas Mavericks in the NBA with FuboTV, Sling TV, or YouTube TV. The Oklahoma City Thunder head to American Airlines Center to face the Dallas Mavericks in a Western Conference matchup. The Thunder are 34-6, which puts them in first place. The Mavericks are 22-19, which puts them in eighth place.

Oklahoma City plays the Dallas Mavericks after Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 40 points in the Thunder's 134-114 win against the Cleveland Cavaliers.

It's Thunder vs. Mavericks on Friday in the NBA. Here's how to watch, including time, channel, TV schedule and streaming info.