If you’ve been looking at the nba dallas mavericks schedule lately, you've probably noticed it looks a little... weird. Not just "NBA travel is hard" weird, but genuinely strange. We are currently sitting in the middle of January 2026, and the vibe around the American Airlines Center is unlike anything I've seen in a decade.
Honestly, people are obsessed with the wins and losses, but they’re missing the actual story of how this schedule is built.
The Cooper Flagg Effect and the TV Chaos
The NBA knew what they were doing when they dropped the 2025-26 schedule. They saw the roster moves—specifically that massive trade for Anthony Davis and the arrival of Cooper Flagg—and they leaned in hard. Dallas ended up with 26 national TV games. Think about that. That is nearly a third of the season where you’ve got the big crews from ESPN, NBC, and even Amazon Prime descending on Dallas.
It creates this weird rhythm. One night you’re playing on a random Tuesday on MavsTV, and the next, it’s a high-production Peacock exclusive. It messes with the players' routines, for sure.
The January Gauntlet: No Breathing Room
Right now, we are in the thick of it. Look at the next ten days. It’s brutal.
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- Jan 17: Utah Jazz (Home) - 5:00 PM
- Jan 19: at New York Knicks (Madison Square Garden) - 5:00 PM
- Jan 22: Golden State Warriors (Home) - 7:30 PM
- Jan 24: Los Angeles Lakers (Home) - 8:30 PM
- Jan 25: at Milwaukee Bucks - 7:00 PM
That New York trip on the 19th is basically a homecoming for Jalen Brunson, which always turns into a track meet. But the real "circle it in red" game is the 24th against the Lakers. This is one of those ABC/ESPN double-headers. Every time LeBron and AD are on the same floor—even though AD is wearing a Mavs jersey now—the energy is just different.
And then, because the schedule makers have a sense of humor, the Mavs have to hop a flight to Milwaukee immediately after the Lakers game for a back-to-back against Giannis. It’s exhausting just looking at the flight path.
Why the Early Season Was a Trap
A lot of fans were complaining in November when the Mavs were hovering around .500. They looked at the nba dallas mavericks schedule and saw a lot of home games and thought, "We should be dominating."
But they forgot about the Mexico City game on November 1st against Detroit. That wasn't just a road game; it was an international event. It took the wind out of their sails for a week. Plus, with Kyrie Irving sidelined for the first half of the season, the team was basically leaning on a rookie (Flagg) and AD to carry a load that was designed for three superstars.
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The schedule didn't do them any favors by stacking the Denver Nuggets and Oklahoma City Thunder right after that Mexico trip. It was a "schedule loss" before the ball even tipped.
The Weirdest Part: The 2026 Luka Return
Here is what most people are getting wrong about the current stretch. Everyone is asking, "Where's Luka?"
Because of the way the trade and injury recovery played out, the league actually back-loaded the most "narrative-heavy" games for the second half of the season. We aren't seeing the first big Dončić return to Dallas until Rivals Week later this month. The NBA basically gambled that the Mavs would stay relevant enough to make that January/February window the peak of the season's viewership.
Basically, the first 40 games were just a prologue. The real season starts now.
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How to Actually Watch These Games
If you’re trying to follow the nba dallas mavericks schedule without losing your mind, you need a spreadsheet. No, seriously.
- Local Fans: You’re mostly on KFAA (Channel 29) or WFAA (Channel 8). It’s over-the-air, which is a massive win for people who hated the old regional sports network model.
- Streamers: MavsTV is the direct-to-consumer play for $15 a month if you’re in-market.
- The "National" Problem: You’ve got to check if it’s an Amazon Prime night or a Peacock night. For example, the Golden State game on Jan 22 is a Prime Video exclusive. If you just show up to your usual sports bar, they might not even have the right app pulled up.
What’s Coming in February
Once we clear this January hurdle, the schedule "softens" only in the sense that there is less travel. But the opponents get tougher. We have the Boston Celtics coming to town on February 3rd. That’s an 8:00 PM tip-on NBC/Peacock.
Mark my words: that game will determine the seeding for the Western Conference. If the Mavs can split this current 5-game stretch and then take down Boston, they are locks for a top-four seed. If they stumble here? They’re looking at the Play-In tournament again.
Actionable Strategy for Mavs Fans
Stop looking at the record and start looking at the rest days. The nba dallas mavericks schedule is currently in a "heavy" phase.
- Watch the "Injury Report" 2 hours before tip: With AD’s hand issues and the hardship 10-day contracts (like Jeremiah Robinson-Earl) being rotated in, the lineup you see on paper at noon is rarely the one that starts at 7:30.
- Prioritize the Friday/Saturday games: The league has intentionally put the most "competitive" matchups on the weekends for the Dallas market to maximize the "new" TV deals.
- Check the Peacock schedule: Don't get caught on game night without your login active. The Jan 19th game is one of those hybrid NBC/Peacock windows that can be tricky to find if you're used to just flipping to ESPN.
The reality is that this team is built for the playoffs, but the schedule is built for drama. We’re about to see which one wins out. Stay focused on the home stand starting the 22nd; that is the season’s true turning point.