The Dallas Mavericks host the Atlanta Hawks this Friday (16) to close out their exhibition schedule in the NBA Preseason. Tip-off at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas, is set for 7 p.m. local Central Time (8 p.m. Eastern Time and 9 p.m. Brasília time). Basketball fans can watch the game globally through the NBA League Pass streaming platform, while regional television coverage in the United States will be provided by KFAA in the Dallas market and by Atlanta News First and the Peachtree Sports Network in the Atlanta area.
Both franchises use this final exhibition contest to finalize their rotations ahead of the 2026-27 regular season. The Dallas Mavericks enter the court holding a preseason record of one win and two losses. During the NBA China Games held in Macao, the Texas roster fell to the Houston Rockets by a score of 135 to 117 on October 9, 2026, before bouncing back two days later on October 11, 2026, to beat the same opponent 132 to 115. Upon returning to the United States, the Mavericks suffered a narrow 101 to 97 home loss against the New Orleans Pelicans on Wednesday (14), a game in which Tobi Lawal and John Poulakidas scored 16 points apiece while Seth Lundy added 13 points and Sergio de Larrea posted 10 points and six assists. Meanwhile, the Atlanta Hawks arrive in Texas riding a three-game winning streak and holding a 3-1 preseason mark. After dropping their exhibition opener to the Memphis Grizzlies 132 to 123 on October 5, 2026, the Hawks defeated the San Antonio Spurs 123 to 116 on Thursday (8), edged the Indiana Pacers 119 to 117 on Saturday (10), and beat the Oklahoma City Thunder 113 to 110 on Monday (12) behind 17 points from Jock Landale and 16 points from Nickeil Alexander-Walker. In the most recent official regular-season meeting between the two clubs on March 18, 2026, Atlanta defeated Dallas 135 to 120.
Broadcast channels and streaming options for the Friday matchup
Viewers looking to follow the final exhibition test between the Western and Eastern Conference contenders have dedicated digital and television options depending on their region. In Brazil and international markets, the game is carried exclusively through the league’s official subscription service, while local broadcasters handle the regional feeds in the United States.
- Streaming platform: NBA League Pass (global and out-of-market access) and Fubo (United States regional streaming).
- Local television in Dallas: KFAA.
- Local television in Atlanta: Atlanta News First and Peachtree Sports Network.
Schedule, arena details and tip-off times in Dallas
The Friday night encounter concludes the preseason calendar for both organizations before official standings begin to count next week. Arena doors at the Victory Avenue venue in downtown Dallas are scheduled to open to ticket holders at 5:30 p.m. local time, an hour and a half prior to the opening tip.
- Date: Friday, October 16, 2026.
- Tip-off time: 7 p.m. CT (local time at the arena), 8 p.m. ET, and 9 p.m. BRT (Brasília time).
- Venue: American Airlines Center, located in Dallas, Texas, United States.
- Competition phase: 2026-27 NBA Preseason finale.
Roster overhaul and lineup tests for the Dallas Mavericks
The Dallas Mavericks are undergoing an organizational restructuring led by Masai Ujiri, the franchise’s president of basketball operations. The front office overhauled the team after Dallas finished the 2025-26 campaign in 12th place in the Western Conference with a record of 26 wins and 56 losses, missing out on the postseason tournament. On the sidelines, head coach Dusty May is navigating his debut season in the NBA after being hired on June 23, 2026, to replace former coach Jason Kidd, who departed the organization on May 19, 2026. May’s coaching staff features experienced tactician Willie Green serving as the lead assistant coach.
On the hardwood, the focal point of the Dallas roster is forward Cooper Flagg, who captured the NBA Rookie of the Year award during the previous season after averaging 21.0 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 4.5 assists per contest. He is joined in the backcourt by veteran guard Kyrie Irving, who returned to action during the current preseason schedule following knee surgery and recorded 17 points across 22 minutes of play against the Houston Rockets on October 11, 2026. Another central figure in the rotation is French forward Zaccharie Risacher, the first overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft (the league’s annual player selection process). Risacher was acquired by Dallas during the offseason via a three-team trade involving the Oklahoma City Thunder and his former franchise, the Atlanta Hawks, against whom he faces off for the first time this Friday.
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Head coach Dusty May has not locked in a permanent starting five for the Friday (16) game, opting instead to evaluate different player pairings throughout camp. In their preseason opener, the Mavericks took the floor with a starting unit composed of Naji Marshall, Christie, Zaccharie Risacher, Cooper Flagg, and rookie Morez Johnson Jr., who was selected ninth overall in the 2026 NBA Draft. “Obviously, I am on social media. I have been seeing things about the first team and the second team. We really have not defined that right now. We are more or less looking at two-man and three-man combinations, one-man and five-man combinations,” Dusty May stated regarding his rotation strategy. On the medical front, the Mavericks have monitored Dereck Lively II (foot surgery), P.J. Washington (ankle sprain), Marcus Sasser (hip), and Caleb Martin (illness) on a day-to-day basis, while Kyrie Irving, Cooper Flagg, Morez Johnson Jr., Daniel Gafford, Santi Aldama, Moussa Cisse, and Jett Howard have also had their workloads and physical statuses evaluated leading up to the exhibition finale.
Offseason additions and rotation status for the Atlanta Hawks
Under the executive direction of Onsi Saleh, president of basketball operations, the Atlanta Hawks are preparing for their first full regular season following the departure of longtime point guard Trae Young. During the 2025-26 season, the Georgia franchise secured sixth place in the Eastern Conference standings with 46 wins and 36 losses before being eliminated in the first round of the playoffs by the New York Knicks in six games (4 to 2). Head coach Quin Snyder signed a contract extension in June 2026 and leads a bench staff composed of assistant coaches Igor Kokoskov, Bryan Bailey, Antonio Lang, and Jason Love, alongside veteran coaching consultant Ettore Messina.
Atlanta’s on-court production is anchored by forward Jalen Johnson, who earned an All-Star selection last season after posting per-game averages of 22.5 points, 10.3 rebounds, and 7.9 assists. The projected core rotation retains center Onyeka Okongwu, veteran guard CJ McCollum, Dyson Daniels, and guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker, the recipient of the NBA Most Improved Player award in the 2025-26 campaign. To bolster roster depth, the front office brought in Aaron Wiggins, drafted rookie Kingston Flemings with the eighth overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, and acquired Luguentz Dort and Ryan Nembhard as part of the three-team trade package that sent Risacher to Dallas.
Much like his counterpart in Dallas, Quin Snyder has rotated his lineups throughout October without naming a fixed starting quintet for the preseason finale. Regarding player availability, center Mouhamed Gueye underwent surgery to repair a fractured foot and is scheduled to be re-evaluated in three to four months, while Henri Veesaar has been sidelined with a knee injury. Throughout the week, the Hawks have also managed the daily statuses of Luguentz Dort (knee contusion), Keshon Gilbert (knee tendinitis), Jalen Johnson (rest), and Onyeka Okongwu (rest).
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Officiating crew assigned by the NBA for Friday night
While the officiating designations were still pending on the eve of the matchup, the league office published the official referee assignments on the morning of Friday, October 16, 2026. The NBA appointed a three-person on-court crew supported by the league’s centralized video review staff to oversee the contest at the American Airlines Center.
- Crew Chief: Ray Acosta (#54).
- Referee: Jason Goldenberg (#35).
- Umpire: Italo Araujo (#86).
- NBA Replay Center officials: Eric Lewis, Gediminas Petraitis, JD Ralls, John Conley, Matt Myers, and Tyler Ricks.
Head-to-head history and regular season openers next week
Across the history of the NBA regular season, the Dallas Mavericks and the Atlanta Hawks have faced each other 90 times. The all-time series favors the Atlanta franchise, which holds 49 victories compared to 41 wins recorded by the Dallas club. During the 2025-26 regular season, the Hawks swept the two-game interconference series against the Mavericks, securing a 124 to 112 home win in Atlanta on March 10, 2026, followed by the 135 to 120 road victory in Dallas on March 18, 2026.
Once the final buzzer sounds on the preseason schedule this Friday (16), both teams will have five days to prepare for their official 2026-27 regular season debuts on Wednesday (21). Both clubs open the campaign on the road: the Dallas Mavericks travel to face their state rivals, the Houston Rockets, while the Atlanta Hawks head to Florida to take on the Orlando Magic.