Mavericks’ Dusty May sounds off on Morez Johnson Jr. after heated confrontation

Mavericks’ Dusty May sounds off on Morez Johnson Jr. after heated confrontation appeared first on ClutchPoints . Add ClutchPoints as a Preferred Source by clicking here . This Dallas Mavericks team is showing some bite and fight well beyond their years. On Sunday, on the first night of a back-to-back, the Mavericks got into a bit of a kerfuffle with the Brooklyn Nets — with rookie Morez Johnson Jr. getting into it with Nets forward Noah Clowney. With around less than four minutes to go in the third quarter and the Mavericks already up by 30 and the game well in hand, Johnson gave Clowney a bit of a shove, knocking the Nets forward to the ground. Clowney clearly did not take kindly to this. As they went down the floor, Clowney retaliated with some shoves of his own but failed to move Johnson even an inch. This was all moot and academic in the end, as the Mavericks ended up taking a 130-93 victory over the Nets even as Johnson got whistled for a technical foul for his push on Clowney. And head coach Dusty May recognized that the level of physicality that both showed was acceptable, and that the Mavs fed off of the force Johnson played the game with. “I thought both guys just played with physicality and didn’t go too far, and that’s a sign of maturity,” May said, via Noah Weber of The Smoking Cuban. “I do think that our players, most players, just appreciate when their teammates are playing with a type of physicality that will irritate the other group.” The Mavericks have gotten off to a better-than-expected start to the 2026-27 season, and that continued on Monday with a win on the second night of a back-to-back against the Indiana Pacers, 125-122. Johnson did not suit up for that contest due to a left shin contusion. They do not back down from any fights, play until the final buzzer, and they are now 7-4 on the season as a result. And if this young team continues to play with a veteran edge and poise, the Mavericks truly might be here to stay. Related: Mavericks HC Dusty May can’t believe what Cooper Flagg is doing at 19 Related: Mavericks’ Cooper Flagg ties LeBron James’ decades-old record with big night vs. Pacers