Mavs not playing anthem at games

Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban said Tuesday he decided before this season began not to play the national anthem before the team’s home games.

The Mavericks played their first 10 regular-season home games without fans. The club had fans for the first time in Monday’s 127-122 win over Minnesota. Dallas is allowing 1,500 vaccinated essential workers to attend games for free.

Cuban didn’t elaborate on his decision not to play the anthem, saying nobody had noticed.

NBA spokesman Tim Frank said, “Under the unique circumstances of this season, teams are permitted to run their pregame operations as they see fit.”

In other NBA news:

Minnesota Timberwolves guard Malik Beasley was sentenced to 120

days in jail after pleading guilty to a felony charge of threats of violence for pointing a rifle at a family outside his home last fall.

The Hennepin (Minn.) County Attorney’s Office announced that Beasley can serve his stay in the workhouse after the conclusion of his NBA season, setting a tentative report date for May 26.