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Denver Nuggets at New Orleans Pelicans
2026-27 · Regular season
Mavericks move Nellie Night up 90 minutes: the Don Nelson tribute against the Warriors now tips at 3 a.m. Cairo time
Dallas moved Wednesday’s Warriors game, its Nellie Night tribute to Don Nelson, to 7 p.m. CT, which is 3 a.m. Thursday in Cairo, and off national TV. Playing cards for 10,000 fans, warmup shirts and a $25,000 donation are still on.
In this article
Nov. 15, 2026 — The Dallas Mavericks have moved Nellie Night up by 90 minutes. Wednesday’s home game against the Golden State Warriors, the night the club honors the late Hall of Fame coach Don Nelson, now tips at 7 p.m. Central at American Airlines Center instead of 8:30 p.m. For fans in Egypt, that is 3 a.m. on Thursday, Nov. 19, not 4:30 a.m.
The Mavericks announced the change on Saturday, Nov. 14. The game also leaves national television: the national ESPN slot that night now goes to Celtics at Nuggets, and Warriors-Mavericks will be shown only on local channels in Dallas-Fort Worth. The team gave no reason for the new time. The switch comes with Stephen Curry out for Golden State after tearing an oblique muscle in Houston last Wednesday; the Warriors will re-evaluate him in two weeks.
What the night includes
Nelson died on Aug. 9 at 86. The Mavericks first set Nellie Night for Nov. 18 in late October, and Saturday’s release repeated the plan:
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Tributes | In-arena ceremonies and video tributes on Nelson’s impact on the Mavericks, Dallas and basketball, with contributions from his family, former players, coaches and friends |
| Giveaway | A commemorative Nellie-inspired deck of playing cards for the first 10,000 ticketed fans |
| Warmups | Mavericks players wear special Nellie shirts before the game |
| Charity | A $25,000 donation in Nelson’s name to the Humane Society of North Texas, a nod to his love of animals |
| Tip-off | 7 p.m. CT Wednesday, Nov. 18 (was 8:30 p.m.); 3 a.m. Thursday, Nov. 19, in Cairo |
| TV and radio | KFAA 29 in Dallas-Fort Worth and the MavsTV Network and MavsTV+; 105.3 The Fan and ZonaMX 99.1 on radio. No national broadcast |
| Tickets | On sale through the Mavericks’ ticket page |
The Nellie Night announcement from Oct. 29. Photo: Mavericks on X.
“Don Nelson helped change the trajectory of the Dallas Mavericks and left an imprint on this organization that remains part of who we are today,” Mavericks CEO Rick Welts said in the team’s announcement. “But Nellie’s impact went well beyond wins and losses. He had an unmistakable personality, formed relationships that lasted decades and helped create one of the most memorable eras in Mavericks history.”
Why Dallas, and why Golden State
Nelson became the Mavericks’ general manager in February 1997 and coached the team until 2005. On draft night in June 1998 he traded for both Dirk Nowitzki and Steve Nash, the two players who turned Dallas into a perennial playoff team and later went into the Hall of Fame.
The opponent fits too. Nelson coached Golden State twice, from 1988 to 1995, the Run TMC years, and again from 2006 to 2010. In his second spell, his eighth-seeded Warriors knocked out the 67-win, top-seeded Mavericks in the first round of the 2007 playoffs. They became the first No. 8 seed to beat a No. 1 seed in a best-of-seven series. The Warriors are wearing a “Nellie” band on their uniforms all season and released a tribute episode about him in October.
The Warriors’ tribute to Don Nelson. Video: Warriors on X.
Nelson finished with 1,335 regular-season wins over 31 seasons with Milwaukee, Golden State, New York and Dallas. That was the NBA record until Gregg Popovich passed him in 2022. He was a three-time Coach of the Year, won five championships as a Celtics player and entered the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2012.
The rest of Wednesday night
Nellie Night is one of several big home nights on Wednesday, Nov. 18. Here is how they line up in Cairo time:
| Game | Tip (local) | Cairo time | Night |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bucks at Heat | 7 p.m. ET | Thu 2:00 a.m. | A Night in Vice City |
| Bulls at Nets | 7:30 p.m. ET | Thu 2:30 a.m. | ABA Night, Dr. J bobblehead for the first 5,000 fans |
| Warriors at Mavericks | 7 p.m. CT | Thu 3:00 a.m. | Nellie Night |
| Celtics at Nuggets | 7:30 p.m. MT | Thu 4:30 a.m. | The national game that replaced Warriors-Mavericks |
| Jazz at Lakers | 7 p.m. PT | Thu 5:00 a.m. | Lakers x Dodgers baseball-style jersey |
Fans who bought the Mavericks’ Cooper Flagg Rookie of the Year bobble pack for this game should plan on the earlier start too. The full week of theme nights is in our Nov. 16-22 guide, and every Wednesday game is on our Nov. 18 schedule.
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