In a thrilling matchup on Thursday night, the Dallas Mavericks secured a victory against the Oklahoma City Thunder with a score of 121-115. Spencer Dinwiddie was a standout player for the Mavericks, contributing 28 points to the winning effort. P.J. Washington also played a significant role, tallying 22 points and grabbing 19 rebounds, while Kyrie Irving added 24 points to help the team succeed. Notably, the Mavericks have managed to overcome the absence of Luka Doncic, who has been sidelined for nearly a month due to a left calf strain. This win marked the Mavericks’ third victory in four games against the Thunder this season, even as Oklahoma City sits at the top of the Western Conference with only eight losses to its name.
Jalen Williams was the leading scorer for the Thunder, finishing with 33 points. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who was named an All-Star starter earlier that day, contributed 31 points to the Thunder’s effort, including 16 points in the fourth quarter. Interestingly, Gilgeous-Alexander had recently achieved a career-high of 54 points in a win over Utah on Wednesday but struggled initially against Dallas, hitting only 5 of his first 15 attempts before finding his rhythm.
In their previous encounter on January 17, Gilgeous-Alexander was absent, and the Mavericks triumphed 106-98 in that game. At halftime, the Thunder led the contest 62-60, but the Mavericks stormed back in the third quarter to take a lead as large as 13 points. Gilgeous-Alexander managed to make a last-second shot from the lane at the buzzer, reducing Dallas’ lead to 91-83 heading into the final quarter.
There were significant takeaways from the game, particularly for the Mavericks, who coped remarkably well given their injuries. Center Dereck Lively missed the game due to a stress fracture in his right ankle, and guard Klay Thompson also sat out with a sprained left ankle. On the other side, Oklahoma City continued to feel the absence of injured center Isaiah Hartenstein, who typically averages 12.2 rebounds per game. The Mavericks out-rebounded the Thunder 52-42, despite Oklahoma City forcing 20 turnovers; however, they could only capitalize on those mistakes for 15 points.
A pivotal moment came when Quentin Grimes sank a three-pointer with roughly two minutes remaining in the game, extending Dallas’ lead to 115-106. Looking ahead, the Mavericks are set to face off against Boston on Saturday, while the Thunder will hit the road to confront the Portland Trail Blazers on Sunday.
