The Dallas Mavericks returned home to host the Oklahoma City Thunder in a one-game tilt at the American Airlines Center on Friday night. The Mavericks narrowly defeated the Thunder 106-98 in regulation. Dallas improved to 23-19 and snapped a three-game losing skid, while Oklahoma City fell to 34-7 and watched a four-game winning streak come to an end.
Kyrie Irving led the Mavericks with 25 points, five rebounds, and five assists. PJ Washington followed up with 16 points, seven rebounds, and five assists. Spencer Dinwiddie added 16 points, three rebounds, and four assists. Naji Marshall had 14 points, 10 rebounds, and one assist. Daniel Gafford scored eight points, six rebounds, and two assists. Maxi Kleber recorded seven minutes, two assists, and four rebounds.
Dallas Mavericks vs. Oklahoma City Thunder Recap
The Dallas Mavericks vs. Oklahoma City Thunder game was action-packed from start to finish. The Mavericks ruled out Luka Doncic with a left calf strain, Dereck Lively II with a right ankle sprain, and Dante Exum with right wrist surgery. The Thunder ruled out Isaiah Hartenstein with a left soleus strain, Nikola Topic with a partially torn ACL, Chet Holmgren with a right iliac wing fracture, and Ajay Mitchell with a turf toe sprain.
The Mavericks’ starting lineup featured Kyrie Irving, Klay Thompson, Spencer Dinwiddie, PJ Washington, and Daniel Gafford. The Mavericks changed Irving’s status to available just hours before hosting the Thunder, also known as the West’s best team, in downtown Dallas. Irving was rusty in his return on Tuesday, with a lumbar back sprain, and scored just 11 points on 4-of-18 shooting.
The Mavericks jumped out to an early 10-4 lead and opened the scoring on a high note. The Thunder responded to take a 26-22 lead at the end of the first quarter. The second quarter took an unexpected turn, as both teams found themselves tied 34-34 in the final minutes. Jaden Hardy sustained a right ankle sprain and didn’t return, but the Mavericks used a late scoring surge to take a commanding 63-43 lead at halftime.
The Thunder went on a 12-0 run to open the third quarter epically. The Thunder tied the game 72-72 after a controversial call where Washington was ejected for a flagrant foul on Jaylin Williams. Dwight Powell sustained a right hip injury and didn’t return. The Mavericks led 77-76 through three quarters. The Mavericks opened the fourth quarter with a 6-0 run, but the Thunder kept the game close. The Mavericks won 106-98.
Mavericks-Thunder Highlights
The Dallas Mavericks vs. Oklahoma City Thunder game featured multiple highlights, such as the recent influx in the NBA world’s reactions to the Mavericks’ previous game against the New Orleans Pelicans on Wednesday night. Trey Murphy made the defensive play of the game and then blocked Spencer Dinwiddie’s potential game-winning layup on what should’ve been a goaltending call.
For the Mavericks, the NBA world recently reacted to Thompson’s performance in the Pelicans vs. Mavericks game. Thompson was just 2-for-9 from the three-point line. Thompson finished with 12 points, one rebound, and two assists while shooting just 5-of-12 from the field, which could’ve been worse. One would think that Thompson would step up amid all the injuries.
For the Thunder, Kevin Durant recently got candid on his exit from Oklahoma City in 2016. Durant stated on the “Out the Mud” podcast, “I understood why people was pissed off but I couldn’t make a decision based off what other people wanted me to do … I wanted a new experience.” Durant joined the Golden State Warriors, lived in the Bay Area, and added to his legacy with two NBA titles in 2017 and 2018.
Final Thoughts
The Dallas Mavericks lost to the New Orleans Pelicans, 119-116, after a late, controversial non-call at the Smoothie King Center on Wednesday night. The three referees dismissed a goaltending call on Murphy. With the loss, Dallas finished the first half of the 2024-25 NBA season with a 22-19 record, which could be worse, but not what the defending Western Conference Champions had hoped for. New Orleans improved to 10-32.
The Pelicans reportedly truly miss the Mavericks’ small forward, Naji Marshall, as Marshall previously played in New Orleans, Louisiana, from 2020-2024 until he signed a three-year, $27 million contract in Dallas, Texas over the summer. After the game, Pelicans Head Coach Willie Green said that he was proud of Marshall, including his growth, maturity, and accomplishments from New Orleans to Dallas.
The Mavericks will travel to take on the Charlotte Hornets in a one-game road tilt at the Spectrum Center on Monday, January 20, also known as Martin Luther King Jr. Day, at noon Eastern. The Hornets last played a road game against the Chicago Bulls at the United Center on Friday night and left downtown Chicago with a 125-123 win in regulation. Charlotte improved to 10-28, while Chicago fell to 18-24.
