Kyrie Irving, Mavs Face Major Challenge Against Thunder Without Injured Luka Doncic

The Mavs face a tall task with a nationally-televised matchup against the Thunder without Luka Doncic on the second night of a back-to-back.

OKLAHOMA CITY — As the Dallas Mavericks prepare to face the Oklahoma City Thunder on Thursday night, they will do so without Luka Doncic, ruled out due to left hamstring soreness. Their superstar's absence adds difficulty on the second night of a back-to-back. 

The Mavs are coming off a 109-99 victory over the Golden State Warriors without Stephen Curry or Draymond Green. This is the second consecutive game Dallas has held its opponent below the 100-point scoring threshold. Before this stretch of improved defensive execution, Dallas had the NBA's worst defense since the All-Star break. The Mavs overcame shooting just 6-27 (22.2 percent) from deep, using a 68-48 advantage in paint scoring and recording 30 assists on 44 made shots. Luka Doncic had 21 points, nine assists, and three rebounds, but Kyrie Irving was the one to close out the victory, dropping 23 points, 10 assists, and eight rebounds.  

"It was a great test for our defense tonight. We had some great looks on the offensive end that just didn't go down for us, but this was, again, something that we did in Chicago in the second quarter; we didn't score the ball, but we kept playing defense and I thought our defense was great," Mavs coach Jason Kidd said. "As you brought up, [Daniel] Gafford had seven blocks tonight, and was really big for us to keep the lead but also just to protect the paint -- which he's been doing at a high rate for us right now."

The Thunder were defeated 121-111 by the Indiana Pacers in their last outing, which was played on Tuesday. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander totaled 30 points, 10 rebounds, and five assists. Other double-figure scoring performances were provided by Chet Holmgren, who had 15 points and 13 rebounds, along with Luguentz Dort's 18 points, Josh Giddey's 15 points, and Cason Wallace's 11 points. 

“Just too many possessions where we weren’t leveraging each other and working together, which is a good lesson," Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said after the loss against the Pacers. "You know, the game gets a lot harder when we do that. So again, we got to learn from it, look at it. We’re not going to be perfect every night. There’s lessons in every game. We’re gonna learn them from this one.”

In the previous meeting between these two teams, the Mavs won 146-111, featuring a 47-point first-quarter effort. Doncic had a dynamic outing, providing 32 points, nine assists, and eight rebounds. Irving contributed 25 points, eight assists, and six rebounds, with Dallas totaling 30 assists. Gilgeous-Alexander finished with 25 points, six rebounds, and five assists, but the Thunder's second-leading scorer was Chet Holmgren, who totaled only 13 points. 

Daniel Gafford had a strong outing against the Thunder in February in his Mavs debut, along with P.J. Washington's first game with Dallas. Gafford totaled 19 points and nine rebounds, while Washington scored 14. Dallas started Maxi Kleber at the five in that game, but Gafford has since taken over that role. Dereck Lively II was also sidelined in that outing, providing Dallas with more interior firepower this time. Scoring depth will be necessary, too, as the Mavs received seven total double-figure scoring performances last time against the Thunder. 

Irving will be the Mavs' top offensive option against the Thunder without Doncic available to play. In comparison, Dallas has gone 3-5 in five games without the Slovenian superstar this season and 3-2 in those games with Irving, who averaged 30.6 points, 6.6 assists, and 6.0 rebounds. He's scored over 40 points in two games and over 30 three times in those situations. However, Irving emphasizes the importance of moving the ball as a collective. 

“Thirty assists is a true sign the ball had energy, and we were all making the right plays and wanting to see each other do well," Irving said. "Not saying we don’t have that any other night, but it just felt good to get everybody some points and get out in transition and get some easy ones [baskets].”

A significant aspect of this game will be how the Mavs strategize to contain Gilgeous-Alexander, who has averaged 31.1 points, 6.4 assists, and 5.6 rebounds this season. The Mavs employed a mix of blitzing and drop in previous matchups with low-man help. Regardless of the approach, timely rotations are needed to counter one of the NBA's most prolific lane penetration threats. 

Despite ranking 16th in 3-point shooting volume (34.1 per game), the Thunder are shooting at a league-best 39.4 percent clip from deep. Their accuracy from deep, led by multiple players shooting above 38 percent except for Giddey, challenges the Mavs’ defensive scheme, which often involved sagging off the Australian standout to shrink the floor as he scored 11 points, shooting 3-14 overall and 3-9 from the perimeter. Oklahoma City's pick-and-roll offense and isolation attack were stifled as a result.

In addition to Gilgeous-Alexander, the Thunder have many options to attack the paint, including Williams, Giddey, and Gordon Hayward, all of whom excel in short—to mid-range attacks. The Mavs' defense at the point of attack and their bigs' ability to disrupt these forays will be vital. Additionally, the Thunder's performance from mid-range often dictates their success, highlighting another defensive focal point for Dallas.

The Mavs also face the challenge of dealing with the Thunder's spacing, particularly with Holmgren's ability to stretch the floor, who is averaging 16.8 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 2.7 assists. While his three-point shooting has struggled lately, he remains a significant threat, considering the Mavs' recent struggles against stretch bigs. Over his last eight games, Holmgren is shooting 27.3 percent from the perimeter. 

On offense, the Mavs must navigate the Thunder's aggressive defense, which excels at forcing turnovers, led by Gilgeous-Alexander's impressive instincts. He is supported by Dort, Wallace, Williams, and Wiggins, requiring added caution for the Mavs to keep turnovers low, who tends to do so but usually is guided by Doncic as the primary initiator. However, Oklahoma City faces a real rebounding vulnerability, with a defensive approach that leaves them susceptible to giving up corner 3s.

Mavs' Luka Doncic OUT vs. Thunder; Details on Hamstring Injury

The Mavs will have the defensive versatility and playmaking of Dante Exum, who was sidelined in the previous meeting between these teams as he recovered from right knee bursitis. Dallas has plenty of intriguing lineup combinations with Exum due to his size for a guard, ability to initiate the offense, playmaking, and ability to attack the paint, which will help without Doncic. 

Another element of this matchup features the chance Gafford faces to make the history of the NBA. After shooting 5-5 from the floor against the Warriors, he's made 33 consecutive shots. He now stands just two shots away from matching Wilt Chamberlain's remarkable record of 35 consecutive made shots, a feat that has stood for 57 years since February 1967.

"I try to tell myself not to just worry about it," Gafford said. "If I do it, that's good, I'm gonna celebrate it of course, but at the end of the day I just want to come out and win games."