Thunder Take Down Shorthanded Mavericks in OKC

After trailing by double digits, a huge second quarter run from Oklahoma City helped the Thunder top Dallas at home.

Missing superstar Luka Doncic, the Dallas Mavericks couldn’t overcome Oklahoma City at the Paycom Center on Sunday night, falling 120-109. The win moves OKC to 18-22 on the season.

For the Thunder, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was the team’s leading scorer, tallying 33 points to go along with five rebounds, five assists, two blocks and one steal. Missing their leader, Christian Wood picked up the slack for the Mavericks, pitching in 27 points points and 16 rebounds. 

The Thunder got off to a slow start against the Mavericks, going 1-for-6 from the field in the first two minutes of the contest. Gilgeous-Alexander, who averages over 30 points per game, didn't attempt a field goal in the first six minutes of action. 

Meanwhile, Dallas knocked down five 3-pointers in the same span, building an 18-7 lead. Moments later, Oklahoma City trailed 31-20, and head coach Mark Daigneault called a timeout.

Coming out of the timeout, veteran big man Mike Muscala came up with a huge block, which led to a Lindy Waters III putback bucket off of a Gilgeous-Alexander missed free throw. On the ensuing possession, Muscala connected on a shot from beyond the arc to cut the Mavericks lead to six. 

This sparked a 13-3 run by OKC that would take the contest into the second quarter with the Thunder trailing, 34-33. Gilgeous-Alexander finished the opening period with 10 points, two rebounds and two assists after knocking down six free throws. 

Oklahoma City took a 39-36 lead over Dallas on a block by Waters III followed by a triple from second-year guard Aaron Wiggins. The Mavs fought back, however, and would take a 45-41 lead early in the second frame. 

Shortly after, OKC embarked on a 25-5 run that would give the Thunder a 66-50 advantage late in the first half. At the break, Oklahoma City led the Mavericks 69-55 behind 12 points from Gilgeous-Alexander, 10 from Jalen Williams and 10 from Kenrich Williams, who went 4-for-4 from the field in the first 24 minutes.

The Mavericks were able to gain ground on OKC in the third quarter by frequently getting to the free throw line. Dallas cut the Thunder's lead to seven with around four minutes left in period, but Oklahoma City was able to answer each time Dallas started to get hot. 

After the Mavericks shot their 30th free throw of the game, Gilgeous-Alexander nailed a tough midrange shot at the buzzer. Heading into the final frame, OKC held a 96-83 advantage over Dallas. 

The Mavs opened the fourth quarter on an 8-1 run, cutting the Thunder's lead to six and causing Daigneault to call a timeout with less than 10 minutes left in the game. A few moments later, a tough finish and free throw from Gilgeous-Alexander led to a 9-0 run by Oklahoma City.

Following a technical foul by Dallas, the Mavericks trailed OKC 109-96 with less than six minutes left in the game. The crowd at the Paycom Center roared as Dallas took a timeout with the Thunder leading by 18 on the heels of a 3-pointer from Josh Giddey, a midrange fadeaway from Gilgeous-Alexander and a slam dunk in transition from Dort.

The Mavs were unable to overcome the deficit, eventually falling 120-109. 

Oklahoma City returns to action on Tuesday night in Miami, when the Thunder meet the Heat at 6:30 P.M. CT on TNT. 

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