Wholesale injury absences may have stripped some of the shine from the Western Conference playoff rematch between the Mavericks (7-7) and the Thunder (11-3) at the Paycom Center, but that didn’t stop the Mavs from clawing out a hard-fought 121-119 victory.
For Dallas, desperate to snap their recent skid, this win was everything — and they played like it for most of the night.
P.J. Washington was a revelation, leading the Mavericks with 27 points and a career-high 17 boards, showing a mix of finesse and muscle that kept OKC off-balance. Kyrie Irving did what Kyrie does best, scoring 23 points and dishing out six assists with that familiar smoothness. Contributions came from all corners of the roster as Naji Marshall and Jaden Hardy added 13 points each to keep Dallas rolling.
On the Thunder’s side, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was unstoppable, slicing through defenders en route to 36 points and eight assists. Yet, even his heroics weren’t enough to overcome the shorthanded Thunder, who played without Chet Holmgren (hip fracture), Alex Caruso (hip injury), Jaylin Williams (hamstring), Isaiah Hartenstein (hand fracture), and Nikola Topic (ACL).
Washington made an instant impact, nailing three early 3-pointers in the game’s opening minutes — a sharp turn from his scoreless return in Friday’s 110-93 win over San Antonio. He put up 13 points and five rebounds in just the first quarter, setting the tone for Dallas’ most productive quarter of the season, a 39-point burst.
The Mavericks took advantage of an interior weakened by OKC’s injuries. Hardy and Marshall attacked the paint, finding lanes to exploit, with Hardy’s quick moves in transition and Marshall’s poised finishes helping Dallas close the first frame ahead 39-34.
Jason Kidd, sensing the opportunity in Luka Doncic’s absence, pushed the tempo more than usual. The Mavs entered the contest ranking 29th in the league in location-effective field goal percentage, a metric indicating shot quality. But on this night, they were determined to create better opportunities.
The Mavs headed into halftime up 66-58 after solid efforts from Marshall, Daniel Gafford, and Quentin Grimes, who kept the energy up. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s relentless scoring kept OKC within striking distance, going 8-of-10 for 20 points by halftime.
A pivotal sequence early in the third saw Dereck Lively II miss an and-one free throw, only for Washington to hustle for the tap-out, leading to a Grimes triple. Just like that, Dallas led 73-63 and had their biggest cushion yet.
But the absence of Dončić’s late-game wizardry was palpable. The Mavs couldn’t quite shake OKC, holding a 97-92 edge going into the fourth.
Enter Spencer Dinwiddie. His timely return to the spotlight couldn’t have come at a better moment. With a bench unit of Hardy, Grimes, Dinwiddie, Washington, and Lively, Dinwiddie buried consecutive contested triples to extend the lead to 103-92, forcing OKC to burn a timeout.
Kyrie Irving, not to be outdone, delivered a clutch 3-pointer over Cason Wallace to put Dallas up 112-98 with five minutes to go. Yet, the most crucial play came courtesy of Washington, who secured an offensive rebound and drained a hurried jumper from the elbow with 2:45 left after Irving’s miss — a response to Jalen Williams’ back-to-back threes that cut the lead to 114-109. That shot gave Dallas breathing room in the closing stretch.
The Mavs’ defense wobbled late, surrendering a few easy buckets and committing costly turnovers, but they managed to hang on. The final moments were tense, yet Dallas escaped with a much-needed win.
Key Takeaways:
Bench Contributions Shine Hardy and Marshall were pivotal early, while Dinwiddie’s late-game heroics were indispensable. Dallas’ bench outscored OKC’s reserves 50-25 — a difference-maker in a tight contest.
SGA’s Brilliance Despite Dallas’ best efforts, Gilgeous-Alexander was electric, adjusting to traps and pressure to deliver big shots and keep the Thunder alive. He and Jalen Williams combined for 19 points in the fourth quarter alone.
Dominating the Glass With OKC’s frontcourt depleted, Dallas controlled the boards with a 62-38 edge. Washington’s 17 rebounds and Gafford’s double-double (11 points, 12 rebounds) underscored that dominance.
The Mavs got what they came for — a victory that showed the importance of team-wide contributions and a willingness to scrap without their superstar.
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