The Dallas Mavericks just steamrolled the Oklahoma City Thunder, racking up their third win of the young season with a dominant 120-96 victory. Cooper Flagg was absolutely lights out, leading a balanced Dallas effort with a monster 26 points and eight rebounds. Even with Ajay Mitchell dropping a team-high 29 points in defeat for the Thunder, it simply wasn’t enough to stop the Mavs’ charge.
Flagg and Irving Spark the Early Lead
The first quarter kicked off with a real back-and-forth slugfest, neither team really grabbing a firm advantage. But then, Cooper Flagg came out absolutely gunning, dropping 12 points in the period like it was nothing. Kyrie Irving chipped in with a crucial pair of threes, too. Dallas was shooting the ball incredibly well right from the jump, and that hot hand let them keep pace even when the Thunder were constantly scoring from inside the arc. A slick late Flagg floater, followed by another Irving three, gave Dallas a solid 33-30 lead heading into the second quarter. The hot shooting from Dallas kept on rolling, pushing their lead to double digits just four minutes into the next frame. The Thunder tried to mount multiple pushes, desperately trying to eat into that Dallas lead, but every single time, the Mavericks answered with timely shot-making. Ajay Mitchell did manage a personal 5-0 run that cut the Mavericks’ lead in half with just over three minutes left, forcing a Dusty May timeout. After that, the teams traded baskets for the rest of the half, and Dallas went into the locker room up 65-59.
Second Half Hustle Extends the Dominance
Fans were greeted by some ice-cold shooting right after halftime, with neither team connecting on a field goal for the first several possessions. But steadily, Dallas started to build it back up, grabbing a 15-point lead by the 7:30 mark. How’d they do it? Pure offensive rebounding and hustle, plain and simple. Over the next 90 seconds, the Thunder tried to respond with a 7-0 run, powered by Mitchell and SGA, forcing another Maverick timeout. Dallas settled right back in, though, and Cooper Flagg was there again, helping the Mavericks close out the quarter on a strong 16-10 run. When the buzzer sounded for the final break, the Mavericks were up 94-81.
Bench Steps Up to Finish the Rout
Heading into the final frame, with Flagg on the bench, Marcus Sasser and Risacher took it upon themselves to absolutely drive the Thunder into the ground. A Caleb Martin three-pointer pushed Dallas up by a commanding 17 points just minutes into the period, forcing yet another Oklahoma City timeout. Dallas kept pushing that lead, getting it all the way up to 113-93 before the Thunder finally threw in the towel. The rest of the game was just about getting out alive and uninjured. The final score, a convincing Dallas win, 120-96.
This early season performance, especially with Flagg lighting it up and the team showing this kind of depth, tells you everything you need to know about the Mavericks’ hunger. They’re on a roll, and frankly, it’s a huge statement game this early. Keep an eye on these guys, because if this is how they’re starting out, things are only gonna get more interesting.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Mavs Moneyball.
Leave a Reply