The Dallas Mavericks, sitting at 3-2, absolutely shellacked the previously undefeated Oklahoma City Thunder, 120-96, on Wednesday night in Dallas. This was a statement win, blowing out a team that entered the night as a championship favorite, even if they were seriously undermanned. Dallas jumped on OKC right from tipoff and never let up, outscoring them in all four quarters and leading for a staggering 81 percent of the game. What an outstanding performance from a rising Mavs squad.
Flagg Leads the Charge as Mavs Rain Threes
The Thunder, despite having Shai Gilgeous-Alexander running their offense, got absolutely torched from beyond the arc. Missing Jalen Williams (out for the season), Cason Wallace (out indefinitely), and Chet Holmgren and Alex Caruso (minor injuries), OKC was without three of their better three-point shooters, and the Mavericks made them pay. Dallas drained 16-of-45 shots from distance, while the Thunder managed a paltry 5-of-32. That massive shooting disparity decided this game, plain and simple. While Dallas wasn’t exactly “on fire” from deep, they took a ton of threes and made enough to bury OKC. It was a true team effort, with no Maverick hitting more than three threes, but six different players making at least two. Cooper Flagg and Kyrie Irving each knocked down three from downtown.
It wasn’t just OKC’s lack of makes that hurt them, though. Dallas took 13 more threes than the Thunder, and the Mavs defense did a fantastic job running the remaining OKC shooters off the line. Sure, some luck was involved, like Jared McCain going an uncharacteristic 0-for-6, but you have to credit the Dallas defense. They dug in, rotated hard, and closed out on shooters, making life miserable for the Thunder.
May’s Offense Is Humming, Flagg Dispatches Masterfully
Coach Dusty May’s offensive system had a rocky start in the season opener against the Rockets, but since then, this Mavericks offense has been mostly humming, and Wednesday night was another masterpiece in ball movement. Dallas racked up 30 assists on just 46 made buckets, with only nine turnovers. May preaches ball and player movement, and early in the season, it almost felt like the team was oversharing, getting a bit too far away from their best players. But that balance has clearly returned, and it’s been led by the brilliance of Cooper Flagg as a decision-maker. The kid had eight assists and zero turnovers against the Thunder, showing incredible growth as a playmaker.
And let’s not forget Caleb Martin, who chipped in with 10 points in the dominant win.
This wasn’t a must-win for Dallas, but taking down a championship favorite, even an injured one, like this is a massive confidence booster. It shows what this rising Mavericks team is capable of when their offense clicks and their defense locks in. If they can maintain this kind of balanced attack and defensive intensity, the league better watch out.
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.
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