'Sh*t Happens': Mavs Blow 16-Point Lead in Embarrassing Overtime Loss to Thunder
After rebounding from a disappointing loss to the New Orleans Pelicans with a big overtime win over the Brooklyn Nets, the Dallas Mavericks came into Saturday night's matchup with the Oklahoma City Thunder looking to accomplish something they hadn't accomplished so far this season – winning consecutive games.
That didn't happen, as Dallas blew a 16-point, fourth-quarter lead and ultimately lost, 117-111. The Mavs fall to 2-3 while the Thunder improve to 3-3.
"It's tough. Sh*t happens." said coach Jason Kidd. He then went on to explain that his closing lineups are still up in the air and that the team's main concern going forward is defense. Kidd went out of his way to mention Christian Wood specifically.
"We left (Christian) Wood out there with that (closing) group and it didn't go well on either end."
Luka Doncic led the way for the Mavs with 31 points, 16 rebounds and 10 assists while shooting just 8-23 in 40 minutes. Although Doncic continues to put up impressive overall stats, his 3-point stroke has yet to make an appearance. He was 0-6 on 3s against the Thunder. It was the 48th triple-double of Doncic's career, and his fifth consecutive 30-point game to start this season.
Doncic had a chance to win the game at the end of regulation, but his midrange shot was off the mark. He's now 0-3 on game-winning shot attempts this season.
"I think it was a good shot we created," said Doncic. "I'm just sucking at shooting the ball right now."
Dallas had four other players score in double figures on the night, led by Spencer Dinwiddie, who finished with 20 points on 8-13 from the field in 35 minutes. Dorian Finney-Smith and Dwight Powell, who started at center with JaVale McGee getting the night off due to rest, finished with 13 points each. Wood put up 11 points and seven rebounds in 29 minutes off the bench. He shot 5-10 from the field.
Josh Green only played 15 minutes in the loss, but he put up six points, five rebounds and four steals in that limited time. He was a team-high +24 on the night and was a big reason why Dallas was able to build a 16-point lead in the fourth. When he went out of the game, things went downhill in a hurry. Dwight Powell was the next closest to Green in the boxscore plus/minus with a +7.
The Mavs' defense has struggled mightily since the 41-point blowout win over the Memphis Grizzlies in the second game of the season. Dallas is giving up 118.3 points over its last three games. The Mavs had no answer for Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander on Saturday night, as he scorched the nets at AAC for 38 points while also tallying six rebounds, nine assists and two steals.
Next up, the Mavs will back at AAC on Sunday night to take on the Orlando Magic. It will be Dallas' first back-to-back of the season, so we'll see if fatigue might play a factor in how the game goes. Given the star power of Doncic and the Mavs' overall experience, Dallas should still be able to have their way with the young Orlando squad ... that is, if they're interested in showing up.
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