Mavericks-Thunder Rivalry Reaches New Heights With Key Player Ejected

Kyrie Irving thought this was a "personal" rivalry, and it sure looked that way on Thursday night.

Jan 23, 2025; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Dallas Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving (11) drives around Oklahoma City Thunder guard Luguentz Dort (5) during the first quarter at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images / Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images

The Dallas Mavericks and Oklahoma City Thunder played the fourth and final matchup of the season on Thursday night in OKC, as the young but heated rivalry added a new chapter. The game had been clean for most of the first half, but that would change in the second half.

Lu Dort was trying to follow Kyrie Irving around a screen and ended up open-hand slapping Daniel Gafford below the belt. Here is a replay of the incident.

Like what is this play by Lu Dort??pic.twitter.com/z8aBPC8xns

— MFFL NATION (@NationMffl) January 24, 2025

READ MORE: Mavs' Luka Doncic, Kyrie Irving Snubbed From All-Star Starting Lineup

The play was initially called a common foul on Lu Dort with a technical foul on Jalen Williams. The officials went to the replay screens and upgraded the foul on Dort to a Flagrant Penalty-2 for unnecessary contact, which is an automatic ejection in the NBA. He finished the game with 6 points and 4 rebounds in 22 minutes.

This is just the latest in a heated rivalry between Dallas and OKC dating back over the last year. The last game between these teams last week saw five technical fouls, a flagrant foul, and plenty of back-and-forth trash talk that needed separating by the officials. Dort had to be dragged back to the locker room after that game last week, apparently upset about something.

Kyrie Irving called this a "personal" rivalry last week, expecting "all-out" warfare from the Thunder in this matchup. That's exactly what Thursday's game has been.

READ MORE: Kyrie Irving's Honest Take On What He Expects From Mavericks-Thunder

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