Three Takeaways From OKC Thunder's Third Loss to Mavericks

The Oklahoma City Thunder fell 121-115 to the Dallas Mavericks Thursday night, losing at home for the first time since Nov. 17, 2024 — a two-point game against Dallas.

Spencer Dinwiddie scored a blistering 28 points with a season-high 11 made field goals. He drained three right-wing triples and made every inside-the-arc attempt, including five restricted-area baskets.

P.J. Washington racked up 22 points on 6-for-16 shooting, 19 rebounds, three assists, three steals and two blocks on a +15 plus-minus. Kyrie Irving scored 24 points on 8-for-17 shooting, including four-3 pointers, and added four assists, three rebounds and two steals.

The reigning Western Conference champions, who defeated No. 1 Oklahoma City in six games last year to advance to the conference finals, won three of four matchups this season despite playing three games on the road and experiencing key injuries. Superstar guard Luka Doncic did not suit up for the three Mavericks victories, though he played in the Thunder's 118-104 NBA Cup quarterfinal win last December.

Let's dive into three takeaways from the game.

An uncharacteristic defensive performance

Dallas shot 25-for-43 (58.1%) on 2-pointers and 14-for-31 (45.2%) from downtown without Doncic, Dereck Lively II, Klay Thompson and Naji Marshall. The Thunder looked a step slow on the second night of a back-to-back, allowing wide-open looks and constant driving lanes to the rim.

The Mavericks generated 14 more free-throw attempts — a noticeable but deserved differential considering their shot distribution. Washington and reserve forward Olivier-Maxence Prosper shot a combined 19 times at the line, catching Thunder defenders reaching in time after time to prevent quality layup attempts.

Oklahoma City still forced 20 turnovers, including five from Washington and three from Dinwiddie, Daniel Gafford and Quentin Grimes, but its poor shot defense and constant interior fouling made the largest difference last night.

Jalen Williams breaks out versus Mavericks

Jalen Williams has struggled to score efficiently against Dallas since last year's playoff series. He registered 17.0 points per game and made just 31 of 71 (43.7%) 2-point shots throughout the six games.

In three prior outings against the Mavericks this season, Williams averaged 21.3 points per game on 49.0% true shooting — going 4-for-14 from deep. He committed almost four turnovers per game with a cumulative -9 plus-minus.

Williams lost his 40 minutes by 11 points last night but recorded a healthy 33 points on 11-for-19 shooting, going 4-for-8 on 3s. He outscored Shai Gilgeous-Alexander for the first time in five weeks. Seven assists, four rebounds and four first-half steals rounded out Williams' encouraging performance.

Thunder's centerless struggles continue

The shorthanded Mavericks deserve credit for beating Oklahoma City three times this season — no other team has done so more than once. All three losses occurred without Chet Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein, underscoring a prevalent trend. The Thunder are 30-4 with either in the lineup, including Holmgren's five-minute outing against the Warriors before his right hip injury, and 6-4 in its other 10 games.

In addition to the defense above, which is a strong but worse unit without dependable rim protection, the Thunder has produced questionable results on the other end when Gilgeous-Alexander does not shoulder an enormous load. Dallas sent multiple defenders at the All-Star starter all night, forcing Jalen Williams and other players to beat them. Jaylin Williams scored 12 quick points, including three 3s, but does not offer Hartenstein's screening and floater touch as a short-roll playmaker.

Oklahoma City plays against the Trail Blazers in Portland this Sunday, Jan. 26 at 5 p.m. CST.

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