Three Takeaways From OKC Thunder's Second Regular Season Loss to Dallas Mavericks

If any team in the NBA has the Oklahoma City Thunder's number, it's the Dallas Mavericks.

The team that eliminated it in the 2024 Western Conference semifinals reached a 2-1 regular season advantage after their 106-98 win on Friday night, though the circumstances were a little different this time. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander missed his first game of the year with a sprained right wrist, while Luka Doncic also was out of action with a a left calf strain.

Dallas ended up dealing with less of a crutch of the two absences thanks to 25-point performance from Kyrie Irving, fairing much better in the lead scoring option than Jalen Williams was able to. Both P.J. Washington and Spencer Dinwiddie added 16 points each on top of him.

The loss breaks Oklahoma City's four-game winning streak, taking it down to a 34-7 record.

Here are three takeaways from last night's game:

A Shai-Less Offense

Playing without MVP frontrunner Gilgeous-Alexander for the first time this season was no easy task for the Thunder, and the offense took a noticeable hit because of it.

The usual 30+ points a night was absent, leaving the rest of the roster the responsibility to fill it in. That didn't quite happen, as Oklahoma City failed to reach 100 points for the first time since its NBA Cup Final loss to the Milwaukee Bucks in December.

Williams struggled in the role of being the No. 1 scoring option, mustering up 19 points on 7-of-22 shooting from the field. Despite a strong performance from Luguentz Dort — who recorded 18 points on 6-of-8 shooting from 3-point range — much of the team struggled to create viable offense.

It's to be expected that scoring doesn't come as easy when Gilgeous-Alexander isn't on the floor, but luckily for the Thunder, it isn't expected to last too much longer. If anything, it just shows how much his shot creation is valued.

It's a Rivalry

Last season's playoff series proved it. The three games both teams have gone against each other in have proved it. Oklahoma City and Dallas are sharing a new rivarlry.

Each time they go head-to-head, the Thunder and Mavericks feel like they are playing for something real. Both teams want to get the edge over each other, and there's a distinct possibility that they match up again in the playoffs for another year.

That's not just speculation, either. Even Irving himself concurred that there is a rivalry.

“It’s personal. I think it’s the start of a healthy rivalry…We’re gonna be seeing them a lot over the next few years so it’s good that you set the precedent now what it’s gonna be like," Irving said. "When the pushing and shoving occurs, that’s just good competitive NBA basketball that we feel is only right at this point because we gotta protect ourselves ... It’s good. It’s healthy.”

With superstars at the helm the likes of Gilgeous-Alexander and Doncic, it's highly unliikley for either team to not be in the playoff picture for the foreseeable future. They'll be titans for a long time coming, and the more and more they match up, the more and more likely the rivalry will grow.

It doesn't have to be an unhealthy one, but it will undoubtedly be one. Friday was just another installment in the many still to come.

The Loss is OK

Oklahoma City being on the losing side is now a rarity. When it happens, it's a big deal, and that was certainly the case when it fell to Dallas for the second time of the season.

However, given the circumstances of the matchup, the loss is entirely OK. The impact Gilgeous-Alexander makes for the Thunder is immeasurable, and with the long-term absence of Chet Holmgren on top of that, it was not nearly at full strength last night. The Mavericks may not have had Doncic, but irving is a player that can win games as the only star on the floor.

Of course Oklahoma City would rather not lose to a Dallas team that knocked it out of the playoffs, but it isn't a shocker that it could took a loss to the Mavericks without its best player. There's no way the Thunder can win every game — off-nights are bound to happen.

Ultimately, nothing dramatic will happen out of this game. The Thunder will move forward and play the way it has all season, setting itself up for a potentially fruitful playoff run.

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