Doncic is injured! Klay made 11 of 11 and Irving scored 23 points, and the Mavericks had seven players in double figures to overturn the Western overlord Thunder

On November 18, Beijing time, the 2024-25 regular season was underway, and the Mavericks narrowly defeated the Thunder 121-119 away, the Mavericks ushered in two consecutive wins, and the Thunder's three-game winning streak came to an end.

Statistics

Mavericks: Irving had 23 points and 6 assists, Klay Thompson shot 1 of 11 and 1 of 8 three-pointers for 5 points; PJ Washington had 27 points and 17 rebounds, and Gafford had 11 points and 12 rebounds

Thunder: Alexander 36 points and eight assists, Jalen Williams 27 points, Dort 18 points

Background

The Mavericks ended a four-game losing streak with a 110-93 win over the Spurs in their last game. The increase in defensive intensity was key to ending their losing streak, with the Mavericks conceding a whopping 117.8 points per game during the four-game losing streak, while against the Spurs, they limited their opponents to 31.8 percent shooting, including just 27.5 percent from three-point range (11-of-40). After the game, Doncic also emphasized the importance of defense. It is worth mentioning that Doncic was in a slump in the game against the Spurs, shooting 6-of-16 from the field, including 3-of-9 from three-point range, and scoring only 16 points. In response, Doncic said that his current physical condition is "slightly below" 100%, but he believes it is only a matter of time before he returns to his normal form. However, against the Thunder today, Doncic was sidelined with a right knee contusion.

The Thunder are still on a high streak, beating the Suns 99-83 in their last game, ushering in a wave of three straight wins, while topping the Western Conference with an 11-2 record. The stats show that the Thunder rank 12th in the league in offensive efficiency (113.5 points) this season, but the defensive efficiency ranks first in the league, with steals per game (12.2) and blocks per game (7.3) being the best in the league, and during the three-game winning streak, the Thunder have conceded 99.7 points per game, but the Thunder have averaged free throws per game (19.6) to rank second to last in the league. In addition, the Thunder have also suffered injuries, with Holmgren (fractured right iliac wing), Isaiah Hartenstein (non-displaced fracture of left hand) and Caruso (right hip strain) all unavailable.

Game recap

Despite the absence of Doncic, the Mavericks who were playing away showed strong offensive firepower, returning to the starting lineup Washington scored 11 points in a row, Klay also hit three points from the outside, and the Mavericks got off to an excellent start with a 14-5 run. The Thunder didn't get out of the way, Dort, Joe and Wiggins combined for three three-pointers, Alexander rushed to the basket to face the defender and put the ball into the net, and the Thunder tied the score at 19. Hardy and Irving's layups couldn't stop the Thunder's progress, Wiggins hit another three-pointer, and Alexander continued to break through the defense to score, and the Thunder took a 26-23 lead. At the critical moment, Irving scored two goals in a row, and Marshall and others also made contributions one after another, and the Mavericks led the Thunder 39-34 in the first quarter.

In the second quarter, the Mavericks' offense continued unabated, and the inside and outside teamed up to extend the lead to 10 points at one point. At 6 minutes and 57 seconds, Dort's three-pointer helped the Thunder stabilize their position. Gafford scored three goals in a row to defend the Mavericks' lead, and Alexander was not relentless, scoring frequently in the basket. Jones and Dort also made contributions from the outside, and the Thunder chased the score to 56-62. However, in the final one-and-a-half-minute of the quarter, the Thunder did not score a point, relying on Alexander's free throws, and the Thunder chased the score to 58-66 at the end of the first half.

After the rematch, the Thunder launched a counterattack, and Dort hit a three-pointer with the assistance of Alexander, and the Thunder chased the score to 73-75 and forced the Mavericks to stop. When the game restarted, Irving immediately stepped up and scored seven points in a row to help the Mavericks extend their lead to nine points again. The Thunder didn't show weakness either, with Jones hitting a three-pointer and Alexander and Williams also scoring. At the end of the third quarter, the Thunder trailed the Mavericks 92-97.

In the final quarter, the Thunder's offense suddenly stalled, and in the space of three and a half minutes, the athletic battle scored only one goal. The Mavericks relied on a 10-4 spurt to rewrite the score to 107-96. Wallace's layup still couldn't stir up the morale of his teammates. At 6:19, Irving hit a 3-pointer from the outside, and the Mavericks extended their advantage to 14 points. After the timeout, Jalen Williams hit a three-pointer under tight guards, and Dinwiddie immediately responded with a layup. At 4:36, Alexander drew a foul on Marshall's defense and made all 2 free throws. Then Jalen Williams hit two consecutive three-pointers, and the Thunder chased it to 109-114. At 2:46, Washington assisted Lively for a layup, followed by an assist for Irving's three-pointer to give the Mavericks a 10-point advantage. At 1:58, Washington fanned Alexander for a layup and grabbed a key rebound. Four seconds before the end, Alexander deliberately hit 1 of 2 free throws, at which time the Thunder narrowed the gap to 2 points, Dort grabbed the rebound, but his three-point shot failed, and finally the Mavericks won the victory.

Both sides start

Mavericks: Kyrie Irving, Klay Thompson, Derek Lively II, P.J. Washington, Quentin Grimes

Thunder: Shay Gilgeous Alexander, Jalen Williams, Isaiah Joe, Luganz Dort, Aaron Wiggins