Tip-Off: 7:30 PM CT
Location: American Airlines Center (Dallas, Texas)
Television: Bally Sports Oklahoma
Radio: WWLS 98.1FM OKC The Sports Animal
Twitter: Follow @ZacharyLowNBA for live-tweets and discussion during the game
Just a couple of weeks ago, the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Dallas Mavericks battled to the final buzzer of their third matchup of the season. In the closest matchup of the three meetings so far, the Thunder couldn’t pull off the win as they dropped a 104-102 decision in Dallas. Tonight, the Thunder and the Mavericks meet for the final time this season, and the two teams have been trending in different directions as of late.
The Thunder is fresh off a 98-81 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers, a game in which OKC trailed by 18 at one point before completing a massive comeback. It was OKC’s first win since knocking off the Nets in Brooklyn on January 13th and the first home win of 2022. The Thunder has won just 2 games in their last 14 outings, and with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander out with a sprained ankle, it could be a bumpy ride for a while.
Meanwhile, the Mavericks have been one of the hotter teams in the league for a while. Despite dropping a 2-point decision to the Orlando Magic on Sunday, the Mavs have still won 13 of their last 17 games, and they are 7-1 at home during that stretch.
OKC and Dallas have two different goals this season, but even during the Thunder’s latest slide, they have been competitive. Of their last 12 losses, 9 of them have been decided by single digits and 5 of those were by 4 points or fewer. The Mavericks are a double-digit favorite tonight, and while I think Dallas should get the win, don’t count the Thunder out. This could be another fight to the finish.
Projected Starters
Thunder
- PG: Josh Giddey
- SG: Tre Mann
- SF: Aaron Wiggins
- PF: Luguentz Dort
- C: Jeremiah Robinson-Earl
Mavericks
- PG: Luka Dončić
- SG: Jalen Brunson
- SF: Dorian Finney-Smith
- PF: Maxi Kleiber
- C: Dwight Powell
Injuries
Thunder
- Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is OUT (sprained right ankle).
- Vit Krejci is OUT (sprained right ankle).
- Isaiah Roby is OUT (sprained right ankle).
Mavericks
- Sterling Brown is OUT (sore left foot).
- Tim Hardaway Jr. is OUT (fifth metatarsal fracture in left foot).
- Kristaps Porzingis is OUT (right knee bone bruise).
Head-to-Head
- Since arriving in Oklahoma City in 2008, the Thunder is 24-24 against the Mavericks in the regular season (15-11 at home, 9-13 on the road) and 9-5 in the playoffs (4-3 at home, 5-2 on the road).
- Since arriving in Oklahoma City in 2008, the Thunder has won the season series against the Mavericks 4 times, lost 6 times, and tied 3 times.
- The Thunder went 1-2 against the Mavericks last season (1-1 at home, 0-1 on the road).
- The Thunder is 0-3 against the Mavericks so far this season (0-2 at home, 0-1 on the road).