NBA regular season, the Mavericks defeated the Western No. 1 Thunder at home with a score of 106-98, refusing a 20-point comeback and ending their three-game losing streak. In this game, Irving scored 25 points with 5 rebounds and 5 assists, Dinwiddie had 16 points, Klay shot 2 out of 7 for 6 points and 5 rebounds, and was benched by Kidd in the decisive moments, Washington had 16 points. On the Thunder side, Alexander missed the game due to a sprained right wrist, which was also his first absence of the season. However, even without their absolute core, the Thunder still performed well, with a total of 9 players scoring in the first quarter. Although there was no absolute offensive strong point, every player on the court could score, allowing them to lead the Mavericks by 4 points in the first quarter.
However, in the second quarter, the Thunder fell into a state of complete silence, with Jalen unable to carry the offensive flag, scoring only 2 points in the quarter, and the team scoring only 17 points in the quarter. The Mavericks seized the opportunity, with Irving and Washington combining for 18 points. The team shot an ultra-high hit rate of 13 out of 18 in the quarter, scoring 41 points from beyond the arc with 7 out of 10 shots. Throughout the second quarter, the Mavericks won by as many as 24 points over the Thunder, ending the half with a 20-point lead.
Entering the third quarter, the Thunder were not pushovers. Even without Alexander, the team could respond, starting a three-point rain and scoring 33 points with 7 three-pointers in the quarter. Meanwhile, on the defensive end, they held the Mavericks to just 14 points, almost wiping out the 20-point deficit in just one quarter. After three quarters, the Thunder trailed the Mavericks by only 1 point.
In the final quarter, the two teams fought fiercely, with the outcome undecided until the last moments. With 3 minutes remaining, the Mavericks led by only 1 point. Then Marshall and Dinwiddie scored 6 points in a row, Jalen made a layup, and Dinwiddie hit another three-pointer, leaving no doubt about the outcome of the game. Ultimately, the Mavericks overturned the Western No. 1 at home, ending their losing streak.
Although the Thunder lost this game, it should be noted that they were missing three key rotation players in this game: Alexander, Holmgren, and Hatten did not play. Despite this, they were still able to compete with the Mavericks, demonstrating the depth of their roster. Every player could perform to a certain extent, providing assistance to the team on both offense and defense. When the Thunder welcome their full squad, this team will be a strong contender for the championship this season.