P.J. Washington posted a career-high 27 points and 17 rebounds as the Dallas Mavericks defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder 121-119 on Sunday night.
Washington stepped up in the absence of Luka Doncic, who was sidelined with a bruised right knee.
Despite Doncic’s absence, Dallas’ offense functioned efficiently. Kyrie Irving added 23 points, contributing significantly to the Mavericks shooting 48% from the floor. Dallas held on for a win that improved their record to 7-7.
The Thunder, led by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s 36 points and 27 from Jalen Williams, fell short despite a valiant comeback attempt.
Oklahoma City entered the game with an impressive 11-2 record but was unable to recover after falling behind by 14 points in the final six minutes of the game.
Oklahoma City fought back after trailing 112-98, with Gilgeous-Alexander’s 3-pointer trimming the lead to 121-118 with 25.2 seconds left.
The Thunder had a chance to tie the game in the final seconds, but after a jump ball between Gilgeous-Alexander and Irving, the Mavericks fouled Gilgeous-Alexander with 4.3 seconds remaining. He made the first free throw but missed the second.
Lu Dort’s off-balance three-pointer at the buzzer missed, sealing the Mavericks’ victory.
Dallas’ size advantage was a significant factor. The Mavericks outrebounded the Thunder 53-29, with Washington contributing six offensive rebounds.
In contrast, the Thunder struggled with turnovers, and despite forcing 16 from Dallas, they couldn’t capitalize as much as they normally would.
The Thunder were hampered by shooting struggles, particularly from beyond the arc. They made just 14 of 42 three-pointers, compared to the Mavericks’ 11 of 27. Despite shooting 49.4% overall, the Thunder couldn’t convert on key possessions.
Dallas made 30 of 36 free throws, which was another contributing factor to their narrow victory. The Thunder, by contrast, hit 19 of 25 from the line, a noticeable difference in a tightly contested game.
