The Dallas Mavericks and Oklahoma City Thunder face critical lineup questions as they prepare for Friday’s 9:30 PM ET matchup at the Paycom Center. Injuries on both sides will force rotations to adapt and put bench players in prominent roles.
Dallas will be without Kyrie Irving (left knee surgery), Dante Exum (right knee injury management), and Dereck Lively II (right foot injury management). Daniel Gafford (right ankle) and P.J. Washington (right ankle sprain) are listed as questionable.
Oklahoma City is missing Alex Caruso (right quad contusion), Luguentz Dort (right adductor strain), Isaiah Hartenstein (right soleus strain), Thomas Sorber (right ACL recovery), and Nikola Topic (surgical recovery). Two-way players Brooks Barnhizer and Chris Youngblood are probable, while Branden Carlson is available after a nasal fracture.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander remains the team’s focal point, averaging 32.8 points per game.
The Mavericks enter on a three-game winning streak, with back-to-back wins over the Heat and Nuggets, improving to 8-15.
The Thunder are riding a 13-game winning streak and hold a 21-1 record, making them the team to beat in the Western Conference.
The teams met earlier this season, with Oklahoma City securing a 101-94 victory at Dallas on October 27.
Dallas will rely heavily on Cooper Flagg (17.3 points per game) and Anthony Davis (20.6 points, 10.8 rebounds) to maintain offensive output. The Thunder will lean on Gilgeous-Alexander and Chet Holmgren, who averages 18.4 points and 8.0 rebounds, to carry the load in Dort’s absence.
