The Mavericks beat Oklahoma City 120-96 on ESPN, winning all four quarters and stretching the lead to 27. Dallas has now won two straight and sits sixth at 3-2, with Houston coming to town on October 30.
Where It Broke Open
For a half this was close: eight ties, six lead changes and a 65-59 Dallas edge at the break. Then the Mavericks went on an 11-0 run in under two minutes, from 65-61 to 76-61, and Mark Daigneault had to call time. OKC answered with an 8-0 run to get within 78-71, Dusty May called his own timeout, and Dallas won the rest of the third 16-10. The fourth was a rout. Flagg, Gafford, Christie, Washington and Clayton Jr. closed it with a 12-0 run that turned 108-93 into 120-93. Oklahoma City scored 15 points in the quarter, and Ajay Mitchell had 10 of them.
Grading The Key Lines
Cooper Flagg gets an A-minus: 26 points, 8 assists, zero turnovers and 4-4 at the line, though 10-23 shooting and 2-8 from three keep it off the top grade. Zaccharie Risacher earns an A: 13 points on 5-6 shooting, 6 rebounds and +16 in 29 minutes off the bench, the same week ESPN's Tim MacMahon reported Dallas picked up his 2027-28 option. Kyrie Irving gets a B-plus. He shot 6-14, but 2 steals, 2 blocks and a team-best +25 show how much better Dallas was with him on the floor. P.J. Washington gets a C-plus. He had 18 and 9, but he shot 7-16 and finished +2, the lowest mark in the rotation.
What The Win Means
Keep the opponent in context. Oklahoma City played without Jalen Williams, Alex Caruso, Cason Wallace, Nikola Topic and Thomas Sorber. Still, Dallas held Gilgeous-Alexander to 7-19 shooting and a -21, and kept Jared McCain to 0-6 from deep. The win moves the Mavericks to sixth, one game clear of 11th. Houston comes in two days later for an Emirates NBA Cup game, followed by Sacramento at home. The November 4 trip to San Antonio is the real test after the 122-106 loss to the Spurs on October 24. Naji Marshall and Sergio de Larrea have been upgraded from out, and Santi Aldama's estimated return date is October 30.
Who led the Mavericks in the 120-96 win over the Thunder?
Cooper Flagg led Dallas with 26 points and 8 assists without a turnover. Kyrie Irving had the best plus-minus at +25.
When do the Mavericks play next?
Dallas hosts the Houston Rockets on October 30 in an Emirates NBA Cup game, then hosts Sacramento on November 2.
