DALLAS, TX - OCTOBER 28: Cooper Flagg #32 of the Dallas Mavericks dribbles the ball during the game against the Oklahoma City Thunder on October 28, 2026 at American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Glenn James/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images Michael Harris Thu, October 29, 2026 at 6:05 AM UTC · 4 min read About Our Ads Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Mavericks (3-2) hosted the undefeated, but depleted, Oklahoma City Thunder (4-1) Wednesday night. OKC lost both Jalen Williams and Cason Wallace to injury and will be without them for months, and the Mavs took full advantage of the situation, almost like a good team would. Scary thought there, but pinch yourselves, Mavs fans, because Dallas handed OKC its first loss of the season behind a 120-96 final score .
Irving came out of the gate red hot, hitting three three-pointers and all four of his shots in the first quarter. Relative to a minutes restriction, he was effective overall, despite his shooting cooling down (6-of-14). He uncharacteristically committed four fouls, but otherwise did a nice job running the show in his somewhat limited minutes. His team-high plus/minus of +25 shows his impact beyond the basic stat line.
Christie still hasn't quite found his shot, but his game looked better than it did in the first four games of the season. He drained 3-of-7 from downtown (42.9%) but once again shot too few withing the arc for my liking, missing his only two-point attempt.
Flagg continues to amaze. Suddenly an assist machine, Flagg was finding teammates all night and they made the most of it. He led all players with eight assists and had zero turnovers to boot. He was short on a few close-range shots, finishing 10-of-23 and only 2-of-8 from deep, but he is simply a star in the making. You don't have to squint too hard to see how he has improved over a stellar rookie season
Washington looked as though he pulled the 2024 version of himself out of the timestream Wednesday night. He played somewhat spotty minutes with long stretches on the bench, but nonetheless made a positive impact. Dusty May spoke about needing Washington locked in each and every play and it's looking like he is receiving that message and delivering accordingly. His 2-of-7 from beyond the arc left a bit to be desired, but one of those longballs was timely and he maximized his minutes beyond what appears in the box score.
Gafford nailed 3-of-4 shots including his only three-point attempt on a night where he joined Washington in turning back the clock to what we remember from 2024. He had a thunderous alley-oop dunk and made a nice move in the paint to finish strong and cap the play with the primal scream fans love to see. Best of all, he was a monster on the boards despite the Thunder being able to roll out a big at will. He was locked in on offense as well, with two blocks.
Risacher had his best offensive game of the season, shooting 5-of-6 overall and 2-of-3 from deep. Better still, it didn't come at the expense of his defensive effort. I've indicated that a few players contributed more than the box score demonstrates, but it is truer for Risacher than probably anyone else Wednesday night. Hounding Shai Gilgeous-Alexander into an airball in the first quarter was a nice display of defense, as was his tag-team effort with Caleb Martin to end the half with a steal. The guy is locked into the highest gear at all times, yet plays under control. Gilgeous-Alexander was 7-of-19 on the night and Risacher deserves a lot of credit for that sub-40% shooting.
This team is fun again. Even without a few key rotation players, the Thunder have the back-to-back league MVP but the Mavs had a gameplan and executed it well on both ends of the floor. The Mavs ended up connecting on 35.6% of their 3-point attempts, but were hot to start the game, allowing them to get a lead. They also held the Thunder to only 15.6% on three-point attempts, showing an effort on defense.
I invite you to follow me @_80MPH on X, and check back often at Mavs Moneyball for all the latest on the Dallas Mavericks.
Source: Sports
0 Comments