Mavs Game Observations: Game 45 @ Thunder

If the Mavs could only play OKC more...

Photo by Joshua Gateley / Getty Images

'Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass but learning to dance in the rain.’

That’s what my friend, coaching mentor, and digginbasketball X&O contributor Luka Bassin replied after I posted my ’How the Mavericks Pivot After Lively's Injury Blow' analysis.

There was no rain in OKC last night, but boy, did the Mavericks dance.

Kyrie Irving, P.J. Washington, Spencer Dinwiddie, and others showed that this group will keep fighting—no matter how undermanned (missing seven players again last night), how banged up, or how many close games they’ve lost before. Irving, surprisingly playing on the second night of a back-to-back, led Dallas to a 121-115 victory over a heavily favored Thunder.

Dallas beat OKC for the third time in four games this season, with three of the Thunder’s eight losses coming against the Mavericks. The cross-border rivalry continues, with both P.J. Washington and Lu Dort adding new chapters to their lengthy books as the Biggest Villains opposing fans love to hate in Oklahoma and Dallas.

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Today’s notes:

1. Fun offense flashback: back to driving, attacking from all angles, and sharing the ball (🎞️VIDEO)

2. P.J. and Spencer rebound in a big way

3. Fun defense flashback: returning to proactive, terms-dictating schemes

4. Mavs outplay the Thunder in the 4-on-3 game

5. Give me more length, give me more O-Max and Kessler Edwards 📊

Bonus point: The league finally catching on to Lu Dort's dirty antics

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1-Fun offense flashback: back to driving, attacking from all angles, and sharing the ball

Earlier in the season, during Luka Dončić's first injury stint, the Mavericks went on an impressive run, winning 5 of 6 games without their superstar. During that stretch, they played a fun and dynamic brand of basketball—pushing the pace, attacking relentlessly, and driving from all angles (see my post-Knicks win notes for a refresher).

Last night, what has been a struggling offense returned to that template, showing flashes of what made them so fun to watch and hard to stop earlier in the season. Instead of settling for jump shots, they relentlessly drove the ball against the NBA's best defense—one that is undersized and played without a center for large stretches of the game. The Mavericks shot an impressive 15-of-20 at the rim and earned 36 free-throw attempts, highlighting just how aggressive and deliberate they were.

Watch how Dallas executed a smart game plan, relentlessly attacking OKC's shrink defense lurking in the gaps against Irving and Dinwiddie, using aggressive drives and purposeful re-drives to break down the most aggressive defense in the NBA.

2-P.J. and Spencer rebound in a big way

The key theme of this latest injury-marked stretch has been (in)consistency. I wrote in my mid-season check about how both P.J. Washington and Spencer Dinwiddie have struggled with it, falling short of reliably filling that third scorer or creator role.

Washington had a down game in Charlotte, while Dinwiddie struggled both there and against Minnesota. Last night they both delivered great performances, which is exactly what’s needed alongside steady high-level production from Irving to beat a great team like OKC. Both led the charge with drives, as Washington had a team-high 12 and Dinwiddie added 10.

Neither settled for bad jumpers, and Dinwiddie, in particular, showed much better decision-making. After gaining confidence by hitting a couple of spot-up open looks, he was far more decisive and quick with the ball. Washington, as he often does, filled the stat sheet with 22 points, 19 rebounds, 3 steals, and 2 blocks. He continued to bully the smaller OKC lineups, both with his physicality on drives and his dominance on the glass.

3-Fun defense flashback: returning to proactive, terms-dictating schemes