Deadspin: Cooper Flagg and Mavericks Hand Thunder First Loss of the Season
Flagg sparks Dallas victory
Flagg led Dallas with 26 points, eight assists and five rebounds. After struggling against the Thunder as a rookie, he scored 12 points in the opening quarter. Oklahoma City stayed within reach despite missing three starters, closing a 12-point gap to four late in the second quarter. Dallas went into halftime ahead 65-59.
The Mavericks seized control early in the third with an 11-0 run. Flagg assisted Kyrie Irving on a floater to start the burst and capped it with a pull-up jumper.
Shooting gap grows after halftime
The Thunder made more than 51% of their shots before halftime but managed only 30% after the break. Dallas made 16 three-pointers, while Oklahoma City connected on five of 32 attempts from beyond the arc.
Dallas turned 14 Thunder turnovers into 16 points. Oklahoma City scored only nine points off 11 Mavericks turnovers, despite averaging 23.3 points off turnovers entering the game.
Thunder streaks come to an end
The 24-point defeat was Oklahoma City’s first loss of the season, ending a four-game winning streak. It also stopped the Thunder’s 15-game October winning streak; their previous October loss was on Oct. 29, 2023.
Oklahoma City had been seeking to become the first NBA team to start three straight seasons with a 5-0 record. Jalen Williams, Cason Wallace and Chet Holmgren missed their second consecutive game, and Alex Caruso was also unavailable. Williams and Wallace sustained long-term injuries in Sunday’s win over the Clippers.
Scoring leaders and absences
P.J. Washington contributed 18 points and nine rebounds for Dallas, which had eight players reach double figures. Caleb Martin was among them, scoring at least 10 points in his season debut after missing the first four games with an injury.
Ajay Mitchell led Oklahoma City with 29 points, two days after setting a career high with 30. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 21 points on seven-for-19 shooting.
Key points
- Cooper Flagg led Dallas with 26 points and eight assists in a 120-96 win.
- An 11-0 Mavericks run early in the third quarter put the game out of reach.
- Oklahoma City’s loss ended its four-game winning streak and 15-game October streak.
- Dallas made 16 three-pointers; the Thunder made five of 32.