Mavericks Sink 16 Thunders in 120-96 Win Over Short-Handed OKC

The Dallas Mavericks beat the Oklahoma City Thunder 120-96 on Wednesday night at American Airlines Center, moving to 3-2 on the season. Cooper Flagg led Dallas with 26 points and eight assists. P.J. Washington added 18 points.

Dallas led by 12 points in the first half and pushed the lead to 27 in the fourth quarter. The Mavericks shot 16 of 45 from three-point range, with 11 of those coming before halftime. Oklahoma City went 5 of 32 from deep, a season-low 15.6% for the Thunder.

Kyrie Irving scored 15 points, 13 of them in the first half, hitting his first four shots. It marked Irving's first home regular-season appearance since March 3, 2025, when he tore the ACL in his left knee. Daniel Gafford made the first three-pointer of his eight NBA seasons on the 2,384th shot of his career.

Oklahoma City fell to 4-1 while missing Jalen Williams (broken leg, dislocated ankle), Cason Wallace (torn labrum), Chet Holmgren (patellar tendinitis in his right knee) and Alex Caruso (patellar tendinitis). Ajay Mitchell scored 29 points for the Thunder, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander added 21.

The win gave first-year Dallas coach Dusty May his first home victory in his second attempt. Irving's 13 first-half points came on 3-pointers in three of his first four attempts. Dallas next faces Houston on Friday; Oklahoma City plays Houston on the road Saturday.