October 29, 2026 at 5:43 AM UTC

Postgame Report

Mavericks run past a depleted Thunder, 120-96, in Dallas

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Oklahoma City played without Chet Holmgren for a second straight game and never got close to Dallas, which won by 24.

The Thunder came to Dallas without Chet Holmgren for the second night running, and the Mavericks beat them 120-96 at home. Holmgren is dealing with right knee patellar tendinitis, and his absence left Oklahoma City thin up front. Isaiah Hartenstein did what he could, finishing with 10 points and 14 rebounds in 26 minutes. The Mavericks still had the easier night inside. Daniel Gafford grabbed 11 rebounds, and P.J. Washington had 18 points and nine boards.

The guard rotation was in worse shape. Alex Caruso (right ankle sprain) and Cason Wallace (left shoulder labral tear) were both out. That cost the Thunder their best defensive options on the perimeter and left the ball-handling to a lineup that looked improvised. Jared McCain started and scored 10. Bennett Stirtz played 28 minutes and Josh Dix 24, and the two combined for 10 points. Dallas never had to work hard to find an open look.

Kyrie Irving was listed as questionable with left knee injury management, which is how the Mavericks are handling his return from the ACL tear. He played 27 minutes and scored 15 with four assists, and he did not need to carry the offense. Cooper Flagg led the team in minutes with 33 and put up 26 points, five rebounds and eight assists. Zaccharie Risacher added 13 points, and the bench produced 10 each from Marcus Sasser, Morez Johnson Jr. and Caleb Martin.

The Thunder were missing Jalen Williams too. He is out with a left ankle fracture, and the club is still waiting on a timeline tied to surgery. Ajay Mitchell was questionable with a right ankle sprain but played and led all scorers with 29 points in 28 minutes. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had 21 on the same minutes. Beyond those two, Oklahoma City managed little, and Dallas pulled away for the win.

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