Preview 35 of 82: Thunder @ Mavericks
Time: 6:00 PM CST
TV: Fox Sports Oklahoma
The Oklahoma City Thunder (22-12) are on the road tonight in Dallas, taking on Luka Doncic and the Mavericks (16-18). The Thunder enter as the third-ranked team in the Western Conference and trail second-place Golden State by a half game. Dallas has been surprisingly good with Doncic at the helm but have lost seven of their last 10 games to find themselves 12th in the West.
Tip-off is at 6:00 P.M. CST and will be televised on Fox Sports Oklahoma. The Thunder are 3-point road favorites according to Odds Shark.
Injury Report
Thunder
- Paul George: Probable — Quad Contusion
- Alex Abrines: Out — Illness
- Andre Roberson: Out — Knee
Mavs
- DeAndre Jordan: Questionable — Knee
- Wesley Matthews: Questionable — Foot
- Dennis Smith Jr: Probable — Wrist
Probable Starters
Mavs: Dennis Smith Jr, Wesley Matthews, Luka Doncic, Harrison Barnes, DeAndre Jordan
Statistics
Advanced
| Team | ORTG | DRTG | NET RTG | PACE | PIE |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| OKC | 108.2 | 102.1 | 6.1 | 103.56 | 53.0 |
| DAL | 109.2 | 108.8 | 0.4 | 100.94 | 50.6 |
Four Factors
| Team | EFG | FTA% | TO% | OREB% | OP EFG | OP FTA | OP TO | OP OREB |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| OKC | 51.2 | 0.265 | 14.7 | 31.5 | 50.8 | 0.256 | 17.6 | 26.4 |
| DAL | 52.4 | 0322 | 15.4 | 28.9 | 52.7 | 0.238 | 14.5 | 26.0 |
Previous Results
Dallas leads the season series 1-0
Nov. 10: DAL 111, OKC 96 [BOX SCORE]
What to Watch For
PG Back. Paul George missed Friday night’s win in Phoenix but is probable to make his return tonight in Dallas. Though the Thunder were able to come away with a win over the Suns, having George (26.3 PPG, 8.4 RPG, 2.2 SPG) back in the lineup is an obvious boost for OKC.
Russ Rolling. Russell Westbrook posted a season-high 40 points on 17-of-29 shooting in Friday’s win in Phoenix. Though it was Dennis Schroder who sparked the team to victory, it was easily Westbrook’s best performance in quite some time. If he can roll that momentum into another efficient shooting effort, the Thunder become a lot more difficult to beat.
Slowing the Rookie. Doncic has been a revelation for the Mavs this season, as the rookie comes in averaging 19.5 points, 6.6 rebounds, and five assists per contest. He’s coming off a career-high 34 points (7/10 3P) in Friday’s loss to the Pelicans. If he’s able to get rolling against this Thunder defense, the Mavs have a great chance at stealing a victory.
Nader Time. Abdel Nader came off the bench on Friday night to score a season-high 18 points against the Suns. Though Terrance Ferguson (illness) is not on the injury report, Alex Abrines is scheduled to miss yet another contest due to a stomach ailment. Nader should have earned himself some more playing time on Friday — he should get another opportunity at extended minutes in this one.
Sunset Sunday. The Thunder will be debuting their new sunset orange “Earned Edition” alternate uniforms tonight. They’ll also be rocking orange accessories.
Run It Back. The Thunder and Mavericks will turn around and play again tomorrow night in Oklahoma City. That New Year’s Eve game tips-off at 7:00 PM CST on Fox Sports Oklahoma.
