Thunder 101, Mavericks 94: The Day After Report

Nuggets and Notes

• Isaiah to the rescue: Isaiah Hartenstein scored every single Thunder field goal in the final 8:28 and was a menace on the offensive glass all game. Okay, it was just 2 field goals in that stretch, but Hart also had another in the fourth as he went 3-of-3 in the final quarter (while the rest of the team went 2-18). He finished with 16 points, 12 rebounds, and 5 offensive boards.
• The Free Throw Merchant: One player took 250% more free throws than the other team's best player. Yes, that's right, PJ Washington took 250% more free throws than Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (7-2). When will we start seeing the memes?
• More on free throws: SGA didn't attempt a free throw until there were 21 seconds left—and it came off an intentional foul. OKC shot just 13 total free throws to Dallas’ 22.
• Chet schools Cooper: With 9:30 left in the third, Chet Holmgren detonated on Cooper Flagg with a one-handed running slam that instantly went viral. That play was demonstrative of how aggressive Chet has become this season, while also showing that Flagg is still adjusting to life in the NBA.
• Flagg’s rough night: Dallas’ rookie star struggled mightily, finishing with just 2 points on 1-for-9 shooting and little impact defensively. Honestly, Flagg was getting worked by the OKC offense.
• Turnover tale: Usually elite at forcing giveaways, the Thunder forced just 9 turnovers—their lowest mark of the season—and committed 13 of their own, leading to 16 Dallas points off turnovers versus 11 for OKC.
• Not quite deja vu: Much like their win over Atlanta two nights prior, OKC dominated the third quarter (39-27) to seize control. It looked like another restful fourth quarter for Shai... but, uh, no.
• Chet’s block party: Holmgren swatted four shots, bringing his season total to five after recording zero in the first two games. He anchored a defense that held Dallas to 37.9% shooting overall.
• SGA doesn't score 30: Shai had his quietest night of the season, scoring just 23 points on 10-of-22 shooting. Gilgeous-Alexander did his best work in the third, scoring 12 points as OKC built a 22-point lead, but once he went to the bench, the team couldn't sustain the lead forcing the MVP back into the game in the fourth.
• Bench mob: Ajay Mitchell (17 points, 7 boards) and Aaron Wiggins (11 points) were particularly big in this one, especially as the Thunder's second unit exploited Dallas when Anthony Davis went to the bench. Ajay has been impressive in every game this year, and it's obvious that both Mitchell and Wiggins are really asserting themselves when on the court.
• Unbeaten company: The Thunder are now 4-0, joining the Spurs, Bulls, and 76ers as the NBA’s final unbeaten teams. No surprises there.

One Big Takeaway: The Fourth-Quarter Meltdown

The Thunder led by as many as 22 in the third quarter, 21 in the fourth quarter, and yet, with 54.8 seconds to go in the game, the reigning champs held just a 1-point led.

Ice-cold shooting resulted in OKC nearly losing a game they had well in hand. OKC shot 5-of-21 in the final period, including 0-for-9 from three, while committing seven turnovers and getting outscored 25-14. With under 4 minutes left, the Thunder had scored just 6 points in the quarter.

Not only was the shooting poor, but Oklahoma City could not protect the ball, turning the ball over 7 times.

While the Thunder avoided disaster, to me, this is an example of the margins in the NBA. While OKC boasts the current MVP, an aggressive Chet Holmgren, and a leap-taking Ajay Mitchell, the team has been saddled with a short-handed rotation that has been without key players like Alex Caruso and Jalen Williams for all or nearly all the season.

This team, fully healthy, is a buzzsaw, but sometimes in the NBA, when you're missing some of your best players, that margin shrinks and just finding ways to win becomes the priority. It was that way against the Rockets and Pacers, and it ended up being that way against the Mavericks last night.