5 days Ago By Field Level Media
P.J. Washington had a season-high 27 points and a career-high 17 rebounds to lead the visiting Dallas Mavericks to a 121-119 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder on Sunday.
Kyrie Irving added 23 points as the Mavericks led for much of the game despite playing without Luka Doncic, who was out with a bruised right knee. It was the first game Doncic had missed this season. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander nearly helped the Thunder pull off a late comeback -- hitting a 3-pointer with 25 seconds left to pull Oklahoma City within three, forcing a jump ball with Irving and then winning the jump ball.
The Mavericks fouled Gilgeous-Alexander with less than five seconds remaining. Gilgeous-Alexander made the first free throw before missing the second intentionally. Luguentz Dort grabbed the offensive rebound but his 3-pointer at the buzzer missed the mark.
Gilgeous-Alexander finished with 36 points on 13-of-19 shooting. Dallas has won back-to-back games. The Thunder had a three-game winning streak snapped and finished a season-long six-game homestand 4-2.
Washington made his mark quickly, hitting a turnaround shot on the game's first possession, grabbing the rebound on the other end and eventually finishing off that possession with a 3-pointer. In the first four minutes, Washington had 11 points and four rebounds. He had 13 points and five rebounds by the end of the first quarter, when the Mavericks led 39-34.
The 39 first-quarter points were the most Dallas has scored in a quarter since opening night, and the most allowed by Oklahoma City in a quarter this season. After trailing by 10 early in the third quarter, the Thunder went on a 10-2 run to close the gap. Gilgeous-Alexander kicked it off in emphatic fashion, with a dunk off a feed from Jalen Williams at one end and then a block of Dereck Lively II's dunk attempt on the other.
Gilgeous-Alexander added a layup during the stretch, then found Dort for a 3-pointer to cut the deficit to two. But it took less than two minutes for the Mavericks to stretch the lead back to nine thanks to seven quick points by Irving plus a feed to Lively for another basket. Williams finished the night with 27 points for Oklahoma City and Dort had 18.
Mavericks coach Jason Kidd said before the game he was hopeful Doncic could return Tuesday against New Orleans. This article first appeared on Field Level Media and was syndicated with permission..
