The Mavericks are getting Oklahoma City at a moment when the Thunder’s injury report has become impossible to ignore.
Dallas, which sits at 2-2, hosts the undefeated Thunder on Wednesday at American Airlines Center, and for once the Mavs may have the cleaner bill of health. That would have been rare territory last season. It’s a different story this week, with Oklahoma City (4-0) suddenly trying to keep its early roll going while missing key pieces around Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
The biggest blow came with Jalen Williams, SGA’s top sidekick, going down with a gruesome lower left leg injury that will keep him out indefinitely. Williams’ left ankle rolled under him on a layup attempt, and the injury was severe enough that the joint dislocated and his fibula fractured.
That wasn’t the end of it for Oklahoma City. In the same game against the LA Clippers, Cason Wallace suffered a shoulder injury that was later diagnosed as a torn labrum and will require surgery. The Thunder still managed to beat the Clippers on Sunday, then followed that up with a 125-114 win over the Phoenix Suns on Monday behind a career-high 30 points from Ajay Mitchell.
Even in that latest win, the absences kept piling up. Center Chet Holmgren was out with tendinitis in his knee, and veteran Alex Caruso left the game with a sprained ankle.
Dallas, meanwhile, is coming off one of its best offensive outings of the season, led by teenage star Cooper Flagg. After missing one game with a shoulder sprain, Flagg returned and posted 29 points and 11 assists in a road win over the winless Miami Heat. Kyrie Irving chipped in with 18 points, six rebounds and six assists.
The ball movement was just as striking as the scoring. Thirty-one of Dallas’ 43 baskets came on assists, a sign of how connected the group looked against Miami.
“It’s a lot of fun when your two superstars are as unselfish as they are, and they show as much grace as they bring along these younger players,” coach Dusty May said postgame. “It’s been fun to be a part of and see it so far. Obviously a long way to go, but this is a very, very good win for our team.”
Now the Mavericks go from that kind of rhythm test straight into a meeting with a Thunder team that is still perfect, but not whole.
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