The Dallas Mavericks will take on the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 2 of the Western Conference semi-finals Thursday night at Paycom Center. The Mavericks will be looking to even the series after losing Game 1. They’ll need to win a game in Oklahoma City to win the series, so it might as well be Game 2.
Dallas looked a little off as Game 1 went on Tuesday night. It was easy to tell the Thunder had been sitting around waiting for their next opponent, developing some rust. The Mavericks, meanwhile, showed some carry-over rhythm from their series against the Los Angeles Clippers. But eventually the Thunder found their footing and showed why they’re the number one seed. The Mavericks will have to play a solid 48 minutes in order to escape down I-35 with a victory Thursday night.
Here are three things to think about before the game:
Rebound, just a little, please
The Mavericks were out-rebounded by the Thunder 52-39, and 16-11 on the offensive glass. That led to a 25-15 OKC advantage on second-chance points. That just can’t happen against Oklahoma City. The Thunder finished the regular season 29th in defensive rebounding rate. They tightened things up after the all-star break, finishing 12th in that span. But the Mavericks are bigger and longer, and have more experience. They should be winning the rebounding battle, or at the very least, be even with the Thunder. Giving a team like Oklahoma City more possessions is dangerous, considering their shooting ability.
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Doncic and Irving must be better
Your instinct might be to defend the Mavericks’ star backcourt duo. “They carry this team night after night, why can’t someone else step up when they have an off game?”
But that’s not how the Mavericks are built. Dallas can get away with offensively limited but defensively oriented role players like P.J. Washington, Derrick Jones Jr., and Dereck Lively II because Doncic and Irving can more than carry the load on offense. The Mavericks don’t need their role players to get buckets—the two superstars take care of that. But if they don’t, Dallas just doesn’t have another option to create offense. Doncic and Irving combining for less than forty points, like they did in Game 1, is just a recipe for disaster.
Make free throws, I’m begging you
The Mavericks went 17-of-25 from the charity stripe in Game 1, 68 percent. That didn’t matter for the final score, but this series won’t be a parade of blowouts. There will be close games. Dallas can’t take the risk of coming a free throw or two short against a team as talented as the Thunder. For whatever reason, free throw shooting has been an issue for the Mavericks for the last few years. They’ve got to get that figured out, before it costs them a close game at the absolute worst time.
Christmas is nearly here, but are you done with Christmas shopping? You still have a few days left, and we know that so many people face the annual challenge of what to buy someone who has everything, or is hard to buy for.
News 9 spoke to Von Maur representative Mathew Burniga to learn how to wrap up your Christmas shopping.
NORMAN, Okla. — Derrion Reed scored 22 points, Xzayvier Brown finished with 18, and Oklahoma set the program’s single-game record for field-goal percentage on Monday night as the Sooners beat Stetson 107-54 on Monday night.
Oklahoma shot 67.8% (40 of 59) from the field and had its highest-scoring game since a 107-86 win over Arkansan-Pine Bluff on Nov. 30, 2023. The previous record was 66.1% (39 of 59) against Baylor on Feb. 26, 2005.
The Sooners made 12 of 24 from 3-point range, outrebounded Stetson 39-24, and outscored the Hatters 54-18 in the paint.
Mohamed Wague had 15 points and nine rebounds for Oklahoma and Tae Davis added 12 points and six assists. Kuol Atak and Nijel Pack each scored 11 points.
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Ethan Copeland, the only Stetson (4-9) player who scored in double figures, had 14 points.
Oklahoma (9-3) used runs of 15-3 and 10-2, the latter of which culminated with a Jadon Jones three-point play that gave the Sooners a 26-11 lead a little more than eight minutes into the game.
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Another offensive lineman from Oklahoma’s heralded 2024 group of freshman has decided to enter the NCAA Transfer Portal.
Third-year sophomore tackle Isaiah Autry-Dent announced Monday on social media that he’ll be entering the portal when it opens on Jan. 2.
“I’m truly grateful for the incredible, life-changing experience I’ve had at the University of Oklahoma,” he wrote. “The dedication of the staff, the camaraderie with my teammates, and the unwavering support from the fans have made this journey unforgettable. I’ve learned lessons on and off the field that I will carry with me for the rest of my life, and I’m thankful for every moment, every challenge and every triumph along the way.”
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Dent added that he’s “given it a great deal of thought and prayed for guidance” but intends to leave OU with 3-4 years of eligibility remaining and is “excited about exploring new opportunities to continue growing as a player and as a person.”
After much prayer and family talks, I’ll enter the transfer portal on January 2 with three years of eligibility left. Thank you #SoonerNationpic.twitter.com/AM15EMHlHV
Dent was one of five offensive linemen signed in the 2024 class, and he’s the third one to leave, joining Eugene Brooks and Josh Aisosa. After just two seasons, only Eddy Pierre-Louis and Daniel Akinkunmi remain.
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Dent was listed at 304 pounds as a true freshman but in July checked in at 317 pounds — the biggest overall weight gain of any offensive player, which was a reflection of his hard work and dedication as the OU offensive line made an offseason mandate to get bigger and stronger.
Last spring, senior center Troy Everett was asked to assess Dent’s progress following his freshman season.
“Isaiah works hard,” Everett said. “Isaiah’s going to be great. Isaiah, right now, he’s just got to get comfortable when he’s out there, but that goes for every young guy.”
Read More Transfer Portal News
OU Transfer Portal Tracker Oklahoma LB to Enter Portal What Positions Must Oklahoma Address in the Portal?
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Dent played in just one game — against Maine — and logged just 26 snaps on offense and nine snaps on special teams during the 2024 season, then didn’t get on the field at all in 2025.
The former 3-star prospect from Fulton, MS, is a second cousin to former OU running back Marcus Dupree. His mother, Pashen Dent-Autry, was a two-time national champion basketball player for Tennessee legend Pat Summitt.
Autry was a consensus 3-star prospect coming out as a high school All-American at Itawamba Agricultural High School, where he was a 6-foot-7, 300-pound standout.
Autry picked the Sooners over Alabama, Auburn, Florida State and Ole Miss, among others, and could have plenty of options.
