The Dallas Mavericks sent a defensive message on Saturday afternoon, defeating the Oklahoma City Thunder 105-101. They took a 2-1 series lead in the second-round playoff matchup. Following the game, Josh Bowe and I break down the effort.

This was a pretty incredible game for Dallas where in the first half, they just could not hit a shot, shooting under 40% from the field and around 25% from three. The only bright spot was P.J. Washington staying red hot and pouring in the points. The Dallas defense was so good though, they hung around and stayed within a point of the Thunder for halftime despite their poor shooting.

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At the start of the second half it seemed like things might slip away from the Mavericks as the Thunder put together an impressive 11-0 run. Dallas answered right back with a 16-0 run of their own. The Mavericks would control the game from that point on, but it was a very tense finish, which involved Hack-a-Lively and some strong defensive stands from the Mavericks. Dallas walked away with an impressive win.

We also talk about the efforts of PJ Washington, the strong play from Josh Green, and more. After this show, I held a secondary podcast where fans joined to give their opinion on the game. This was an awesome time, you should join next time!

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The Oklahoma State Cowboys basketball roster has seen some turnover this offseason. This isn’t foreign in college basketball, though. Every program in the sport is dealing with it. This is the current era of college athletics, and college basketball roster building has changed because of it.

With the Cowboys parting ways with Mike Boynton, the program’s head coach for the past seven seasons, Oklahoma State and Steve Lutz had to fill out their roster. With Boynton departing, many of his incredible recruits followed suit. Not four-star signee Jeremiah Johnson, though. He stayed committed to Oklahoma State.

Johnson, as mentioned, is a four-star recruit. He was a big commit to Boynton’s 2024 class, and it’s good for the program that he’s still headed to Stillwater. In the recent 247Sports recruit rankings update, Johnson’s overall ranking received a bump.

Previously ranked as the No. 141 prospect in the nation, Johnson saw a two-spot increase, now being ranked No. 139 in the nation. He’s the No. 13 point guard in the class and the No. 8 prospect in Arizona. Still, Johnson’s commitment to Oklahoma State is incredible, helping Lutz have a head start in recruitment and roster building ahead of this fall.

Johnson is an Oklahoma native, and the Cowboys secured his commitment last fall, beating out Oklahoma, TCU and SMU. He’s since moved around during his high school basketball career, spending time in both Utah and Phoenix.

The four-star guard averaged 18.7 points, 4.9 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 1.5 steals per game this past season in high school. The talented 6-foot-3 guard reaffirmed his commitment to Lutz and the Pokes after Boynton was fired.

“When I came to Oklahoma State, of course I came for who was coaching, but I also came for the community and just wanting to play in an Oklahoma State jersey, just wanting to always do that,” Johnson told the Pistols Firing Blog last month.

Johnson cited that the program retaining Keiton Page was huge, and helped in his decision to remain committed.

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Oklahoma voters now have another choice for president in November.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr., 70, completed his statement of candidacy and paid Oklahoma’s $35,000 fee to appear on the ballot as an independent candidate, Oklahoma State Election Board officials confirmed Thursday.

The campaign said in a statement Oklahoma marks the fifth state where Kennedy and his running mate, Nicole Shanahan, will officially appear on the ballot. Other states where Kennedy has qualified are Utah, Michigan, California and Delaware.

Kennedy is expected to face Democrat Joe Biden and Republican Donald Trump on Election Day.

“Today, RFK Jr. was placed on the ballot in my home state of Oklahoma,” said Tami Mitchell, a campaign volunteer, in a statement released by the campaign.

More: Among Republicans, Trump’s support is weakest in and around Oklahoma City

“For me, it sparked a fire,” Mitchell said. “This gives so many of us hope that the next president will be a voice for the people of our great country.”

Kennedy initially campaigned as a Democrat before switching to independent. The Michigan Advance reports he’s known for his work as an environmental lawyer and his anti-vaccine stances. He is the nephew of former President John F. Kennedy and son of former U.S. Sen. Robert F. Kennedy.

Kennedy’s campaign said it has collected enough signatures to appear in eight additional states, including New Hampshire, Nevada, Hawaii, North Carolina, Idaho, Nebraska, Iowa and Ohio. 

It plans to work to get Kennedy’s name on the ballot in every state.

More: Donald Trump is outraising GOP rivals in Oklahoma. Here are the numbers