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Oklahoma City Thunder top Dallas Mavericks in Game 1, make NBA history in process

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Oklahoma City Thunder top Dallas Mavericks in Game 1, make NBA history in process


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Shai Gilgeous-Alexander produced 29 points, nine rebounds and nine assists to lead the Oklahoma City Thunder to a 117-95 win over the visiting Dallas Mavericks in Game 1 of their Western Conference semifinal series on Tuesday.

Gilgeous-Alexander shot 8 of 19 from the floor but 11 of 13 from the free-throw line in his first career second-round playoff game. The Thunder became the youngest team in NBA history to win a conference semifinal game.

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Kyrie Irving scored 19 points and Luka Doncic finished with 19 points and nine assists for Dallas.

Less than five minutes into the third quarter, the Mavericks cut a 12-point Thunder lead to one on Irving’s 3-pointer off a feed from Luka Doncic.

Oklahoma City outscored Dallas 51-30 the rest of the way.

“I think it’s a muscle we’ve built at this point,” Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said of the poise his team showed in responding when Dallas cut his team’s lead. “We’ve had to endure a lot of those situations during the course of the season. I think a lot of it comes from respect for your opponent.”

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The Thunder quickly answered Irving’s trey out of a timeout, with Isaiah Joe draining a 3-pointer to kickstart a 14-4 run over the next three minutes.

Gilgeous-Alexander assisted on two of the Thunder’s four 3-pointers during the run, then added the exclamation point on the stretch by sinking a 3-pointer from the top of the key to send the home crowd into a frenzy.

Before the game, Doncic heaped praise on Oklahoma City’s Luguentz Dort, calling him one of the top perimeter defenders in the NBA.

Dort showed why during the key sequence, knocking the ball away from Doncic near midcourt, diving to collect the ball before quickly finding a streaking Joe, who fed it up to Jalen Williams for a dunk.

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Dort helped the Thunder hold Doncic to 6-of-19 shooting, including 1-of-8 from beyond the arc.

“They’re a great team, great defensive team, great offensive team, so it’s not going to be easy at all,” Doncic said. “We’ve got to play very good basketball – focused basketball – for 48 minutes.”

The Mavericks went nearly four minutes without a field goal late in the third as Oklahoma City stretched its lead as high as 15 before Dallas cut it back to 10 with two baskets in the final 30 seconds.

Oklahoma City’s Chet Holmgren had 19 points, seven rebounds and three blocks, Williams added 18 points and Aaron Wiggins had 16 off the bench, including 12 in the second quarter.

The Thunder scored 22 points off Dallas’ 16 turnovers.

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The Mavericks shot just 39.3 percent, while the Thunder hit 44.9 percent.

Game 2 of the best-of-seven series is scheduled for Thursday (9:30 p.m. ET on ESPN) in Oklahoma City.



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Oklahoma basketball shoots program-record 67.8% from field, beats Stetson

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Oklahoma basketball shoots program-record 67.8% from field, beats Stetson


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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Find more college sports coverage from The Dallas Morning News here.



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Oklahoma Offensive Lineman Says He’ll Enter Transfer Portal

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Oklahoma Offensive Lineman Says He’ll Enter Transfer Portal


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.”

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

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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.

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Alabama may not be done after capitalizing on clean slate of College Football Playoff

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Alabama may not be done after capitalizing on clean slate of College Football Playoff


Sometimes, all that matters is getting in.

Then, anything can happen.

The postseason is unique in that way, no matter the sport. It can have a cleansing effect, providing a clean slate.

Maybe that’s what is happening with Alabama. I stand by my column the weekend the College Football Playoff pairings were announced, that Notre Dame deserved a spot over the Crimson Tide, that how a team finishes should matter. Alabama hadn’t been very good to close the regular season. It nearly lost to mediocre SEC opponents South Carolina, LSU and Auburn, fell to Oklahoma and was crushed by Georgia in the SEC championship game.

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