3rd Quarter Report
After a tough loss on the road their last time out, the Mavericks look much better today on their home court. They have jumped out to a 77-76 lead against the Thunder.
The Mavericks entered the contest with three straight defeats and they’re well on their way to making it four. Can they turn things around, or will the Thunder hand them another loss? Only time will tell.
Who’s Playing
Oklahoma City Thunder @ Dallas Mavericks
Current Records: Oklahoma City 34-6, Dallas 22-19
How To Watch
- When:Â Friday, January 17, 2025 at 8:30 p.m. ET
- Where: American Airlines Center — Dallas, Texas
- TV:Â Fan Duel SN – Oklahoma
- Follow:Â CBS Sports App
- Online streaming:Â fuboTVÂ (Try for free. Regional restrictions may apply.)
- Ticket Cost:Â $45.00
What to Know
The Mavericks will be in front of their home fans on Friday, but a look at the spread shows they might need that home-court advantage. They will host the Oklahoma City Thunder at 8:30 p.m. ET at American Airlines Center. The Mavericks are staggering into the game hobbled by three consecutive losses, while the Thunder will skip in buoyed by four consecutive wins.
The Mavericks will head into Wednesday’s match ready to turn things around: they couldn’t quite beat the Pelicans on Wednesday, but the three-point margin was a huge improvement compared to the 19-point defeat they were dealt on Tuesday. The Mavericks fell just short of the Pelicans by a score of 119-116. For those keeping track at home, that’s the closest loss Dallas has suffered since November 14, 2024.
Daniel Gafford put forth a good effort for the losing side as he dropped a double-double on 27 points and 12 rebounds. He is trending in the right direction considering he’s improved his point production for three straight games.
Meanwhile, the Thunder made easy work of the Cavaliers on Thursday and carried off a 134-114 win. The oddsmakers were on Oklahoma City’s side, but they didn’t give the squad enough credit as the margin was unexpectedly wide.
It was another big night for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who went 17 for 26 en route to 40 points plus eight assists and two steals. His evening made it ten games in a row in which he has scored at least 30 points. Another player making a difference was Jalen Williams, who went 8 for 14 en route to 19 points plus six rebounds and five assists.
Dallas’ defeat dropped their record down to 22-19. As for Oklahoma City, they have been performing incredibly well recently as they’ve won 19 of their last 20 matchups, which provided a nice bump to their 34-6 record this season.
Things could have been worse for the Mavericks, but things could have been a whole lot better as they took a 118-104 loss to the Thunder in their previous meeting back in December of 2024. A big factor in that loss was the dominant performance of Gilgeous-Alexander, who went 15 for 23 en route to 39 points plus eight rebounds and five assists. Back with a vengeance, will the Mavericks be able to stop him this time around? Check CBSSports.com after the match to find out.
