Dallas turns Oklahoma City’s first loss into a 24-point statement

What changed

Dallas did more than take advantage of a depleted opponent Wednesday night. The Mavericks beat Oklahoma City 120-96, won all four quarters and handed the Thunder their first loss after a 4-0 start. Cooper Flagg supplied 26 points, eight assists and five rebounds without committing a turnover in nearly 33 minutes.

The decisive separation came after halftime. Dallas opened the third quarter with an 11-0 run and held Oklahoma City to 37 points on 30 percent shooting over the final two quarters. The Mavericks also created a 16-5 advantage in made threes, assisted on 30 of 46 field goals and finished with only nine player turnovers.

The opponent’s absences matter: Oklahoma City played without Jalen Williams, Cason Wallace, Chet Holmgren and Alex Caruso. The useful part for Dallas is how completely it handled the opportunity. Eight Mavericks scored in double figures, the bench won its scoring matchup 43-19, and the lead grew to 27 rather than leaking away.

That makes Friday’s Houston rematch the next honest test. One strong night does not erase the opening loss to the Rockets, but a team that has now won three of four is showing a clearer formula: share the ball, protect possessions and make the opponent defend more than two creators.