**OKLAHOMA CITY – And so, we meet again.**
Seems like the Mavericks and Oklahoma City Thunder have played each other on a weekly basis for the past couple of seasons. That’s what happens when you see a team in the playoffs after playing them three or four times in the regular season.
This will be the second meeting this season when the teams get together in the quarterfinal round of the 2024 NBA Cup. The winner heads to Las Vegas for the semifinals of the Cup.
The loser will have another game added to their schedule, probably against either Golden State or Houston, whoever loses in the other Western Conference quarterfinal game.
But the point is that these two teams have no secrets between each other.
“We keep seeing them, so it’s going to bring (out) that competition,” said Dereck Lively II. “We have to be at our best. They’re a team that goes at us. Whoever makes the least mistakes is going to be the winner.”
The Thunder have fashioned themselves as sort of a Mavericks’ starter kit. They have a superstar in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and a lot of depth. They already have survived (so far) the loss of center Chet Holmgren, who has been lost to a hip injury and is expected to be out until February.
Yet, they have the best record in the West at 18-5. They are building strongly on their second-round playoff exit last spring at the hands of the Mavericks, who won the series four games to two.
And the Thunder are much different than the team the Mavericks beat 121-119 on Nov. 17 in OKC. That Thunder team was severely shorthanded, particularly at center. But now Isaiah Hartenstein has returned, as has swingman Alex Caruso, one of the best defenders on the team with the best defensive rating in the NBA.
Plus, the Thunder force more turnovers than anybody else and commit fewer than anybody else.
“They’ll be healthy when you talk about Hartenstein and also AC back,” coach Jason Kidd said. “They have a big (guy) that will be in the paint, rebounding and blocking shot. We’ll see how they look.
“They do a great job with small ball, active hands, passing lanes and when you drive it, they’re swiping. We got to protect the ball. Right now, we’re turning the ball over a little bit too much. For us to find a way to win, we got to protect the ball, especially against them.”
Here’s what else to look for when the Mavericks and Thunder hook up:
* The Mavericks are on a streak where they have had at least six players score in 10 or more points in 10 of their last 11 games. And 10 different players have contributed to that flair for spreading the wealth. “That’s a nice weapon to have when you don’t have to rely on Luka and Kai every night to be the guys that score 30 or 40 points a night,” Kidd said. “You spread it around and it can be anybody and that’s the truth. Guys that are coming off the bench can give you 10-plus points a night and that’s something we need and will continue to count on as much as we look at our two quarterbacks to carry the load.” Daniel Gafford, Quentin Grimes, Spencer Dinwiddie and Jaden Hardy are among the Mavericks that have chipped in big off the bench. “It makes us know we’re a great team,” Lively said. “Whoever’s having an off night that night can rely on their teammates to pick them up.”
* The Mavericks have won seven in a row and 11 of 12. The Thunder aren’t much off of that pace, having won three in a row and seven of eight.
* Gilgeous-Alexander leads the Thunder at 29.8 points per game, a shade higher than Luka Dončić’s 28.7. Jalen Williams has stepped up this season at 22 points per game and Hartenstein is ripping down 12.5 rebounds per game.
* The Mavericks will be without Jaden Hardy (right ankle) and Maxi Kleber (illness). P.J. Washington and Naji Marshall are questionable with the same illness that has been making the rounds in the locker room.
**MAVERICKS (16-8) at OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER (18-5)**
**WHEN:** 8:30 p.m., Tuesday.
**WHERE:** Paycom Center, Oklahoma City
**TV:** KFAA, MAVS TV STREAM, TNT
**RADIO:** KEGL 97.1 FM, 99.1 FM Zona MX (Spanish)
**X: @ESefko**