Thunder's Lu Dort ejected after hitting Mavericks' Daniel Gafford in the groin
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Oklahoma City Thunder guard Lu Dort got into some trouble with Dallas Mavericks center Daniel Gafford during the teams’ matchup Thursday night.
Midway through the third quarter as Dallas led 74-68 at the time, Gafford tried setting up a screen for guard Kyrie Irving, who had Dort defending him. The Thunder guard tried to get past the established screen, but his hand struck Gafford in the groin area.
Following video review, the officials assessed a Flagrant 2 foul on Dort, ejecting him from the game with 6:50 left in the period. He finished with six points, seven rebounds, and two steals in after 23 minutes of play.
How Thunder fared against Mavericks without Lu Dort
The timing of Lu Dort’s ejection couldn’t have gone worse for the Thunder, as momentum swung the Mavericks’ way.
Dallas outscored Oklahoma City 31-21 in the third quarter, having a 91-83 lead to begin the fourth quarter. Despite the Thunder recovering offensively with 32 points, their defense did not pick up as they fell 121-115 once the final buzzer sounded.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who received his third consecutive All Star selection on Thursday, and forward Jalen Williams commanded the Thunder offense for the night, combining for 64 points on 23-of-44 shooting from the field and 5-of-11 from beyond the arc. Forward Jaylin Williams also provided 12 points and six rebounds.
However, they were unsuccessful in containing a Mavericks squad that still does not have Luka Doncic due to injury. Guard Spencer Dinwiddie led the team in scoring with 28 points on 11-of-14 shooting overall while Kyrie Irving finished with 24 points and forward PJ Washington put up a double-double of 22 points and 19 rebounds.
Oklahoma City fell to 36-8 on the season, losing control of the best record in the league as the Cleveland Cavaliers take sole possession. They still maintain the top spot of the Western Conference, having a 6.5-game advantage over the second-place Houston Rockets.
The Thunder will look to return to the win column in their last two matchups for January, facing the Portland Trail Blazers on Jan. 26 and Golden State Warriors on Jan. 29.
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