Dallas Mavericks vs Oklahoma City Thunder Box Score on Dec 31, 2017

The Sports Xchange
Dec 31, 2017

OKLAHOMA CITY -- The youngster got the better of the veteran.

Dallas Mavericks point guard Dennis Smith Jr. didn't outscore his Oklahoma City Thunder counterpart Sunday night.

He didn't have more assists or rebounds than Russell Westbrook, the reigning NBA Most Valuable Player. But in the final two minutes, with the game on the line, Smith first matched Westbrook blow-for-blow and then took over in the end to help the Mavericks escape Chesapeake Energy Arena with a 116-113 win.

Smith scored 11 points in the final two minutes and finished with 19. Harrison Barnes led the Mavericks (13-26) with 24.

The win was Dallas' fourth straight.

Westbrook led the Thunder with 38 points, 15 rebounds and 11 assists. He scored 14 points in the fourth quarter.

In the final two minutes, the two point guards -- the veteran Westbrook and the rookie Smith -- took over.

Just moments after Jerami Grant put the Thunder ahead with 1:52 remaining, Smith calmly sank a 3-pointer to put the Mavericks on top.

Westbrook responded with a layup to tie it before Smith hit another 3-pointer.

In the final minute, with Dallas holding a one-point lead, Smith drove hard to the rim and finished with a layup to extend the margin.

Smith added a pair of free throws, but it was a missed free throw that gave the Thunder hope.

Westbrook grabbed the rebound off the miss and barreled up the court with a head of steam. Westbrook's 3-point try clanged off the rim, but the ball bounced out of bounds off a Mavericks player to give Oklahoma City one more chance with 3.6 seconds to play.

Westbrook's ensuing 3-point attempt missed the mark, too, dropping the Thunder to 20-17.

Dirk Nowitzki scored 13, and J.J. Barea added 12 points and 11 assists for Dallas.

Westbrook's rebound with 12:27 left in the third quarter gave him his 12th triple-double of the season and the 91st of his career.

Paul George scored 25 points for the Thunder, and Carmelo Anthony added 21.

NOTES: The Thunder's Josh Huestis made his first career start, playing at guard with Andre Roberson out with left patellar tendinitis. Huestis played 19 scoreless minutes. ... Mavericks PF Josh McRoberts was active for the first time this season as he progresses from a series of injuries that have kept him out after joining Dallas in the offseason. McRoberts did not play. ... Thunder PF Patrick Patterson was fined $10,000 for a tweet criticizing officials following Oklahoma City's Friday loss to Milwaukee. Patterson's tweet came in response to the NBA's report that the Bucks' Giannis Antetokounmpo stepped out of bounds just before slamming home his game-winning dunk. ... Dallas outshot Oklahoma City 51.7 percent to 48.3 percent to improve to 12-3 this season when outshooting its opponent.