Dallas @ Oklahoma City preview

Last Meeting ( Dec 31, 2019 ) Dallas 101, Oklahoma City 106

The Oklahoma City Thunder are winners of five in a row and are making their way up the standings in the Western Conference, with the Dallas Mavericks the next team waiting to be passed. The Thunder will get a chance to pull even when they host the Mavericks on Monday.

Oklahoma City, which sits one game behind the Mavericks in the West, showed off how explosive it could be in a 140-111 win over Atlanta on Friday and displayed its resiliency while battling through injuries and fatigue in a 113-104 triumph on the second night of the back-to-back in Minnesota on Saturday. "We've got a group that's really competitive," Thunder coach Billy Donovan told reporters. "They like playing with one another and there's a resiliency about them and they lift each other up. They like competing and playing and they've done a really good job working together, which is great." The Mavericks began their three-game trip with a win at Portland on Thursday but could not get past the red-hot Utah Jazz in a 112-107 setback on Saturday. "All in all, I really loved our effort," Dallas coach Rick Carlisle told reporters after the loss. "I loved the fact that in difficult circumstances with the noise and everything else guys stuck together the entire game. They never fragmented at all. We just had a real tough go in the last four minutes."

TIME: 8 p.m. ET. TV: FS Southwest, FS Oklahoma, Sportsnet One

ABOUT THE MAVERICKS (28-17): Dallas has been using forward Kristaps Porzingis in the middle and is getting toughness on the interior from swingman Dorian Finney-Smith since center Dwight Powell went down with a season-ending Achilles injury last week, but it is about to get some reinforcements. The Mavericks on Saturday acquired center Willie Cauley-Stein from the Golden State Warriors in exchange for a second-round draft pick and could have him available on Monday. Dallas will fit Cauley-Stein around All-Star point guard Luka Doncic, who scored at least 25 points in each of the last five contests.

ABOUT THE THUNDER (28-19): Oklahoma City was missing a pair of starters on Saturday with Danilo Gallinari (thumb) and Terrance Ferguson (personal) out but got strong performances from rookies Darius Bazley (15 points on 5-of-6 shooting) and Luguentz Dort (10 points, 3-of-5) starting in their places. "Young guys, amazing once again." Veteran point guard Chris Paul, who recorded 25 points and 10 assists in Saturday's win, told reporters. "Lu Dort, you can't tell me that he's a rookie." The Thunder had seven players score in double figures in each of the last two games and point guard Dennis Schroder led the way with 26 points off the bench in Saturday's triumph.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Thunder SG Hamidou Diallo posted his second double-double of the season with 10 points and 10 boards on Saturday.

2. Mavericks SG Seth Curry is 10-of-15 from 3-point range over the last three contests.

3. Oklahoma City edged Dallas at home 106-101 on Dec. 31 despite Doncic's 35 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists.

PREDICTION: Thunder 110, Mavericks 107