In one of the better matchups of this still young preseason, the Oklahoma City Thunder faced off against the Mavericks in Dallas. The new look Mavs showcased their enhanced depth and early chemistry, while the Oklahoma City Thunder flexed their usual one-two punch of Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant, along with impressive play from Steve Adams, Reggie Jackson, Anthony Morrow, and Jeremy Lamb. Conspicuously absent from the court were Dirk Nowitzki, Monta Ellis, and Bernard James for the Mavericks. Absent from the Thunder rotation were Nick Collison, Kendrick Perkins, and shot blocker extraordinaire Serge Ibaka. Steve Adams and Perry Jones would start in their place.

The Thunder Starters: Oklahoma City came out with their usual fast paced offense. Russell Westbrook was in usual form during his time on the court, blowing by defenders, looking aggressive while attacking the rim, shooting 3-of-7, including 1-of-2 from three-point territory, totaling 13 points and 1 assist. Reigning league MVP Kevin Durant scored 12 points in 18 minutes on 4-of-8 shooting, with 3 rebounds, 4 assists, and a pair of steals. Steven Adams scored 19 while filling in for Kendrick Perkins, on 8-of-9 shooting.

The Thunder Bench: Before leaving in the third quarter, Reggie Jackson had a solid outing, logging 17 minutes and 13 points. Anthony Morrow led all scorers with 21 points in 29 minutes while going 6-of-14 and knocking down 4 shots from beyond the arc. Jeremy Lamb looked confident as well, scoring 19 points in 30 minutes of play. The Thunder have come across as top heavy in recent years and if this trio of scorers can become a reliable source of relief for the top heavy starting 5, it may give them an edge they have lacked during the playoffs.

The Mavericks Starters: Chandler Parsons scored 9 points in 20 minutes and looked comfortable adapting to his new team, but it should be interesting to see how he and Dirk learn to co-exist on the floor. Al-Farouq Aminu led the starters with 14 points and went 3-of-7 from the field. Tyson Chandler scored 9 points in 20 minutes. While (Tyson) Chandler’s last season in New York was less than stellar, the Mavericks seem happy to have him back, and he’s expected to have a bounce back year as he’s reintegrated into the Mavericks' starting lineup. One thing is for sure, they’ve missed his rim protecting ability.

The Mavs bench: Richard Jefferson is looking like a solid contributor for this Dallas squad, as the former Net, Spur, and Warrior would score 13 on 4-of-10 from the field in 19 minutes. Leading the Dallas bench was Jae Crowder with 14 on 4-of-8 from the field. Raymond Felton logged only one minute before exiting the game with injury.  

Miscellaneous: Dirk Nowitzki was sidelined tonight by a right hip contusion but seemed to be in good spirits and optimistic about this year's Mavericks, saying that he believed they had the depth and talent to finish one of the top four seeds in the always competitive Western Conference. He’s also having an understandable difficulty in deciding how to differentiate Tyson Chandler from Chandler Parsons, but for now he’s referring to Tyson Chandler as “Ty” and Chandler Parsons as “Chandler.” Fouls were in abundance with the Thunder racking up 36 and the Mavericks racking up 32. (Still nothing compared to the NFL’s preseason flag festival). While it may be extremely early, if these two teams meet in the playoffs for a seven-game series, it will undoubtedly be a good one.

Up Next, the Thunder host the Memphis Grizzlies on Tuesday, October 14, while the Dallas Mavericks host the Indiana Pacers on Sunday, October 12.