Preseason Recap: Mavericks 83 at Thunder 87

Earl K. Sneed reports from Oklahoma City and recaps the Mavericks' preseason finale, after the defending champs faced off with a Thunder team they'll see twice early in the season.

OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. -- One final dress rehearsal and then it’s showtime.

With the defending champion Dallas Mavericks set to face the Oklahoma City Thunder twice in the first six games of the regular season and four times total, Tuesday night’s exhibition matchup between the two Western Conference finalists figured to serve both teams well down the line.

And as the Mavericks took the court with a big target on their backs, the Thunder looked to further send a message that they are a team to be reckoned with while also showing respect to the reigning champions.

"They're the defending champs. They earned it. They deserve to be with what they accomplished last year,” Thunder coach Scott Brooks said. “But we know that we have to play good basketball to beat any team in this league, and you have to play really well to beat the Dallas Mavericks."

The coach’s players then went out and reinforced his message, handing the Mavs an 87-83 loss to sweep the two-game exhibition series. But before capping off the home-and-home preseason series, with both teams set to begin regular-season play on Christmas Day, even the opposing coach had to take time to recognize the Mavs’ journey to the championship last season. Brooks was also well aware that the team his squad faced and handed a 106-92 loss to on Sunday was missing two of its more potent offensive weapons, after Finals MVP Dirk Nowitzki and point guard Jason Kidd both sat out the contest.

Tuesday night, the two future Hall of Famers returned to action for the first time since capturing the title in June. Still, the Mavs were not at full strength with star reserve Jason Terry back in Dallas and new addition Delonte West also sidelined due to illnesses while fellow newcomer Vince Carter got the night off.

With the three combination guards not at his disposal, Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle handed the starting shooting guard responsibilities over to second-year stud Dominique Jones following his 17-point, seven-assist effort two nights prior. But it was four-time All-Star Shawn Marion and new addition Lamar Odom, the reigning Sixth Man of the Year, that provided the early fireworks for the Mavs in the opening quarter. While Odom swishing in two 3-pointers and Marion operated at the rim, the Mavs jumped out to a 24-18 edge after one.

“I liked the first quarter. I liked the latter stages of the fourth quarter. The part in between was rough, so we have to work through it,” Carlisle explained.

“I think our goal can not be the best team right now,” Nowitzki added. “In a week, our goal is to get better and better game to game. Hopefully by April, May and June we can be back to where we were last year. However, we know we still are a piece of work.”

Playing next to Nowitzki for the first time as teammates with Kidd resting after playing the entire first quarter, Odom looked to continue to attack in the second stanza. Meanwhile, the two big men received plenty of support from the Mavs’ supporting cast, as third-year guard Roddy Beaubois and Marion lifted Dallas to a lead as large as six.

But the Thunder came storming back behind its star reserve James Harden, building an advantage as large as 10 before heading into the locker room up, 47-39, behind 13 points from Oklahoma City’s sixth man.

Despite 16 combined points from Odom and Marion, the Mavs couldn’t overcome a 35-percent shooting half compared to 43.5 percent from the floor for OKC. At the midway point, the Thunder also held a 31-16 rebounding edge.

As Kidd rested comfortably on the bench done for the night, Carlisle began the second half with Jones, Beaubois, Marion, Nowitzki and center Brendan Haywood on the court. But it didn’t take long for the Mavs to find themselves once again in a double-digit hole after scores by first-time All-Star Russell Westbrook and the back-to-back scoring champion, Kevin Durant.

With Nowitzki admittedly struggling before exiting the game 2-for-10 from the field for just six points in under 23 minutes of action, the third quarter tilted the Thunder’s way. The lead would soon balloon to as large as 23 points in the period, allowing the home team to cruise down the stretch despite being outscored 30-13 in the final period thanks to late scores by newcomers Brandan Wright and Jerome Randle after both teams pulled their starters in preparation for their Christmas Day season openers.

Off the bench, Randle led all scorers with a game-high 17 points while Wright added 12 points on a combined 13-of-18 from the floor. Marion was the only other Mav in double figures with 10 points on 5-of-11 shooting.

Meanwhile, Harden led three Thunder players in double figures with 13 points off the bench as OKC outshot the Mavs, 43 percent to 41.8 percent, accompanied by a 51-39 rebounding margin.

The Mavericks will now take Wednesday off before turning their attention to a Finals rematch against the Heat, looking to raise the franchise’s first championship banner before also capturing their first win of the shortened season.

“Overall, we’re going to have to be a lot better and we know that. … The calendar dictates whether it is nice (to have the preseason complete) or not nice, and we have to proceed from here. So, basically, we have four days then we have to play,” Carlisle concluded.

“The good thing is we can improve every day,” Nowitzki echoed. “Defensively, we need to keep guys out of the lane. Offensively, we need to move the ball. This will all come together when we play a while. We will see how fast we can pick it up.”

The Mavericks open up regular-season play on Sunday against the Miami Heat at 1:30 p.m. CT, in a matchup that will air nationally on ABC.

Single-game tickets are on sale and available at the American Airlines Center North Box Office, online at mavs.com, via phone by calling 214-747-MAVS or 1-800-4NBA-TIX and all Ticketmaster outlets (Fiesta Grocery Stores, Wal-Mart, Simon Mall in Garland and the Shops at Willow Bend in Plano).

Rivalry Pack: Aside from being a season ticket holder, the only way for Mavs fans to attend the home opener against the Miami Heat or either of the two Los Angeles Lakers games is through the Rivalry Pack. Tickets to the Dec. 25 game vs. the Miami Heat and the Feb.22 and March 21 games vs. the Los Angeles Lakers can be purchased as part of a three-game package that includes one (1) of the three premium games and two (2) additional regular season games.

RPL Nights: RPL Nights return for the sixth season and will feature special discounted tickets for 10 pre-selected games. Tickets normally priced $9 will be $2, $15 will be $10, $31 will be $20 and $42 will be $32.