The Oklahoma City Thunder are a lot like the Mavericks. Take away their MVP candidate and they’re still capable of winning any game.
But like the Mavericks without Luka Donu010diu0107, the Thunder without Shai Gilgeous-Alexander aren’t the same beast.
In a way, the Mavericks’ 106-98 victory on Friday night at American Airlines Center was poetic in that it was a win that they could not have penciled in a few hours before tipoff. Then, SGA was ruled out and things changed. This victory didn’t necessarily make up for the controversial loss at New Orleans on Wednesday, but it helped.