OKLAHOMA CITY – When teams meet in a playoff series, the first rematch the following season offers a lot of intrigue, even if the stakes are a lot lower.
The Mavericks, who bounced the Oklahoma City Thunder in six games in the second round of the playoffs last spring, will hook up with them again on Sunday evening for a meeting that might not bear much resemblance to what we saw in May.
Injuries have ravaged OKC early in the season, although that hasn’t stopped them from rolling to an 11-2 record. They won’t have Chet Holmgren, the slender center who is out at least a couple months with a hip injury.