Washington's 27 Points, 17 Rebounds Help Mavericks Edge Thunder 121-119 Without Injured Luka Doncic

P.J. Washington h 27 points and a career-high 17 rebounds, and Dallas Mavericks held off Oklahoma City Thunder 121-119 on Sunday night without star guard Luka Doncic.

Washington averaged just over eight points and seven rebounds per game entering Sunday's game but stepped up in absence of Doncic, who was out with a bruised right knee.

Mavericks' offense purred anyway. Kyrie Irving scored 23 points and helped Dallas shoot 48% from field.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 36 points and Jalen Williams ded 27 for Thunder, who entered night with a Western Conference-best 11-2 record. Thunder are now 3-1 without Chet Holmgren.

After trailing 112-98 with just over six minutes remaining, Oklahoma City rallied and got it to 121-118. Gilgeous-Alexander tied up Irving with 8 seconds remaining and forced a jump ball, which Gilgeous-Alexander won, and Oklahoma City called timeout with 6.6 seconds left.

Mavericks fouled Gilgeous-Alexander with 4.3 seconds remaining. He me first free throw but missed second, and Lu Dort missed an off-balance contested 3-pointer at buzzer.

Mavericks: Dallas me most of its size vantage, outrebounding Thunder 53-29.

Thunder: Oklahoma City h been able to get away with playing small because it could generate extra shot opportunities by forcing turnovers. Dallas, with Irving at controls, committed 16 turnovers, far fewer than Thunder h been forcing.

Gilgeous-Alexander faked Naji Marshall to ground, n stepped back and hit a 3-pointer to cut Dallas le to 121-118 with 25.2 seconds remaining.

Dallas me 30 of 36 free throws while Thunder me 19 of 25.

Mavericks host New Orleans on Tuesday, same day Thunder visit San Antonio.