The Oklahoma City Thunder and Dallas Mavericks are facing off in a heavyweight clash to close out a six-game home stand for the Thunder. This matchup is poised to reignite the rivalry that heated up during last season’s playoffs, though the stakes are lower this time and Oklahoma will be missing a few key stars due to injuries.

The Mavericks have faced challenges recently, struggling to close out games. However, their win against San Antonio on Saturday could provide the boost they need to regain confidence. Meanwhile, the Thunder have been without their starting center, Chet Holmgren, for a significant stretch—a blow that initially concerned Oklahoma fans. Despite this, the team has stepped up, securing victories in all three games without him.

The injuries have ravaged OKC lately, although it hasn’t had much effect on their results. They are rolling with an 11-2 record. On the other hand, the Mavs are 6-7 for the season and will look to exploit a shorthanded Oklahoma City. Kyrie Irving was the star of the show against a lackluster Spurs side, netting 22 points.

Whereas, Luka Doncic and Klay Thompson played just 28 minutes on Saturday night, which will keep them fresh for this one. The game looks quite promising still even without a few big names, let’s look at the injury reports to get a better grasp of the situation and look at each squad’s depth to understand how the two could line up against each other.

Mavericks vs OKC Thunder Injury reports

Dallas Mavericks Injury Report

While the Thunder are plagued with injuries, the Mavericks are getting healthier and have a single player on the injury list. Dante Exum is the only player injured, he underwent surgery on his right wrist on Tuesday and will not play tonight.

Oklahoma City Thunder Injury Report

Oklahoma’s injury list includes three of their big men, the first one is Chet Holmgren who suffered a right iliac hip fracture in the game against the Warriors and is set to miss at least 8 to 10 weeks of action. Next, Jaylin Williams is out with a hamstring injury and will be re-evaluated in 4 to 6 weeks. The last big man is Isaiah Hartstein, suffering from a non-displaced fracture in his left hand and is to be re-evaluated in 5 to 6 weeks.

Followed by, Nikola Topic the guard who underwent a successful ACL procedure will miss the entirety of the 2024-25 NBA season. Lastly, their new acquisition Alex Caruso is also set to miss the matchup due to a hip injury.

Depth Charts

These are the depth charts for the two teams and also the possible starting lineups for tonight.

Dallas Mavericks Depth Chart

Oklahoma City Thunder Depth Chart

The Mavericks bring the size to challenge the small-ball Thunder like no other opponent has since Jalen Williams stepped in as OKC’s starting center. With Oklahoma’s injury issues, Coach Jason Kidd’s big men are unlikely to be neutralized and, in theory, should dominate the paint—much like they did during the playoffs. On the flip side, the Thunder will need to rely on exceptional shooting to stay competitive. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, in particular, will have to deliver a standout performance if OKC hopes to secure their fourth consecutive win without Holmgren.