Dallas opened its preseason schedule without Dirk Nowitzki and Jason Kidd as Rick Carlisle opted to rest both for the first preseason game. After a solid first quarter, a hot shooting spree in the second has the Thunder on top of the Mavericks 58-51 at halftime. Dallas closed the half with a 14-5 run to pull to within seven points.
Vince Carter, Lamar Odom and Delonte West all made their Mavericks' debut by joining the starting lineup. Odom made a good first impression scoring 11 points while grabbing four rebounds. Dominique Jones came off the bench to score 13 points. Rodrique Beaubois tossed in eight points in the first half including a couple from beyond the arc.
Kevin Durant led the Thunder with 12 points in the first half going 4-4 from the field and 4-5 from the free throw line. James Harden came off the bench to score 10 points in the first half. Oklahoma City shot a sizzling 65 percent from the field in the first half but turned the ball over 13 times to keep Dallas in the game.
For more on the Dallas Mavericks and the Oklahoma City Thunder, be sure to check out Mavs Moneyball and Welcome To Loud City.