The Mavericks survived a first-half offensive onslaught by the Thunder, as they trail by only 7 at half-time after Oklahoma City opened up a double-digit lead in the second quarter.
Dallas' aging veteran guards have not been able to stay in front of Russell Westbrook and James Harden, with the duo getting anywhere they want on the floor en route to 20 points and 4 assists on 6-10 shooting. The Thunder are shooting 54% from the floor.
Dirk has almost single-handedly kept Dallas in the game offensively, after seemingly being ignited by the Thunder's physical play, which culminated in a double-technical for him and Perkins after the two were in a shoving match. He has 20 points on 8-12 shooting in the first half.
The Mavericks had to downsize their line-up and go small to get their offense going, resorting to a zone with Dirk at the 5 and Shawn Marion at the 4.
The superior floor spacing around Dirk has gotten their offense going, but the line-up's lack of size defensively makes it unlikely to work over the long term.