Dallas can attack this matchup through several destinations after the first drive. Oklahoma City's available offense still runs through Shai and an interior outlet in Hartenstein, while its defensive replacements face more work around the ball and behind it. The important stretches are where each team has to restart its attack around substitutions.
Flagg supplied twenty-nine points and eleven assists at Miami, finding support from Washington, Christie, Gafford and the guards. Dallas achieved that distribution without exceptional team shooting from outside. That gives its attack a basis beyond a single scorer making difficult shots.
Oklahoma City is without Caruso, Wallace, Jalen Williams and Holmgren, removing perimeter resistance and secondary rim protection together. Caruso played in its latest win, making this another change to the group. Irving remains questionable after playing a substantial managed role at Miami, while Mitchell is questionable after his productive Oklahoma City start.
I expect Dallas to test the replacement perimeter group early, then keep using outside receivers and Gafford's interior presence to make help defenders choose. Flagg also supplied a late scoring restart and an important closing block at Miami. That's why I'm backing Dallas to win.
