It was quite the return for both Dennis Schroder and Danilo Gallinari.
Both players returned from ankle injuries to score 20 apiece in Oklahoma City’s come from behind win over the Dallas Mavericks on Tuesday night.
Schroder had missed Sunday’s game against the Raptors with a sore right ankle while Gallinari had missed four games with a sore left ankle.
While Schroder and Gallo were the driving force for OKC throughout the night, the fourth quarter belonged to Chris Paul.
Paul scored 13 of his 17 points in the final frame, including the go-ahead bucket with 40.9 seconds remaining.
Schroder and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander each hit a pair of free throws to complete the 106-101 victory.
Three other players were in double-digits for the Thunder. Gilgeous-Alexander had 19, Nerlens Noel chipped in 12, while Steven Adams added 10.
Luca Doncic scored a game-high 35 as part of a double-double. Terrance Ferguson drew the starting defensive assignment but quickly found himself in foul trouble. Oklahoma City also used Paul and Schroder against Doncic, in an attempt to at least slow him down.
Hamidou Diallo also spent some time guarding Doncic. He played 19 minutes and scored four points in his first game back since injuring his right elbow against the Lakers on Nov. 22.
With the win, Oklahoma City improves to 18-15, sitting at three games over .500 for the first time this season, and climbing into the seventh spot in Western Conference standings.
OKC has won seven of their last eight, and finish the month of December 11-4.
The Thunder will start the New Year on the road. They head to San Antonio in the first of a four-game road trip. Oklahoma City and the Spurs square off on Thursday.
