OKLAHOMA CITY _ For the second time in as many nights, the Mavericks had a high-profile opponent in their crosshairs.
For the second time, they misfired in the third quarter and, ultimately, squandered a chance for a win against an opponent that has not yet found a rhythm.
But the Thunder did have Russell Westbrook, who scored 16 points in the third quarter when the Mavericks fell behind by 16. They never could mount a serious rally and fell, 112-99, Sunday at Chesapeake Energy Arena.
Westbrook finished with 27 points, but it was Paul George who went crazy for 37 points. That followed his 42 point night Friday against the Clippers.
The Thunder benefited from 20 Maverick turnovers.
It ruined a nice night from Harrison Barnes, who had his second double-double in a row and third of the season with 22 points and 13 rebounds.
It was much like Saturday, when the Mavericks had a shot at upsetting Cleveland, only to go through a terrible third quarter and failing to make plays late when they made a nice comeback.
But the third quarter was too much to overcome as the Thunder ran up 39 points, with Westbrook and Paul George combining for 32 of them.
The Mavericks actually were tied with the Thunder early in the third and it looked like OKC was just uninterested enough that the Mavericks could pull off a stunner. But the game got away from them quickly and when the Thunder scored the first five points of the fourth quarter, it was 88-67 and the Mavericks could crank up the jet engines for the ride back to Dallas.
It was a particularly ugly night for Wesley Matthews, who missed all nine of his shots.
With Carmelo Anthony (back) out and the Thunder 6-7 coming into the game, they had all the earmarks of a team that could be vulnerable. And they were for more than a half. It's been a challenging stretch with a short training camp trying to integrate impactful new players like George and Anthony.
"It's getting guys comfortable playing with one another," Thunder coach Billy Donovan said before the game. "We had some situations in training camp where (players) missed time. I never try to put a timeline on it. I hope our evolution is never-ending this year. I hope I can say we just keep getting better and better."
They did that as the game went on Sunday, for sure.
