Injury-Depleted Thunder Fall 120-96 to Mavericks

Oklahoma City is coping with major injuries to Jalen Williams and Cason Wallace, leaving Shai Gilgeous-Alexander with more defensive pressure and fewer playmaking options. In a 120-96 loss to Dallas, he scored 21 points and had two assists as the depleted Thunder struggled to find secondary scoring. His assist totals have remained low in the first five games, including two and three in the latest games following the roster losses. One prop analysis favors fewer than 5.5 assists against Houston, while noting the recent sample is small and the roster and matchup still differ from game to game.