The Dallas Mavericks desperately needed someone to “take care of business” after losing four of their last five games.
They certainly got that in their win against the Oklahoma City Thunder in their first game since the hard-fought playoff series in the 2023-2024 season.
While the Mavericks got a much-needed win against the San Antonio Spurs, they found themselves in hot water in the win column due to many close losses.
One of those guys who needed to send a message was power forward PJ Washington, and that’s exactly what he did in the 405.
Washington just came off its best performance of the year, and that happened to be against its nemesis, the Thunder.
The game itself shouldn’t have been as close as it was. In a 121-119 win that saw Dallas win back-to-back games, Washington was forced to make a big play against Lu Dort in a desperation rush at the end of the fourth quarter buzzer.
Washington contributed on both sides of the ball. He stood on a heater to start and shot 3-3 from the center to start the match.
Washington would finish with 27 points and 17 rebounds. This was by far his best performance of the season, and undoubtedly one of his best performances as a Mav. It was something the Mavericks desperately needed from him.
The transition from an alarming slump to finding his range against OKC came at the perfect time, as the Mavericks were missing their star, Luka Doncic, due to a right knee contusion. Washington’s three-point shooting has been shaky all season, but Sunday night was different. He let it fly without hesitation and the Mavs took an early lead thanks to his strong start.
There was some concern after the Indiana loss about guys not being able to play against and defend stretch bigs. Playing the Thunder without guys like Chet Holmgren or Isaiah Hartenstein, the Mavericks defeated OKC 53-29. Washington played a major role in this by securing seventeen.
The question of whether PJ Washington would remain in the starting lineup temporarily was questioned by some fans early in the season, but even Washington itself had at some point figured out the way to erase their slow starts.
He took playing in the Paycom Center to heart.
“I love playing here. I love this gym, obviously I love beating them. It was a great win for us and I was just ready to play tonight,” Washington said.
Washington addressed concerns about the Thunder when it appeared he was out earlier this year. The recovery was an advantage for Dallas because of its size, but there is no doubt that the Washington shooting had a huge impact on OKC.
His free throw was perfect. Washington was 10-10 and picked up where it left off in the playoff series against Oklahoma City.
Washington and the greats need to eat from the glass, especially when Washington is shooting for the rock. When you let Washington shoot and rebound like he did against OKC in this game, there’s almost no stopping the guy who “stands for business” against his opponents.
He is known for his best performances against the Thunder, and OKC fans walked out of the arena wondering how Washington turned into a Stormbreaker.
