Mavericks' thrilling NBA Cup berth sets table for a P.J. Washington masterclass

The Dallas Mavericks are coming off one of their best victories of the 2024-25 regular season.

In their game against the Memphis Grizzlies on Tuesday night, the third quarter was a disaster for the Mavericks. It took their whole army to bring them to victory to advance to the Knockout Rounds in the NBA Cup.

Among the contributors, P.J. Washington answered many of the early season concerns fans once had, and now has a golden matchup to look forward to.

Washington will look to keep dominating the Thunder

Washington is known as an enemy in Oklahoma City. He'll get the chance to show off his toughness once again in the Knockout Rounds of the NBA Cup against the Thunder next Tuesday, December 10.

Washington was a beast in the playoffs last season against Oklahoma City, showing off his shooting and defensive abilities.

Against the Thunder earlier this season, he started strong from shooting perimeter shots at a time whenever his shot was struggling.

He finished off with 27 points and 17 rebounds, once again showing off in another strong performance against Oklahoma City.

At that point in the season when it seemed like clutch time wasn't so nice for Dallas, Washington answered in basically must-win territory for Dallas. After that game, Washington took playing at the Paycom Center to heart.

"I love playing here. I love this gym, I love obviously beating them too. It was a great win for us and I was just ready to play tonight," Washington said.

For this upcoming matchup between Dallas and Oklahoma City, the setup will be slightly different. The Mavericks had completely outrebounded the Thunder 53-29 in their first meeting this season.

The Thunder have a bit more help with Isaiah Hartenstein on the floor, but the Mavs still have more big men available on their roster with Chet Holmgren likely not seeing the court until 2025.

Washington first discovered making Thunder fans miserable after a key performance in Game 2 of the Western Conference Semifinals when the Mavericks were down 1-0 in the series.

Ever since then, Washington has been known for his strong performances at the Paycom Center. His numbers prove it too. In his last five matchups against OKC, Washington has been averaging 18.8 points, 10 rebounds and two assists per game.

This is a match made in heaven if you're Dallas. It's a chance for the Mavericks to go to Las Vegas to play for a spot in the NBA Cup championship, and Washington's history against the Thunder should put them in a great spot to take them down. He also happens to be playing some of the best basketball of his career right now, and the NBA Cup Knockout Rounds couldn't have come at a better time.

In a time where the Mavericks are getting healthy, this is a good matchup at the right time for Dallas. While Oklahoma City is first in the West, the Mavericks and especially Washington will be prepared.