NBA: Thunder silences Dallas with 22point Defeat in Game 1
OKLAHOMA CITY - The Oklahoma City Thunder defeated the Dallas Mavericks by 22 points with a final score of 117-95. While it's only Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinals, there were key takeaways on how the Thunder can secure the series and advance to the finals.
Doncic, who was dealing with a sprained right knee and was tightly guarded by Oklahoma City's Lu Dort, only managed to score 19 points on 6-of-19 shooting, breaking his streak of 24 consecutive playoff games with at least 20 points. A visibly frustrated Doncic told the press post-game exactly how he felt about the factors that contributed to his struggles last night.
"Who cares? We lost. Just gotta move onto the next one. I've gotta be better. We've gotta be better. We gotta focus. They're a great team, a great defensive team, so it's not going to be easy at all," said Doncic.
Evidently, the Mavericks' superstar, Luka Doncic, did not want to discuss the matter and was focused on Game 2. Despite being the NBA's lead scorer, after spraining his knee early in Game 3 of the Mavericks' first-round series against the LA Clippers, is mired in a shooting slump. He dipped below 40% from the floor for the postseason.
Is the injury to blame? Or was it the lockdown defense by Thunder's Lu Dort? Perhaps it's a combination. While Doncic doesn't want to discuss those possibilities, maybe it's time to reevaluate the matter and make the necessary adjustments. Head coach Jason Kidd mentioned Dort's lockdown defense, hinting at the adjustments the Mavericks will be making in Game 2.
"He [Doncic] had some good looks at 3," Kidd said. "So, we gotta help him out, get Dort off of him a little bit more."
There was a little light when the Mavericks made a run in the third quarter. Kyrie Irving was on the verge of taking control of the game, just like he had done multiple times in the first round. He managed to pull within a point, but Oklahoma City quickly responded by scoring on its next six possessions, which included five 3-pointers. This helped them to extend their lead back to double digits. Kyrie finished with 20 points, 1 rebound, 3 assists, 2 steals and a block.
Meanwhile, on the winners’ side, MVP candidate Shai Gilgeous-Alexander dropped 29 points, leading the Thunder to secure the first win of the series and marking their fifth straight win to open the playoffs. Shai finished up with 9 rebounds and 9 assists. Thunder's defense has been persistent, only allowing 90.6 points per game in the playoffs, the fewest through five games by any team since the 2016 San Antonio Spurs, per ESPN Stats. The electrifying defense led by Dort and rookie center Chet Holmgren was the impact the Thunder needed.
