The Oklahoma City Thunder cruised to a 117-95 victory over the Dallas Mavericks in Game 1 of their Western Conference semifinal series during Tuesday’s NBA playoff action.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the Thunder with 29 points, nine rebounds, and nine assists, while Luguentz Dort did make it difficult for Luka Doncic, holding him to 19 points on 6-19 shooting with five turnovers, continuing his postseason shooting struggles, shooting 39.5% from the floor and 22.7% from beyond the arc.
“Who cares, we lost,” Doncic said. “We just gotta move on to the next one. I gotta be better, we gotta be better.”
NBA NEWS & RUMORS: Luka Doncic, Dallas Mavericks, Oklahoma City Thunder Updates
The Thunder’s athletic and physical defense proved too much for the Mavericks, who struggled to find their rhythm. Oklahoma City’s team effort paid off, with five players scoring in double figures.
“They’re a great team, great defensive team, great offensive team,” Doncic acknowledged. “So it’s not going to be easy at all. We’ve got to play very good basketball and focused basketball for 48 minutes.”
The Mavericks will need to regroup and refocus if they hope to even the series in Game 2. With two of the most talented scorers in NBA history on their roster, they have the potential to bounce back from this loss.
NBA NEWS & RUMORS: Luka Doncic, Dallas Mavericks, Oklahoma City Thunder Updates
The Thunder set an Oklahoma City playoff record with 29 assists, showcasing their ability to move the ball and find open teammates. Gilgeous-Alexander’s impressive performance was complemented by Jalen Williams‘ 18 points and Chet Holmgren‘s 19 points, seven rebounds, and three blocks.
Kyrie Irving scored 20 points, and Daniel Gafford added 16 points, 11 rebounds, and five blocks for the Mavericks, but it wasn’t enough to overcome the Thunder’s dominant performance.
NBA NEWS & RUMORS: Luka Doncic, Dallas Mavericks, Oklahoma City Thunder Updates
Game 2 will be played on Thursday night in Oklahoma City, and the Mavericks will need to bring their A-game if they hope to steal homecourt advantage. Conversely, the Thunder will look to build on their convincing win and take a 2-0 lead in the series.
“We’re not going to underestimate this opponent,” Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said. “We know they’re capable of playing much better than they did tonight.”
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