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Thunder battle against Mavericks in 121-119 loss

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Thunder battle against Mavericks in 121-119 loss

OKLAHOMA CITY – OKC’s scramble drill in the final seconds picked up the intentionally missed free throw and resulted in a three-point heave by Lu Dort that didn’t land anywhere near the rim. The final buzzer sounded and any faint hope of a comeback vanished.

The Oklahoma City Thunder are still trailed by the Dallas Mavericks with a 121-119 loss. Despite a major character change, this match was eerily similar to last year’s playoff series. To the point where it felt like a rewound episode.

Incredible shooting from both sides saw the Thunder trail the Mavericks 39-34 after the first quarter. They both came back to Earth in the second frame. Dallas had a 64-58 halftime advantage.

An OKC 10-2 run in the third quarter tied the score at 73 apiece on a Lu Dort 3-pointer. The Mavericks called a timeout and immediately regained their lead. The Thunder left the third quarter in a hole at 97-92. An 8-2 run by Dallas to start the fourth frame pushed OKC further into a 105-94 deficit.

Kyrie Irving was Dallas’ closer when a stepback 3-pointer pushed the lead to 14 points with just over six minutes remaining. Trailing by 11 points with four minutes left, Jalen Williams knocked down a pair of 3-pointers to make things interesting again.

The Thunder were within five points with just over three minutes remaining. At that point, PJ Washington converted a floater and Irving scored another three-pointer to push the Mavericks’ lead to 10 points with two minutes left.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander cut the deficit to a one-possession deficit when he drilled a stepback 3-pointer with 25 seconds left. After forcing a critical jump ball against Irving and winning, OKC suddenly had hope.

Down three points with six seconds left, the Thunder called a timeout and had an unlikely opportunity to at least force overtime. Instead, Jason Kidd let the air out of the balloon on a potential clutch moment when the Mavericks intentionally fouled Gilgeous-Alexander.

The Mavericks believe in the “foul up three” crowd. The last seconds proved why that is a good strategy. Instead of a set play, OKC was left with a scramble drill that resulted in a bad miss. The Thunder lost again to Dallas in a close situation.

The Thunder shot 49% from the field and went 14 of 42 (33.3%) from 3. They had 29 assists on 43 baskets. A 19-of-25 night from the free throw line looks good on paper, but bad in comparison. The Thunder had four players score double-digit points.

Gilgeous-Alexander finished with an efficient 36 points. Williams stepped up with an efficient 27 points. Dort contributed with 18 points

Meanwhile, the Mavericks survived the absence of Luka Doncic. They shot 48% from the field and went 11 of 27 (40.7%) from 3. They had a busy 30 of 36 night from the free throw line. They scored 18 assists on 40 baskets and defeated OKC by an eye-popping 53-to-29 lead. Seven Mavericks players scored double-digit points.

Irving had 23 points and six assists. Washington remains OKC’s Kryptonite with a season-high 27 points on 7-of-13 shooting and 17 rebounds. He scored eight points in the first minute. Daniel Gafford had a double-double of 11 points and 12 rebounds.

While frustrating, not much can be taken away from this loss for the Mavericks. Too many important variables were missing on both sides. The Thunder have managed without Chet Holmgren, but this is a clear example of why they need Isaiah Hartenstein to return.

Let’s take a look at Thunder player numbers:

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander: A-plus

Just like in the play-offs, Gilgeous-Alexander did more than enough to win. He was the best player on the court and consistently dominated all night long.

Gilgeous-Alexander finished with 36 points on 13-of-19 shooting, eight assists and two rebounds. He shot 9-of-11 from the free-throw line. Dallas had no answer to stop last year’s MVP runner-up.

The midrange play was deadly and his drives resulted in free throws. His lone outside shot made it a one-possession game with 25 seconds left.

This match felt like a serious case of deja vu and Gilgeous-Alexander’s one-man brilliance going in vain was another cruel reminder of how last year’s season ended.

Jalen Williams: A-plus

A slow first half left the fans dissatisfied. Williams fading into the background was his biggest downfall in the playoffs last year. A six-point half against the Mavericks had the same outcome. Then the second half clicked for the 23-year-old.

Williams went from ice to hot in the blink of an eye. It led to one of his best games of the season. He finished with 27 points on 11-of-17 shooting, five rebounds and five assists. He shot 3-for-6 from 3.

A 13-point explosion in the fourth quarter nearly brought the Thunder back. Back-to-back 3-pointers from Williams energized the OKC crowd.

Although the Thunder lost, this was a step in the right direction for Williams in the long run. For whatever reason, he fought Dallas. Perhaps this is a turn to the positive. His individual impact in a potential playoff rematch could decide the series.

Lu Dort: A-minus

It was a strong home base for Dort. Not only did he survive a four-man gauntlet of James Harden, Brandon Ingram, Devin Booker and Irving; he enjoyed the assignments. Compliment that the 25-year-old is suddenly one of OKC’s best players with his hot outside shooting.

Dort finished with 18 points on 5-for-10 shooting, five rebounds and three assists. He shot 4-for-9 from 3 and went 4-for-6 from the free-throw line.

Like Gilgeous-Alexander, Dort did enough to warrant a win. It would have been more exciting to see him play Doncic, but that shouldn’t take away from his positive performance.

Dillon Jones: B-minus

The Thunder needed a jolt of energy and Jones provided it. The 23-year-old had his best game of the season against the Mavericks. Lucky timing too, as OKC had no answers in the frontcourt.

Jones finished with 12 points on 5-for-6 shooting, three assists and two rebounds. He shot 2-of-3 from 3.

It was a quiet start to his rookie season. Ajay Mitchell has surprisingly played the bigger role. But this was Jones’ best performance yet. With such a thin frontcourt, the 23-year-old took advantage of the opportunity and logged decent minutes.