2024 NBA Playoff BreakDown: Oklahoma City Thunder VS Dallas Mavericks

The Dallas Mavericks shocked the top seeded Oklahoma City Thunder, eliminating them in 6 games. Doubts swirled around the Thunder from the media about how legitimate this team is as a title contender going into the playoffs, primarily because of the youth of this team and this being their first attempt at a playoff run together. Luka Doncic and the Mavericks have been on that bubble of contention for a while. And last season, when they made the move to acquire Kyrie Irving from the Nets, I suspect this is exactly where they imagined they’d be when they paired the two stars. After their performance against the top seeded Thunder, it’s becoming clear that Luka and the Mavericks can win the NBA championship. Their offense is always going to be a problem, but different from previous Mavs teams, this unit is playing defense. Daniel Gafford, Dereck Lively, and Derrick Jones Jr. have been crucial pieces in building that up, and Luka and Kyrie have done a lot to step up in their game as well. Let’s dig into the breakdown of this series. 

Thunder and the Mavs split in Oklahoma City

In game 1 the Mavericks turned the ball over 16 times and only shot 34% from the 3-point line. The Thunder shot 45.7%, and grabbed 52 rebounds to the Mavericks 39. If you do that, it's hard to lose. The Mavericks ended up winning the game 117-95. Thunder guard Aaron Wiggins had 16 points off the bench and 5 rebounds playing 23 minutes. Josh Giddey only played 17 minutes, and really struggled with 2 points, giving Wiggins the opportunity to play. SGA scored 29 points and was a point and an assist away from a triple double. Jalen Williams scored 18 points and Chet Holmgren had a 50% field goal percentage finishing with 19 points. This was a bit of a strange game for the Mavericks. Kyrie Irving scored 20 points, and typically when Kyrie makes an impact this team is hard to beat. And Daniel Gafford continues to play a major role for the Mavericks, tallying a double-double (16-11-1). The Thunder's dominant start to the series really made people start to question if they were going to run through the field after sweeping the Pelicans in the round before. But the Mavericks would bounce back. 

In a huge game 2 on the road, Luka played through a sprained right knee that showed blood similar to Curt Schilling in the 2004 Boston Red Sox world series run. The Mavericks shot much better from behind the arch, nearly shooting 50%. Luka recorded a double-double finishing with 29 points, and 5-8 from 3. But PJ Washington was the story of the night. He would also contribute a double-double, and an identical 29 points to Luka, but show 7-11 from behind the 3 point line. When the Mavericks offense is shooting lights out like this it’s nearly impossible to slow them down. The Thunder got huge efforts from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (33-12-8) and Jalen Williams (20-4-4). They were close to getting back into this game. In the 10 minute mark of the 4th quarter, Jalen Williams had an emphatic dunk that made it a 99-95 game. But the mavericks would answer back. Derrick Jones Jr. would score on a jumper, and right after grab a rebound that would lead to Luka knocking down a huge 3 at the 9 minute marker. The Maverick would pretty much maintain this distance the rest of the game, and a chance to take control of the series as it headed to Dallas. 

The series heads to Dallas 

After the two teams exchanged dominant performances, game 3 provided us with the most closely contested game of the series. Neither team really shot the ball well, sharing a 33.3% 3-point percentage. They both finished with 14 turnovers and the rebounding differential slightly favored the Mavericks. It was the 4th quarter heroics of Kyrie Irving that secured the win for the Mavericks. Kyrie had 8 points in the fourth, and finished with 22 points on the night. His jumper that he hit with 33 seconds left in the game made this a 2 possession game, and all but locked the win up for the Mavericks. SGA had another incredible game with 31 points and 10 rebounds, recording another double-double. But contributors were tough to find for the Thunder as Jalen Williams was the team's second leading scorer of 16 points. Meanwhile PJ Washington stayed hot from the 3 point line going 5-12 and finishing with 27 points, and Luka recorded a double-double of his own going 22-15. 

But the Thunder would storm back with a come from behind win over the Mavericks, after being down 10 points after the first, and 11 points at half, the thunder dominated the second half. The wheels fell off for Luka and Kyrie. Luka shot only 2-9 from the 3, and although he recorded a triple-double (18-12-10), he struggled to consistently score for his side who rely heavily on him to provide the offensive rhythm. There was no take over for Kyrie, who finished the game with only 9 points. PJ Washington was the only bright spot, recording a double-double and shooting just under 50% from 3, he’d finish with 21 points. Thunder got much more support around SGA in this game, who scored 34 points. Chet Holmgren had a strong second half with 18 points, and Lugentz Dort scored 17 points. The Thunder beat the Mavericks by 16 in the second half, making this truly a tale of two halves. It was a must win game to avoid a 3-1 deficit going back home for game 5. 

The Mavericks take control 

After the two teams split in Dallas, with the series at 2 games a piece, the Thunder and Mavericks headed to Oklahoma City for game 5. This would turn out to be the most pivotal game in the series. The Thunder’s offense looked flat, shooting only 25% from the 3 point line. And even though they forced 14 turnovers against the Mavs, they never caught rhythm. The Mavericks on the other hand shot 40% from 3. Luka Doncic went 5-11 from 3, and Derrick Jones Jr. had one of his best games of his career going 3-5 from 3 and finishing with 19 points. Luka finished with 31 points. Meanwhile, beside Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s 30 point performance, nobody on Thunder surpassed 15 points, and every player besides SGA had terrible shooting performances. Something else to highlight was the Mavericks once again winning the battle in the paint. They outrebounded the Thunder 46-33, and outscored them 48-44 in point in the paint. Dereck Lively and PJ Washington both recorded a double-double, and Daniel Gafford wasn’t too far from doing so himself. The Thunder just lacked physicality down low, and it was a big reason that at some point they were down 18 in this game. 

In game 6 Dallas trailed by 17 in the third quarter making a game 7 look inevitable. But they chipped away little by little, and now Kyrie Irving is 14-0 in his career in close out games. Kyrie came alive in this game providing scoring assistance shooting 4-10 from the 3 and finishing with 22 points. It contributed nicely to Luka Doncic’s triple double (29-10-10). Derrick Jones Jr., who played an important role with the Chicago Bulls for the last couple of seasons, continued to be an important role player for Dallas. Jones, averaging 8.3 points per game, scored 22 points and was a key cog in the comeback effort for Dallas. The pivotal moment of the game came in the final seconds, as Chet Holmgren recorded an emphatic dunk to get him to 21 points on the board, and give the Thunder a 116-115 lead. But PJ Washington who was good all series long, but quiet tonight, got the ball down court and got SGA to foul him on a 3-point shot. This would allow Washington to hit 2 out of his 3 free throws, and give the Mavericks a lead with 2.1 seconds left. The Thunder would only have time for Jalen Williams to chuck a shot 64 feet to no avail, officially closing the book on the 1 seed in the west. 

What’s next for the Thunder 

Although this was a disappointing end to what has been an incredible season for the Oklahoma City Thunder, this is just the beginning to this team's rise as a contender. They’re truly building something special in OKC. They still have incredible draft capital, and a roster full of young talent who’ve contributed in big spots this season. Plus, they have a bonafide star in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Mock drafts have them adding Jalen Williams' little brother Cody. And I’m sure they’ve become an interesting location for free agents ring chasing. The Thunder could be a scary team next season as I thought they were a year away from making a playoff run. But the progression of SGA has expedited any developmental learning processes. He averaged 30.1 points per game, 5.5 rebounds per game, and 6.2 assists. The Thunder will be around the top two spots again next season.

What’s next for the Mavericks

The Mavericks will move onto the conference finals where they will square off with Anthony Edwards and the tough Minnesota Timberwolves defense. The Timberwolves are coming off an upset series win over the defending champions the Denver Nuggets. It will be a matchup between two of the hottest stars in the game, Luka VS Anthony Edwards. In addition to the matchup between the guards, we should see a tough battle between bigs. PJ Washington, Derek Lively, and Daniel Gafford VS Karl Anthony-Towns, Naz Reid, and Rudy Gobert will be a fun battle for rebounds and points in the paint. It will be a competitive series. I got the Dallas Mavericks winning in 7 games. This is their second conference finals in three years. That experience can make a big difference. 

Sources 

1. Game 1: Dallas Mavericks @ Oklahoma City Thunder: Thunder win 117-95 (Thunder lead series 1-0) 

• DAL: G Kyrie Irving 20 PTS 1 REB 3 AST; G Luka Doncic 19 PTS 6 REB 9 AST; C Daniel Gafford 16 PTS 11 REB 1 AST 

• OKC: F Jalen Williams 18 PTS 5 REB 5 AST; C Chet Holmgren 19 PTS 7 REB 1 AST; G Shai Gilgeus-Alexander 29 PTS 9 REB 9 AST; F Aaron Wiggins 16 PTS 5 REB 2 AST 

2. Game 2: Dallas Mavericks @ Oklahoma City Thunder: Mavericks win 119-110 (Series tied 1-1) 

• DAL: F PJ Washington 29 PTS 11 REB 4 AST; G Luka Doncic 29 PTS 10 REB 7 AST; F Tim Hardaway Jr. 17 PTS 2 REB 1 AST 

• OKC: F Jalen Williams 20 PTS 4 REB 4 AST; G Shai Gilgeous-Alexander 33 PTS 12 REB 8 AST 

3. Game 3: Oklahoma City Thunder @ Dallas Mavericks: Mavericks win 105-101 (Mavericks lead series 2-1) 

• OKC: F Jalen Williams 16 PTS 6 REB 8 AST; G Shai Gilgeous-Alexander 31 PTS 10 REB 6 AST 

• DAL: F PJ Washington 27 PTS 6 REB 2 AST; G Kyrie Irving 22 PTS 5 REB 7 AST; G Luka Doncic 22 PTS 15 REB 5 AST 

4. Game 4: Oklahoma City Thunder @ Dallas Mavericks: Thunder win 100-96 (Series Tied 2-2) 

• OKC: G Shai Gilgeous-Alexander 34 PTS 8 REB 5 AST; C Chet Holmgren 18 PTS 9 REB; F Lugentz Dort 17 PTS 8 REB; F Jalen Williams 14 PTS 9 REB 6 AST 

• DAL: F PJ Washington 21 PTS 12 REB; F Derrick Jones 17 PTS 3 REB 1 AST; G Luka Doncic 18 PTS 12 REB 10 AST 

5. Game 5: Dallas Mavericks VS Oklahoma City Thunder: Mavericks win 104-92 (Mavericks lead series 3-2)

• DAL: F Derrick Jones Jr. 19 PTS 1 REB 1 AST; G Luka Doncic 31 PTS 10 REB 11 AST; F Dereck Lively II 11 PTS 10 REB 1 AST 

• OKC: G Shai Gilgeous-Alexander 30 PTS 6 REB 8 AST; C Chet Holmgren 13 PTS 4 REB 1 AST 

6. Game 6 - Oklahoma City Thunder @ Dallas Mavericks: Mavericks win 117-116 (Mavericks win series 4-2) 

• OKC: F Jalen Williams 22 PTS 9 REB 8 AST; C Chet Holmgren 21 PTS 3 REB 1 AST; G Shai Gilgeous-Alexander 36 PTS 3 REB 8 AST 

• DAL: F Derrick Jones Jr. 22 PTS 4 REB 2 AST; G Luka Doncic 29 PTS 10 REB 10 AST; G Kyrie Irving 22 PTS 2 REB 3 AST; F Dereck Lively II 12 PTS 15 REB 3 AST