Close matches follow and look alike for Luka Doncic. As against the Suns and the Pelicans, the “franchise player” of the Mavericks had the match point against the Thunder. And as against the Suns and the Pelicans, he missed it! It was 99-99 at that point in the game, and with Lu Dort on his back, he opted this time not to shoot from 3-point range, but to get closer to the circle. He sinks to the middle of the racket but his shot hits the circle. Extension !
After erasing an eight-point deficit in the last two minutes, OKC is on, and it’s the unlikely Isaiah Joe who will punish Dallas in overtime. He scored 7 of his 15 points, and it was he who launched a fatal 7-0 to the Mavericks. Final victory of the Thunder, 117-111, and it’s the 3rd in a row!
WHAT YOU MUST REMEMBER
– Dallas crumbly in the racket. Granted, JaVale McGee was missing, but Dallas didn’t sort out their domestic issues over the summer. Opponents take advantage of this, and tonight the Thunder scored 70 points in the paint! Alone, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 13 baskets in the racket. Dwight Powell, who started at position 5, finished with two small rebounds.
– The Mavericks don’t know how to hold a lead. Jason Kidd’s men had done the hardest part by taking a 16-point lead in the last quarter. And that corresponds to the period when Luka Doncic was on the bench. When he returns, five minutes from the end, we think it’s to finish the job, and yet the collective game of Dallas, or rather their defense, will disappear. OKC took the opportunity to sign an 18-2 to snatch the extension.
– Return of Jalen Williams. Victim of a fractured orbital bone, the rookie had not reappeared for a week. Hidden, he signs a very good return with 13 points and 4 rebounds. A return for which Ousmane Dieng pays the price since he joined the G-League team.
TOPS & FLOPS
✅ Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. He will no doubt be voted Player of the Week… After cutting up the Clippers’ defense, he does the same with the Mavericks. He is the first Thunder player, since Russell Westbrook, to amass 150 points in five games to start the season. He’s not the barking type, but he’s a real leader.
✅ Lu sleeps. If Luka Doncic had a bad evening, it’s because of him! He obviously made mistakes, but he also jostled the Slovenian, and he refused to back down. His defense on Luka Doncic’s last shot in the 4th quarter is the summary of his performance.
✅ ⛔️ Luka Doncic. Certainly, he signs a second triple-double in a row and he is involved in all the baskets at the start of the match. But his performance remains very average with an 8 out of 23 on shots, and his worst +/- since March with -25! It was when he came into play five minutes from the end that Dallas lost their basketball.
⛔️ Jason Kidd. While Christian Wood had a clear advantage over the “second unit” of the Thunder, Jason Kidd does not rely enough on him. Only 10 shots in 29 minutes for Christian Wood. Another criticism that can be made to Jason Kidd: the fact of having released Josh Green, very good when Dallas took a 16-point lead at the start of the 4th quarter.
THE FOLLOWING
– Thunder (3-3) : OKC only plays again on Tuesday, and it will be against the Magic
– Mavericks (2-3) : back-to-back with the reception of the Magic this Sunday
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