When AJ Lawson converted that first 3-pointer, no one in the American Airlines Center could imagine what would come next. There was more than 10 minutes left in this game between Mavs and Thunder when the guard scored. His team was then led by 24 points (87-111).
In the process, the same AJ Lawson found Seth Curry in the corner 3-pointer. Two good shots in a row directly linked to the visitors' double shots on Luka Doncic. The latter then lobbed a ball towards Derek Lively II, before in turn punishing behind the arc in transition. 11-0 in progress, one minute and a half after the start.
The Slovenian's power of attraction will continue to work since the Mavs' playing master once again found Derek Lively II inside, then Seth Curry again with a pass behind the back. 16-0, and still no reaction from the Thunder, who were bogged down in the Texan defense.
Then the Slovenian once again got the upper hand on Kenrich Williams by dribbling before finding his crazy shooter, Seth Curry, at the head of the racket, soon imitated by Derrick Jones Jr. in the corner. This 22-0 was not enough: with several finishes near the circle, the Texans reached 30-0 to lead 117-111 with four minutes remaining!
“A funny way to win”
According to ESPN, this “run” is the longest series of its kind in history (at least since the arrival of “play-by-play” in 1997), ahead of a 29-0 attack by LeBron James' Cavs against to the Bucks in 2009. More recently, in 2021, these same Mavs went 28-0 against the Warriors, while the Knicks went 28-0 against the Raptors in 2017.
“ We kept our energy up, made the right choices and got open shots “, simply sums up Luka Doncic, author of a monstrous triple-double (36 points, 18 assists and 15 rebounds). “ The character of the team showed in that moment. Throughout the match, we understood that they were going to try to take the ball out of Luka's hands. The guys did a good job at the end of the third quarter and in the fourth taking shots in rhythm », appreciates Jason Kidd.
Despite this crazy dynamic, his team was not able to win. Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams signed a big end to the game to allow the Thunder to escape.
“ It's definitely a funny way to win. But I certainly don't want to underestimate the mental strength of the team “, underlines Mark Daigneault, adding: “ It's difficult to resist a 30-0 and win a match. So it's obvious that a lot of things worked well in this match. »
