Thunder vs. Mavericks
The big score of the second-round series has come to 3-2, and the Mavericks took the lead to win the match point. It is clear that the situation is becoming less and less optimistic for the Thunder, and they have no way out. However, for the young Thunder, every game they win is a rare improvement. If they can finally break through the second round and come to the stage of the Western Finals, they will also break through the team's best results in the past decade. Therefore, in this G6 battle, they can also show extraordinary tenacity.
After coming to the Mavericks' home court, Dort of the Thunder also bluntly said that Doncic's individual ability is excellent, but everyone on the team firmly believes that their defense can make Doncic play hard. But in the specific competition, although the Thunder performed well in the first half, expanding the difference to 17 points, they still suffered a reversal from the Mavericks, allowing the opponent to complete the free throw kill with a total score of 117-116, thus losing to the Mavericks with a score of 2-4 and ending the season.
The specific results
In the first half of the competition, the Thunder team playing away from home maintained a hot form, thus extending the lead one after another. Alexander shot 3 of 5 in the first quarter, delivering 7 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists and 1 block, Jalen Williams also contributed 7 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist and 1 steal, and Dort, who handed over 9 points, 1 assist and 2 steals, helped the team play a 30-23 score and take a 7-point lead. Entering the second quarter of the matchup, Alexander could continue to exert his power, shooting 5 of 8, 3 of 6 free throws, contributing 14 points, 2 assists and 1 block, and continued to lead the team to a score of 34-25, expanding the difference to 16 points.
Yibian fought again, and the Thunder team, which maintained the initiative to lead the score, finally encountered a counterattack from the Mavericks. In the third quarter of the game, Doncic stepped up and played 12 minutes of game, delivering 10 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists and 1 steal, Irving also contributed 10 points and 2 assists, and Jones Jr., who handed over 11 points, 1 rebound, 1 assist and 1 steal, helped the team play a 35-26 score and narrow the gap to 7 points. In the final quarter of the decisive game, the Mavericks were able to stabilize the situation, and with the help of Washington, they completed the free throw shootout and won the final victory with a total score of 117-116.
epilogue
Looking back at the Hu data of the game, the overall performance of the players on the Mavericks' side was excellent. All five of their players scored in double figures, and all of them were efficient. During this period, Doncic played 45 minutes, shooting 9-of-15 from the field and delivering a triple-double of 29 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists, while Irving also had 22 points, 2 rebounds and 3 assists, as well as Gafford who delivered 10 points and 7 rebounds. In addition, Jones even shot 8 of 13 and contributed a crucial 22 points, as well as 4 rebounds and 2 assists, and Lively II, who came off the bench, also had 12 points, 15 rebounds and 3 assists, playing the style of a bench wonder.
On the other hand, on the side of the Thunder team who lost away from home, although their starting five Tigers also scored double-doubles, they were still slightly inferior in terms of handling details. Alexander played 43 minutes, 4-of-5 from three-point range, 14-of-25 from the field, and delivered a game-high 36 points, as well as 3 rebounds and 8 assists. Williams handed over 22 points, 9 rebounds and 8 assists, and Holmgren's 21 points, 3 rebounds and 1 assist, also had no choice but to enter the empty cut group. After losing this game, the Thunder ended their season and the Mavericks became the first team in the league to advance to the division finals.