In last night's NBA playoffs Western Conference semifinals, a thrilling battle unfolded between the Thunder and the Mavericks. The Thunder, who originally entered the playoffs as the first in the West in the regular season, once led their opponents by 17 points in the game, however, at the last moment of the game, they suffered a shocking reversal, and finally lost by 1 point.
At the beginning of the game, the Thunder showed great strength, and they quickly built a 17-point lead with excellent interior and exterior coordination and efficient offense. However, the Mavericks did not give up because of this, and they continued to adjust their tactics in the game, gradually narrowing the point gap.
Entering the fourth quarter, the Mavericks launched a crazy counterattack. With their excellent three-pointers and tenacious defense, they gradually tied the score. In the final moments of the game, Washington, the core player of the Mavericks, caused a three-point foul on Alexander, the star of the Thunder team, and successfully hit two free throws to complete the quasi-stunner. Although Alexander performed well throughout the game, with 36 points, 3 rebounds and 8 assists, he was unable to help the team salvage the defeat.
The loss of this game was undoubtedly a heavy blow for the Thunder. They did well in the regular season and entered the playoffs as No. 1 in the West, only to suffer such a miserable loss in the playoffs. The loss not only missed the Thunder a chance to advance, but also left them with the harsh reality that they needed to re-examine their strength and tactics to find the root cause of the problem and improve on it.
For the Mavericks, the win in this game was undoubtedly a huge encouragement. They showed tenacious fighting spirit and outstanding strength in the game, and successfully completed a shocking comeback. The win not only allowed them to advance to the next round, but it also gave them a boost of confidence and looking forward to continuing their performances in the upcoming matches.