The Oklahoma City Thunder have eliminated the Dallas Mavericks from this season's NBA Cup, as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander exploded for 39 points on 15-23 shooting while the backcourt of Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving combined for a measly 33 points. Hounded by Luguentz Dort, Alex Caruso, and Cason Wallace, Doncic scored only 16 points on 5-15 shooting. After the loss, the Slovenian superstar broke down what makes SGA so tough to guard.
“He's a great scorer. He gets his teammates involved… It's amazing to play against a guy like that,” the Mavericks star said, via this clip from ClutchPoints on X, formerly Twitter.
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Mavericks fall in NBA Cup to Thunder, 118-104
Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic (77) reacts in front of Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) during the second half in game six of the second round of the 2024 NBA playoffs at American Airlines Center.
© Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images
While Shai Gilgeous-Alexander handily beat Luka Doncic on Tuesday, other Mavericks stepped up and picked up the scoring load amid their leader's struggles.
For instance, Naji Marshall and new signing Klay Thompson paced the team with 19 points each, as Thompson shot 5-10 from three-point land while Marshall shot 7-11 and hit two threes.
However, the Mavericks could not stop turning the ball over, as the Thunder scored 36 points off 19 turnovers, which helped OKC break the game open in the third quarter. Outscoring Dallas 33-19 in the third, OKC built a 20-point lead and entered the fourth period leading 90-73.
The Mavericks cut it down to 11 late in the fourth quarter, but the Thunder had done just enough to win the game. For instance, Jalen Williams also poured in 18 points, while new signing Isaiah Hartenstein put up a double-double of ten points and 13 rebounds.
Hartenstein's presence in the interior filled an important need for the Thunder, who missed a bigger body in the paint for defense and rebounding, as the rail-thin Chet Holmgren (out indefinitely with a pelvic fracture) could not afford to bang with other big men down low, as terrific a defender as he is.
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Likewise, PJ Washington gave the Thunder so many problems in their Western Conference semifinals, which Dallas won 4-2, and the Mavericks certainly missed him on Tuesday as he sat the game out due to illness.
Are the Thunder for real?
The Thunder's new additions may have bridged the gap between them and the team who went all the way to the Finals last season, which bodes well for a young team looking to take the next step and reach their first Conference Finals since 2012, and maybe even win the Thunder's first NBA title in franchise history.
Looking at the Western Conference, one might not see another team that poses a clear challenge to the 19-5 Thunder, as teams with the tools to beat them–like the LA Lakers–are struggling to keep their seasons from slipping away.