An unexpected nailbighter in Game Two has the series even at one heading back to Dallas. What has stood out thus far?
Game 1 in a Nutshell: Oklahoma City’s defense was dominant, shutting down the Mavericks across the board. Dirk Nowitzki scored 18 points and the rest of the starting lineup combined for 12, with the Mavericks scoring shooting a frigid 29.8% from the field, 22.2% from three-point range.
On offense, Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant combined for 47 points, including a perfect 15-15 from the charity stripe. Serge Ibaka played third-banana well on both ends, scoring 17 points on 7-8 shooting on offense, and swatting three shots on defense while keeping Dirk Nowitzki from finding a rhythm. In short, the Thunder rolled.
Game 2 in a Nutshell: The hoop was colder to Kevin Durant Monday night than Lou Williams and Nick Young were to D’Angelo Russell after the Snapchat incident. Durant missed 26 shots, the most of his career, fighting to 21 points on a whopping 33 shots. That allowed Dallas’ guards to shine just enough to eke out a tight win. At the end Steven Adams’ tip shot game winner came off his fingers just a fraction of a second too late, and Dallas hung on for the 85-54 win.
Deron Williams carried the torch early, dropping eleven points in the first five minutes of the game. When an abdominal injury flared up and took him out of the game, Raymond Felton responded by scoring 21 points and reeling in 11 rebounds. Devin Harris chipped in another seven rebounds as the point guards combined for 19 boards and 10 assists.
The Good – Steven Adams has been active on defense, protecting the rim and preventing the Mavericks’ centers from making much impact. On offense he dominated the offensive glass, including key rebounds down the stretch of Game 2 that allowed the Thunder to keep pace with Dallas and have a number of shots to tie or take the lead late. If he can keep his level of intensity and effort, Durant and Westbrook’s shooting will come around and the Thunder could put their poor effort behind them.
The Bad – Speaking of the poor shooting, Durant and Westbrook have combined to go 7-30 from distance thus far in the series. Against a team with serious defensive deficiencies, 23 percent from deep is unacceptable. If the two stars can start hitting shots then this series could be over in five. If not, this could be a surprisingly long series.
Look Ahead – Game 3 is Thursday in Dallas, where the Mavericks went 23-18 over the course of the season. Rick Carlisle will surely have a trick or two in his bag as he looks to get the 201 advantage in the series. Even so, Oklahoma City has to still feel good about where they are in this series. It took the worst shooting night of Kevin Durant’s career and a Back-to-the-Future experience from Raymond Felton for the Mavericks to get a one point win. Even below average shooting should be enough for the Thunder to win. Look for another strong win and a 2-1 lead for the Thunder, not the Mavericks, as they take back home court.
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