Mavericks vs. Thunder: Series Game 3 Preview
The third game of the series will be held tomorrow at the Mavericks’ home court, but whether Luka Doncic will be able to play remains uncertain. He is listed as questionable due to injury, indicating a roughly 50% chance of playing.
Doncic has played 8 games in this year’s playoffs, averaging 42.1 minutes per game. He has recorded averages of 28.4 points, 8.6 rebounds, and 9.1 assists per game, with shooting percentages of 40.9% from the field and 26.5% from three-point range.
Mavericks’ Victory in Game 2
In the first game of the second round, the Mavericks, who didn’t perform well from the outside in the away game, regained their form in the second game, hitting a total of 18 three-pointers. Among them, P.J. Washington exploded with 7 three-pointers, while Luka Doncic and Washington each scored a team-high 29 points, ultimately handing the Oklahoma their first defeat of the postseason with a score of 119-110.
Player Performances
In addition to his 29 points, Washington also grabbed 11 rebounds, dished out 4 assists, and made 2 steals. Doncic contributed 29 points, 10 rebounds, 7 assists, and 3 steals. Despite only scoring 9 points on 8 attempts and not making any three-pointers, Kyrie Irving facilitated with 11 assists and contributed 2 steals and 2 blocks, playing a crucial role in the victory. Tim Hardaway Jr. scored 17 points off the bench, Josh Green contributed 11 points, and Daniel Gafford added 13 points and 7 rebounds.
Game Highlights
Doncic opened the game with a strong first quarter, scoring 16 points on his own, combined with 11 points from Washington, giving the Maverick an early lead. However, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams combined for 32 points in the first half to keep the Oklahoma from falling too far behind, trailing by just 6 points at halftime. The Maverick made twice as many three-pointers as their opponents in the first half, which was crucial to their lead.
Third Quarter Dominance
The Thunder briefly took the lead in the third quarter with Luguentz Dort’s three-point shooting, but Washington, Doncic, and Green kept the Maverick in control, while Hardaway Jr. seized the opportunity to score 10 points, extending the Mavericks’ lead to double digits, which almost determined the subsequent course of the game.
Fourth Quarter Battle
Despite their efforts to rally, the Oklahoma struggled with poor three-point shooting in the fourth quarter, scoring only 1 point on 7 attempts. Even though the Mavericks’ shooting percentage dropped to below 40% in the final quarter, the Oklahoma couldn’t catch up, and the score difference remained around 10 points, ending their five-game winning streak in the postseason.
Series Game 2 Recap
In the NBA second-round series today, the Oklahoma City Thunder continued their battle against the Dallas Maverick at home. In the previous game, the Oklahoma, led by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, scored a game-high 29 points to secure a victory and take a 1-0 lead in the series. However, in this game, the Maverick, led by Luka Doncic and P.J. Washington, scored a combined 58 points to defeat the Thunder 119-110, securing a victory on the road and tying the series at 1-1.
First Half Analysis
Washington stood out for the Maverick, scoring 19 points in the first half. In the first half of the game, both teams engaged in an offensive battle, with each team making 25 of 47 field goal attempts, resulting in a high shooting percentage of 53.2%.
Second Half Performance
After the halftime break, the Maverick relied on P.J. Washington once again in the third quarter, as he hit his seventh three-pointer of the game, helping the Maverick maintain their lead. Despite the Thunder’s efforts both inside and outside, the Maverick still held a slight advantage in this quarter, outscoring the Oklahoma 31-27. With three quarters played, the Maverick led by double digits with a score of 99-89.
Decisive Fourth Quarter
In the decisive fourth quarter, the Thunder started strong, going on a 6-0 run to cut the deficit to 4 points. However, Luka Doncic responded immediately with a three-pointer, denying the Oklahoma a chance to close the gap and forcing them to call a timeout. Despite the timeout, the Thunder continued to chase, and both teams battled it out until the crucial moments of the game. In the end, the Maverick held on to their lead and secured the victory with a 9-point difference, tying the series at 1-1.
Individual Performances
In this game, Mavericks’ star Luka Doncic scored a team-high 29 points, along with 10 rebounds and 7 assists. P.J. Washington contributed 29 points, 11 rebounds, and 4 assists, while starting point guard Kyrie Irving scored 9 points, grabbed 3 rebounds, and dished out 11 assists. Center Daniel Gafford added 13 points and 7 rebounds, and Tim Hardaway Jr. contributed 17 points off the bench.
On the Thunder side, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored a game-high 33 points, grabbed 12 rebounds, and dished out 7 assists. However, despite his efforts, the Thunder ultimately lost the game. Center Chet Holmgren contributed 11 points, 6 rebounds, 6 assists, and 6 blocks, while Jalen Williams added 20 points and 4 rebounds. Jaylin Williams scored 8 points off the bench.
Mavericks’ Strong Start
The Maverick, who suffered a heavy defeat in the first game, showed great determination from the beginning of this game, taking a double-digit lead in the first quarter led by Doncic’s 16 points. However, the Thunder launched a comeback towards the end of the second quarter, narrowing the gap to just 6 points by halftime. The Maverick shot an impressive 53.2% from the field in the first half, with Washington leading with 19 points and Doncic following with 18 points.
Conclusion
After halftime, despite briefly losing the lead, the Maverick regained control of the game and secured a crucial victory to tie the series at 1-1. With the series now even, both teams will look to gain an advantage in the upcoming games.
Table of Contents
Tomorrow’s game recommendation:
G3 Mavericks vs. Thunder — 03:30AM
- Thunder win
- Thunder -3.5
- Total over 217.5
