The Dallas Mavericks will face the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 2 of the Western Conference semifinals on Thursday night at Paycom Center. The Mavericks hope to even the series after losing Game 1. It could be a second game, as they need to win the game in Oklahoma City to win the series.
Dallas looked a little off in Game 1 on Tuesday night. It was easy to see the Thunder sitting around waiting for their next opponent and building some rust. Meanwhile, the Mavericks showed the rhythm they carried over from their series against the Los Angeles Clippers. But in the end, the Thunder found their footing and showed why they are the No. 1 seed. The Mavericks will need to play a solid 48 minutes to exit I-35 with a win Thursday night.
Here are three things to think about before a game.
Please give me just a little rebound.
The Mavericks outscored the Thunder offensively, 52-39, 16-11. This gave OKC a 25-15 advantage in second-chance points. That can't happen against Oklahoma City. The Thunder finished the regular season ranked 29th in defensive rebounding percentage. They improved after the All-Star break, finishing 12th in that span. But the Mavericks are bigger, longer and have more experience. They should win the rebounding battle, or at least be even with the Thunder. Giving a team like Oklahoma City more possession is dangerous considering their shooting ability.
Doncic and Irving should be better.
Your instinct may be to protect the Mavericks' star back court duo. “They carry this team every night, so why can't someone else step up when they have an off game?”
But that's not how the Mavericks are made. Dallas has limited offensive talent like P.J. Washington, Derrick Jones Jr., and Derek Lively II, as Doncic and Irving can carry more than enough of the offensive load. They can get away with using defensive-oriented role players. The Mavericks don't need role players to get buckets. Two superstars take it on. But if not, Dallas doesn't have any other options to generate offense. When Doncic and Irving combine for less than 40 points, as they did in Game 1, it's a recipe for disaster.
Please make the free throw, please.
The Mavericks shot 17 of 25 from the charity stripe in Game 1, hitting 68 percent. It didn't matter to the final score, but this series isn't full of explosions. There will be some close games. Dallas can't risk falling a free throw or two short against a team as talented as the Thunder. For whatever reason, free throw shooting has been an issue for the Mavericks in recent years. They need to figure that out before they lose a close game at the worst possible time.
How to watch
The game will be broadcast on ESPN at 8:30pm CDT.
