The Oklahoma City Thunder is expected to be one of the most dangerous teams in the upcoming playoffs.
The Thunder (49-20) sit atop the Western Conference standings and are led by MVP candidate Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Still, this young group could fall victim to an early exit in a rival Western Conference.
In a recent article titled “Nightmare Matchups of 2024 NBA Playoff Scheduled Teams,” Bleacher Report listed the Dallas Mavericks as OKC's toughest opponent.
OKC is 2-1 against Dallas this season. But in the Thunder's two wins, which came by an average margin of 6.5 points, the Mavericks were without either Luka Doncic or Kyrie Irving.
The last game the two actually played together was Dallas' 146-111 home victory over OKC on February 10th.
more:Thunder vs. Raptors injury report: Toronto will be without Scottie Barnes and RJ Barrett
Many playoff teams are certainly looking to avoid Dallas (41-29), which is currently the No. 6 seed. The Mavericks have won three straight and have added depth since acquiring Daniel Gafford and P.J. Washington at the trade deadline.
Still, OKC should feel good about its chances against Dallas.
The Thunder have a burly defender in Lou Dort, who could pose a challenge for the larger Doncic. And while Gafford and Washington are good defensive additions, don't expect the Mavericks to contain Gilgeous-Alexander and Jaylen Williams in a seven-game series.
A potential playoff matchup between OKC and Dallas has yet to be determined, but the teams will at least meet one more time. The Thunder are scheduled to conclude the regular season with a home game against the Mavericks on April 14th.
more:What makes Chet Holmgren so effective for the OKC Thunder? “He can take the punches.”
