It's time for round 2.
Luka Doncic, Kyrie Irving and the Dallas Mavericks will face Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Oklahoma City Thunder on Tuesday night in Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinals. Follow live updates, game stories and more from reporters on the ground in Oklahoma City.
game updates
— 4:37 remaining 3rd place: And just like that, the Thunder will once again be in control of all the momentum. After Dallas came within one point, the Thunder outscored the Mavs 14-4 to take the Paycom Center. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Chet Holmgren made back-to-back threes to extend their team's advantage.
— 7:22 left in the 3rd: The Mavericks are suddenly coming into their own. Dallas jumped into scoring position 9-0, buoyed by 3-pointers from P.J. Washington and Kyrie Irving.
The Mavericks outscored the Thunder 12-4 in the third quarter and now lead 66-65.
— First half finished: The Mavericks need to rebuild quickly after the halftime break. Oklahoma City began to control the pace in the second quarter, and Dallas would struggle to find stability on offense. One of the highlights for Dallas was Derrick Jones Jr.'s huge putback dunk.
Daniel Gafford made the final basket of the first half, setting up Jones' alley-oop. OKC led 62-53. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led all scorers with 19 points on 9 of 11 free throw attempts.
— 7:02 remaining: Oklahoma City extends a narrow lead on Chet Holmgren's putback dunk. After battling for possession, Dallas is forced to use a timeout to regroup. The Thunder lead 36-33.
The Mavericks are still finding their offensive rhythm, shooting just 33% from the field.
— End of first quarter: The first half ended in a tie at 23-23. At the end of the quarter, Daniel Gafford made an impact by blocking Jaylin Williams in the paint. He followed it up with a quick layup. Luka Doncic and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander share the scoring lead with eight points.
— 2:52 left in the first: Early in the game, there is very little difference between the Mavericks and Thunder. Luka Doncic remains the top scorer with eight points, followed by Josh Green with six. Green was an early star for the Mavs, making two clean shots off corner kicks. The game ended in a 17-17 tie.
— 6:12 left in the first quarter: Oklahoma City looked like a team that had a week off for the first few minutes of the game. Luka Doncic led all scorers with seven points, but was slightly hobbled after falling while competing for a 3-point shot from Lu Dort. OKC led 12-10.
— Game 1 is underway at Paycom Center.
Pre-match update
Mavericks starting lineup: Luka Doncic, Kyrie Irving, Derrick Jones Jr., PJ Washington, Daniel Gafford
Thunder starting lineup: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Josh Guidy, Lou Dort, Jaylen Williams, Chet Holmgren
pre-game reading
— Dirk Nowitzki on what the Mavs' goal should be in Game 1 against the Thunder
— Mavericks vs. Thunder Prediction: Will Dallas return to the West Finals?
— Why you can hear Oklahoma City fans barking during the Mavs vs. Thunder NBA playoff series
— Mavericks' Luka Doncic 'not surprised' by Jalen Brunson's playoff win over Knicks
–Why did Mavericks' Kyrie Irving find solace in Dallas?
— Even without Maxi Kleber, the Mavericks have a favorable matchup against the OKC Thunder.
— Mavs big men, especially Daniel Gafford, will get a better chance against the Thunder
— Mavericks vs. Thunder scouting: Who are the MVP candidates to dominate in the Western Conference semifinals?
Read more of Dallas Morning News' Mavericks coverage here.
