OKLAHOMA CITY — After a disappointing 14-point lead in Game 4, the Dallas Mavericks defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder 104-92 on the road to take a 3-2 series lead. I stole it. Luka Doncic set the tone by being effective when the Mavericks needed it most, posting 31 points, 11 assists, and 10 rebounds.
The Thunder made a long-anticipated change to their starting lineup by moving Josh Guidi to the second unit and installing Isaiah Joe. The Mavericks' preferred defensive scheme is at its best when it has weak perimeter shooters who can rotate and sag off in advance, but with Joe, he's enough of a threat to free up space that he can't do things like that. There are no players.
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Luguentz Dort is basically the Thunder's weakest link in terms of shooting, a much more capable situation than having him next to Guidi. Dallas managed to maintain an early advantage despite the Thunder's lineup changes and early injuries, leading 11-8 at one point.
The Thunder intended to throw a lot of help defenders on the strong side when playing small, but when Holmgren was on the court, they wanted to cross-match him to act as a low defender and directly Combined with getting them involved in the action. Each of these strategies was aimed at preventing Doncic or Irving from attacking the rim with clean lanes.
The Mavericks also changed their rotation, starting Jaden Hardy on the second unit in place of Dante Exum, who had struggled to reach a comfortable offensive level in the half-court attack. Considering how aggressively Oklahoma City is guarding Doncic and Irving, the goal was likely to provide another scoring threat and spark the offense.
After failing to secure an offensive rebound, Jaylin Williams took an open shot from the perimeter, cutting the Mavericks' lead to 20-18 and calling a timeout. Dallas continued to maintain the advantage until the end of the first quarter, leading 24-22.
Dallas ended the first quarter with a very small lineup, with Irving, Hardy, Hardaway and Green all on the perimeter. Dallas allowed a ton of offensive rebounds early, giving Oklahoma City second-chance scoring opportunities, but they were limited to small ball groups.
Doncic intentionally attacked the paint in the second quarter. He used a fake stepback to get into a give-and-go and set up a lob to Lively from the dunker spot. He attacked in the paint, creating a goaltending call on Holmgren, then made a 3/4-court throw-ahead lob to Lively for a dunk.Overall, Doncic was eager to push
The Mavericks led by as many as 15 points in the first half, but entered halftime with a 54-44 lead. Doncic is off to a strong start, already tallying 17 points, seven assists and six rebounds. Jones also scored in double figures with 15 points, making six perfect shot attempts despite three coming from behind the 3-point line.
Dallas was more comfortable blitzing and playing from the pocket than they have been in recent performances, making the Thunder pay for being vulnerable to 4-on-3 situations. Gafford was poised to attack Holmgren in the paint, playing with both feet and using a lot of fakes before hitting a hook shot. It was a clear improvement for Dallas, considering Holmgren was on the floor and struggling in the paint in this series.
Coming out of the timeout with the Mavericks leading by 14 points, the Thunder relied on Gilgeous-Alexander to start attacking downhill and settle into the game. Dallas led 68-53 after Doncic made a catch-and-shoot 3-pointer, a timely answer for Dallas.
As the Thunder have shown throughout this series, they won't go away quietly. Gilgeous-Alexander was aggressive, attacking the paint again and using his size advantage to draw an and-one with a floater against Hardy. Oklahoma City briefly cut the deficit to single digits until Doncic responded with a step-back 3-pointer, leading 79-67 entering the fourth quarter.
A continuing theme throughout the game was Doncic making timely plays and scoring the ball when he had the chance. In one sequence, an and-one floater played through contact early in the fourth quarter pushed Dallas up by 15 points. After Jaylen Williams scored on a drive, Doncic attacked the paint again and nailed a floater from 2 feet. The Mavericks extended their lead to 89-71 on Doncic's deep catch-and-shoot 3-pointer, building a game-high lead.
After the Thunder cut the lead against the Mavericks to 10 points, Irving had a great chance to slow Oklahoma City's momentum with a drive, but missed a floater. Williams attacked the rim for a finish on the other side. Doncic committed a turnover while trying to counter a double team with a pass into the paint, but a low defender stole the pass. Dallas got a defensive stop.
Washington was left open in the corner, costing the Thunder and briefly putting the Mavericks ahead by 10 points before Williams countered with a short-range pull-up jumper. Washington had his 3-point shot blocked, but recovered from his own mistake for a dunk.
Gilgeous-Alexander made two free throws to bring Oklahoma City within nine points. The Thunder also used an incredible approach against Irving, getting the ball into the hands of the Mavericks' role players. Dallas took a 13-point lead with less than two minutes left in regulation when Derek Lively II made two free throws and used a steal to set up a throw-ahead pass for a dunk to Jones. .
After a two-day break, Game 6 of the series will be played Saturday at American Airlines Center.
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