After three games, the Oklahoma City Thunder defeated the Dallas Mavericks 2-1 in the Western Conference semifinals.
OKC started the postseason 5-0 and looked like it might make it to the Western Conference Finals until the Mavericks won two straight games and completely changed the course of the series.
Now, the Thunder will be heading into Game 4 on the road, a must-win game. mark daigneault and the company wants to avoid losing the series 3-1.
This will be the first taste of adversity for such a young team, as Oklahoma City became the youngest No. 1 seed in NBA history before dominating the New Orleans Pelicans in the first round. OKC, which beat Dallas by 22 points in Game 1, showed confidence and composure, but back-to-back performances have slumped and now their backs are against the wall.
Game 4 not only showcased the mental toughness of a very young group against a roster full of experienced veterans, but it was also a valuable playoff opportunity for a team that could end up in that position many times over the next few years. It will be an experience.
“We all have to understand that we have another gear. We have to access it here to throw our best punches in these matches. It's unfortunate that we lost, but , Again, I think we have a chance to be a better team in Game 4.”
Heading into the postseason, many observers weren't confident the Thunder would make the playoffs due to their youth and inexperience. In Game 3 against the Mavericks, OKC made several uncharacteristic mistakes that at times highlighted the team's lack of playoff experience.
But playing in such a tough series can only help Daigneault and company moving forward. Dealing with the emotion, magnitude of the moment, high-stakes environment and elite players that comes with the second round of a playoff series takes maturity and experience.
Being a very young team, the Thunder have little experience dealing with the aforementioned situations, as Oklahoma City's main rotation players have yet to play a major role in a playoff series.
For Dallas, players want Luka Doncic and kyrie irving He has been to the postseason multiple times and has enough experience to be taken off the stage at this point. But to get there, each player experienced tough losses that could tell the difference between playoff basketball and the regular season.
Even if OKC doesn't beat the Mavericks in the Western Conference semifinals this season, Daigneault's team will have gained valuable experience that will help prepare the team for another playoff appearance. Dew.
“We have very mature personnel in our locker room,'' rookie center said. Chet Holmgren he said on Saturday. “It's been very stable. And we're all kind of in agreement with this whole process. We understand that there's going to be ups and downs, and it flows through everything. You know, we've had a year. We're not going to change what we've been doing, trusting each other, trusting the process, trusting the coaches, and we're going to continue to do that to the best of our ability. ”
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