After a fumble at home on Thursday, Oklahoma City now has to go into the hostile environment of Dallas in order to get back up in the series.
Tied at one win apiece, the Thunder fell for the first time this postseason after a flawless 5-0 record, limiting their opponent to less than 100 points in each matchup before they were defeated 119-110 in Game 1.
It’ll be a difficult ask to claim this one on the road as a seemingly motivated Dallas team had Oklahoma City’s number on Thursday, and Mark Daigneault’s adjustments will have to be meticulous as they hope to reclaim a one-game series advantage.
ODDS:
The Thunder enter the day as 2.5-point underdogs to the Mavericks, and the total over/under is 218.5 points.
KEYS TO THE GAME:
Entering Saturday, Luka Doncic is listed on the injury report as a game-time decision.
It is unlikely he’ll be out of this contest as he looked to be well on his feet in his 29-point outing with five threes on 52.4% from the field, but that slight chance of him missing today’s game would hold a lot of weight.
Past that, Oklahoma City must hinder Dallas’ role players in Game 3. As seen on Thursday, a 29-point explosion from P.J. Washington along with 28 points between Josh Green and Tim Hardaway Jr. letting these guys get going in front of a home crowd is the last thing the Thunder want at any point of this game.
Especially when considering how role players’ play elevates in a home environment, Daigneault’s defensive scheme must be on point in limiting the offensive impact of the Mavericks.
Chet Holmgren will also be a large factor in the outcome in this game.
His production is vital on both ends of the floor, but his activity on the boards as well as offensively as a scorer was just middle of the line, having an 11-point performance on just 4-of-12 from the floor and 1-of-6 from three with six boards. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the team in rebounding with 12, siphoning his energy to different outlets rather than using that to bolster his playmaking, scoring and defense at the point of attack.
RECORDS:
Oklahoma City Thunder (1-1) vs. Dallas Mavericks (1-1)
INJURIES:
Check out our live injury tracker, along with our game day injury report that will release later today.
WHEN:
Saturday, May 11, 2024 at 2:30 PM CT
LOCATION:
American Airlines Center – Dallas, TX
TV/RADIO:
Bally Sports Oklahoma, NBA League Pass, 98.1 FM The Sports Animal
Live Stream: fuboTV (Start Your Free Trial)
FINAL WORD:
This one will not be an easy task for the Thunder already coming off a nine-point loss, but it is a game with great implications, as the winner will have a massive leg up on the series. But if Oklahoma City is able to snag this one on the road and also Game 4, it’ll be a win on all accounts if they’re able to head back to Bricktown with a series lead.
Game 4 is slated for 8:30 p.m. on Monday inside American Airlines Center.
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