Can Luka and the Mavericks Overcome SGA and the Thunder?

Budding superstars Luka Dončić and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander are set to face off against each other in the Western Conference Semifinals as they vie to get one step closer to the NBA Finals. With the Thunder securing the number one seed for their tremendous regular season with loads of young talent, how can the Mavericks beat this young team in this highly anticipated series?

For starters, the Mavericks have two certified stars in Luka Dončić and Kyrie Irving who are both great playmakers and shooters in crunch time. This duo averaged a combined 67 points a game in their last series against the Clippers, and they will hope to continue that type of dominance in this series. The biggest problem for the Mavericks is that they are too dependent on Luka and Irving to put up big numbers each night. With Luguentz Dort, the premier defender for the Thunder, likely to match up with Luka we can expect his scoring and efficiency to come down. If the Mavericks are to win this series, they must get reliable production from someone other than Luka and Irving because the combined strength of the Thunder will be too much for the two stars to carry the offense on their own.

For the Thunder to win this series, they will need SGA to continue having his tremendous scoring output at 27 points a game in these playoffs. The key matchup for the Thunder in this series will be Chet Holmgren vs. Daniel Gafford. If Chet Holmgren dominates the boards at both ends of the floor then the Mavericks are in trouble because they can’t afford to give the Thunder any extra possessions in this matchup. This young Thunder team was successful in the regular season and in the first round of the playoffs because of their ability to spread the ball around and get open shots so look for that to continue in this series. If the Mavericks are unable to capitalize on the Thunder’s lack of playoff experience, then expect the Thunder to take the series in five games.