Luka Dončić Scores 31 Points in Crucial Game Five; Mavericks Now Lead 3-2
After losing Game Four, the Dallas Mavericks were able to rally together and win Game Five 104-92, thanks to the heroics of Luka Dončić. Game Five is one of the most important games in a seven-game series. According to NBA.com, the winner of Game Five of a series tied 2-2 wins the series 82.8% of the time.
Oklahoma City came out on fire making their first three field goal attempts. Dallas however punched back early, going on an 11-0 run, leaving Oklahoma scoreless for over three minutes. Derrick Jones Jr. was Dallas’s best player in the first quarter scoring 10 points. To put that into perspective, Jones averaged 6.3 points in Games One-Three. Both coaches switched their lineups around to try and give themselves an edge. Josh Giddey came off the bench after starting the first four games. Jaden Hardy got into the game midway through the first which is also something we haven’t seen from Dallas the first four games. The quarter ended with Dallas winning 24-22, but the game felt like it was in Oklahoma's hands.
The second quarter began with both teams exchanging baskets. Three minutes into the quarter, Oklahoma City was forced to call a time-out after a 7-0 Dallas run. Dallas led 35-27 with 9:12 left in the half. The ball movement from Dallas in the quarter was exceptional. Even though Luka Dončić is a heavy isolation player he seemed more willing to move the ball around, making Dallas extremely difficult to cover. Oklahoma's defense was constantly getting beat on corner threes and backdoor lobs. Dallas led by as much as 15 points in the second quarter, but Oklahoma was able to cut the deficit to 10. Dallas led at the half 54-44, with Luka and Derrick Jones Jr. combining for 32 points.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander started the third quarter strong, scoring the team's first five points. The problem with Oklahoma City was that the only player who was scoring efficiently was Shai. They would sometimes string together multiple stops but follow it up on offense with zero points. The lead changed a lot for Dallas in the third quarter, but it never got below seven. Whenever it seemed as if Oklahoma was going to cut the lead down and gain momentum, Dallas would score. At the end of the third Dallas led 79-67. Shai was the only Oklahoma player in double digits with 24 points. The second-highest scorer for Oklahoma was Giddey with nine.
In the fourth quarter was where Oklahoma showed the most life. With 6:49 left in the game Oklahoma went on an 8-0 run, cutting the Dallas lead to 10 points. With Shai’s supporting cast finally hitting shots, the game was close enough for a potential comeback. Unfortunately, the hot shooting did not last. Oklahoma City lost and the main reason was because they couldn’t knock down shots. One thing Oklahoma City fans can take from this loss is that they got great looks but just didn’t convert on offense. If Oklahoma City can get the same quality looks in Game Six, they have a good chance at evening the series 3-3 and forcing a Game Seven.
