Mavericks Headed to Western Conference Finals
In Game Six of the Western Conference Semifinals, the fifth-seeded Dallas Mavericks outlasted the Oklahoma City Thunder winning by a score of 117-116. This win came off the heels of Dallas’s 12-point win in Game Five this past Wednesday, so the Mavericks did a great job holding off Oklahoma City as they were facing elimination in this one. The difference maker in this game was the second half where Dallas outscored Oklahoma City 69-52, setting this one up to finish with a win for the Mavericks on Saturday night. We all know that Mavericks star Luka Doncic has been a threat to be reckoned with for some time now and when Dallas acquired Kyrie Irving from the Brooklyn Nets last season many could not wait to see the dynamic duo that would form between the two. We can now without a doubt say it is one of the best duos in the league and with the role players on the Dallas roster this season it looks as if the Mavericks will no doubt have a good shot at making it to the 2024 NBA Finals. Let’s take a look at how Dallas got this win!
The Mavericks had very balanced scoring in this game with five different players in double figures. Doncic, Irving, Derrick Jones Jr., Dereck Lively II, and Daniel Gafford had 29, 22, 22, 12, and 10 points respectively. This team effort is exactly what Dallas needed to defeat Oklahoma City and close out the series; have everyone contribute. We also can’t forget to mention that Doncic as always did way more than just score as he finished with a triple-double with ten rebounds and ten assists to go along with his close to 30 points. Lively was also fantastic on the glass finishing with 15 rebounds. On the other hand, the Thunder did not play badly at all in this game, their loss can really only be blamed on playoff inexperience that was shown late in the game when things came down to clutch buckets. While the big three of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams, and Chet Holmgren played their hearts out in this one scoring 36, 22, and 21 points respectively, it was unfortunately not enough to extend the Thunder’s season to another game this time.
While everyone knows your season coming to an end is not an easy thing to accept when you aren’t holding a trophy in your hands, the Thunder can not hang their heads knowing the incredible things they have been able to accomplish this season. No one expected the second-youngest team in the NBA to be two games away from going to the Western Conference Finals and that is exactly what they were. It will no doubt be interesting to see how Oklahoma City will improve its roster this offseason in an attempt to go even further in next year’s NBA Playoffs. On the other hand, while the Mavericks are enjoying their advancement to their second Western Conference Finals in the last three seasons, they can’t rest too long as they will soon have a tough opponent in either the Denver Nuggets or Minnesota Timberwolves on their hands. Two seasons ago we all remember when Dallas lost to the Golden State Warriors in five games in the Western Conference Finals. Will the Maverick’s fate be different in 2024?
