(1) Thunder vs. (5) Mavericks Second Round Playoff Series Thread

[Im Still Ballin]

SGA is known as Mr. Consistent without highs or lows, but his stats this series are actually pretty incredible. In 4 games: 32/10/7 with 1.3stls and 2.8blks(!)

He's outplaying The Fat Guy.

[Im Still Ballin]

The people in Luka's life should fat shame him 24/7. They should make an AI version of Billie Eilish's song Bad Guy called Fat Guy and play it all day around him until he loses weight.

[Manny98]

Mavs blew the series with this loss.

It's going to 7

[BarberSchool]

Mavs really need to shake things up. Luka can't be spending this much energy on defense and dealing with Dort this much. Play the zone and get Luka posting up.

with Luka and Kyrie both having nagging discomfort, and playing against extremely physical defense, PJ stepped up big, but I doubt that’s sustainable unless Luka or Kyrie get cooking again.

Luka gets much higher percentage looks against Dort in the post. So I agree, Luka should be operating out of the post, and out of jail PNR, but should be on a paint and midrange diet, few step backs, until his right knee can push back with no discomfort.

Also, Kidd should employ more matchup ZONES, a variety of them, just to keep OKC on their heels, thinking. Instead of allowing the younger team to lean into actions on their toes, and go downhill.

Shai is their only player who keeps it annalytical with a live dribble. Most of their squad instinctually turn the corner and go downhill immediately. Kidd should have enough possessions in zone to have tape guys find which OKC players recede and think when they see zone…. And play the Thunder that way to force the ball into those hands.

Because like you said, Shai is a very consistent, measured, composed player, who plays half court ball, like a slow, methodical, defensive counter puncher, who doesn’t look for knockout punches, but rather, just accumulates points on the cards with a lot of safe, low-damage jabs at the end of his reach.

Kyrie and Luka should both run PNR, depending on defensive lineups, but more Kyrie, and much more PJ & DJJ at the short roll.

[Im Still Ballin]

Shai in a nutshell:

[FultzNationRISE]

Shai in a nutshell:

The way he moves to his spots is very fluid and smooth.

He's the sidewinder

[coin24]

Nice choke from luka, needs to work on his free throws.

Kyrie needs to get going in the first halves.


Mavs just dogshit overall in the 4th

[ArbitraryWater]

Wow.

Didnt really see that one coming.

Odd how that turned out.

Mavs consistently maintained like a 4-8 pt lead in the 2nd half, and then all of a sudden in the last 4-5 mins they couldnt score during OKCs run anymore and were down 3, got it to 1, then down 4, then Hardaway hit a huge 3 and I thought theyd pull it out the bag but couldnt get the stops and some blunders on offense.

Luka and Kyrie couldnt get anything to drop and Hardaway had that dumb TO.

I trusted Kyrie to make some of those shots tbh. Odd that he missed them.


Luka is shooting like shit but he played great defense, b2b possessions in the 4th iirc where OKC players including SGA once tried to iso him and he defended them tight and they missed.

[90sgoat]

Also, Kidd should employ more matchup ZONES, a variety of them, just to keep OKC on their heels, thinking. Instead of allowing the younger team to lean into actions on their toes, and go downhill.

I was thinking, this loss reminded me so much of the loss against Clips in game 2 or 3?

With how Harden was winning the game with Luka in foul trouble and scoring every time down the court, then this time it was Shai scoring every time down the court with Kyrie in foul trouble.

Kidd needs to figure that out, I though Mavs looked good playing the zone with Lively and Gafford. Also sucks that Kleber is out. Could have used his ability to stay with guards. Think he could have done decent on Shai.

[Naero]

That fourth quarter is going to haunt Dallas all summer if they lose this series.

Never mind the shooting struggles; what's with all the missed free throws? Luka bricking that potentially game-tying FT seems microcosmic enough of that issue.

I know Luka and Kyrie were off for most of the game, but I expected them to heat up in the fourth as they tend to. If they played even remotely up to par down the stretch, they'd have practically completed the upset already.

I don't know how to feel about the Mavs' chances now. On one hand, I'd usually be encouraged by how close they were despite all the shooting woes; on the other, they blew a golden opportunity to go up 3-1. Now OKC has regained HCA, and psychological momentum is probably in their favor moving into the pivotal Game 5.

[90sgoat]

That fourth quarter is going to haunt Dallas all summer if they lose this series.

Never mind the shooting struggles; what's with all the missed free throws? Luka bricking that potentially game-tying FT seems microcosmic enough of that issue.

I know Luka and Kyrie were off for most of the game, but I expected them to heat up in the fourth as they tend to. If they played even remotely up to par down the stretch, they'd have practically completed the upset already.

I don't know how to feel about the Mavs' chances now. On one hand, I'd usually be encouraged by how close they were despite all the shooting woes; on the other, they blew a golden opportunity to go up 3-1. Now OKC has regained HCA, and psychological momentum is probably in their favor moving into the pivotal Game 5.

They spent a lot of energy on defense imo both.

Kidd needs to change his approach to Shai, doubling and sagging off, in a zone, might be a better choice. Make the other guys beat you.

[Doomsday Dallas]

[SATAN]

Luka was getting MVP chants while putting up an absolutely terrible performance in a playoffs loss.

The new Kobe stans.

[SATAN]

Despite shooting 26% from 3 Luka is chucking 10 per game.

[Doomsday Dallas]

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