In a matchup of dynamic duos, Oklahoma City reigned supreme on Tuesday.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Chet Holmgren propelled the Thunder to a 117-95 victory over Luka Dončić, Kyrie Irving and the Dallas Mavericks in Game 1 of their Western Conference semifinal series.
After a tight start that tied it at 23 after the first quarter, the Thunder asserted control to take a nine-point lead into halftime. The Mavericks cut that deficit to one in the third, but the Thunder fought back with a run of their own to increase their lead to double digits. The Mavericks never threatened in the fourth quarter, and the Thunder took a convincing victory in Game 1.
SGA and Holmgren fight off Dallas challenge
Gilgeous-Alexander fueled the Thunder offense with a game-high 29 points along with nine rebounds, nine assists, two blocks and a steal. He had 19 at halftime to surpass the combined first-half effort (18 points) of Dončić and Irving.
Holmgren was a force on both ends of the court, scoring 19 points, seven rebounds, three blocks and two steals. He shot 8 of 16 from the field.
After a six-point first half, Irving picked up the pace with nine third-quarter points, including a three-pointer, to cut Oklahoma City’s lead to 66-65. But it was not enough.
The Thunder responded to Dallas’ run with a 14-4 run to extend their lead to 80-69. They capped the run with a Holmgren block on Irving in the lane that set up a Gilgeous-Alexander three-pointer on the other end.
Chet with the rejection on one end, SGA with the triple on the other
It’s LOUD in OKC as they regain a double-digit lead on TNT. pic.twitter.com/ajpYhLeIym
—NBA (@NBA) May 8, 2024
The Thunder then dominated the fourth quarter with a 28-16 run to turn the once-close game into a landslide victory.
Inexperience is not a problem in Oklahoma City
The Thunder entered these playoffs as the No. 1 seed in the West, but surrounded by questions about their viability against proven playoff teams. they are the youngest roster in the postseason and has a shortage of players with postseason experience.
That inexperience wasn’t a problem in the first-round sweep of the New Orleans Pelicans. Against a Mavericks team that features proven playoff stars like Dončić and Irving, it didn’t matter Tuesday night. The youth prevailed against a Mavericks team that shot the ball poorly and lost it 15 times.
OKC held Dallas to 39.3% shooting from the field and 12 of 35 (34.3%) from long range. Dončić, clearly hampered by a lingering knee sprain, shot 6 of 19 from the field and made just 1 of his 8 three-point attempts. He finished with 19 points, nine assists, six rebounds and a -21 in the plus/minus column. Irving scored 20 points and three assists while shooting 7 of 14 from the field and 3 of 4 from 3.
The Thunder responded with a 44.9% shooting night and a red-hot 16-of-35 (45.7%) effort from 3-point range. Seven Thunder players finished with two or more three-pointers while shooting 40% or better from beyond the arc.
Along with Holmgren (2 of 5) and Gilgeous-Alexander (2 of 4), Jalen Williams was one of them, hitting 2 of 5 triples on a night of 18 points, five rebounds and five assists. Aaron Wiggins was 3 of 4 from distance and had 16 points, five rebounds and two assists in 23 minutes off the bench.
The series remains in Oklahoma City for game two on Thursday night.
