The OKC Thunder secured a stunning 100-96 win in Game 4 against the Dallas Mavericks to level the series 2-2. Despite being down by 11 points at halftime, the young Thunder team fought back and played great basketball to secure the win on the road. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander once again led the way with a stellar 34-point performance. He shot the ball 14-27 from the field and made the vital free throws in the clutch to seal the win for Thunder.
OKC was struggling to make threes in the first half due to a solid defensive display from the Dallas Mavericks. However, they pulled things back in the second half and started making their shots to crawl back into the game. Chet Holmgren played a big part in the win as he added 18 points and 9 rebounds in the win. He also blocked 4 shots and did a great job on the defensive end for the OKC Thunder. Lu Dort and Jalen Williams also made their presence felt with 17 and 14 points respectively.
Dallas failed to win the game because of their poor free throw shooting, they managed to only shoot 12-23 from the charity stripe. Although the team had great numbers everywhere on the floor, their poor free-throw shooting cost them the game and this will be something that they will have to improve in the upcoming games. Luka Doncic struggled to shoot as he made only 6 out of his 20 shots. Despite an off-night, the Slovenian managed to secure a triple-double with 18 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists. PJ Washington and Derrick Jones Jr. added 38 points for the Mavs, but their efforts proved to be valiant.
Can OKC Thunder defeat the Dallas Mavericks in a crucial Game 5?
The Conference Semis now heads into Game 5 at the Paycom Centre in Oklahoma. With the series now tied at 2-2, Game 5 will be crucial as 82% of the time, the winner of Game 5 goes on and wins the series. Dallas worked hard to take a 2-1 lead, but they once again have their backs against the wall as the series is now all tied up.
The homecourt advantage will be a massive boost for OKC Thunder in Game 5. They have lost just one game in these playoffs at the Paycom Centre. With Shai Gilgeous-Alexander playing the way he has been, the young side will look to bag a 3-2 lead. However, the Mavs have come out with strategies to reduce his impact, which is why the other players on the roster will have to step up.
Undoubtedly, Shai is the star and is capable of making big things happen. But the Mavs have some great defenders and this has forced the Canadian to give up the ball a little more in the last few games. Game 4 saw the likes of Chet Holmgren and Lu Dort step up, but that will have to continue for the remainder of the series. The team have proven that they are unfazed by the stature of their opponents. They have the talent that is well aware that the odds are stacked against them, but OKC’s undying passion is what has helped them reach this far in the season.
