Dallas Mavs vs. OKC Thunder: 3 Big Things to Watch
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The Dallas Mavericks (2-2) will look to win their second consecutive game on Saturday when they take on the Oklahoma City Thunder (2-3) at American Airlines Center.
During the Mavs' 129-125 overtime win over the Brooklyn Nets on Friday, Luka Doncic had a massive performance. He recorded his third-career 40-point triple-double with 41 points, 11 rebounds, and 14 assists. He got the job done, scoring at a high level and creating open looks for teammates. Dallas shot 20-40 from 3-point range and received 54 bench points.
The Thunder played a mini-series against the LA Clippers with Kawhi Leonard sidelined for both games. Paul George returned to the lineup for the final of two meetings, but it was Oklahoma City that won 118-110 in the game. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (24) and Luguentz Dort (21) combined for 45 points.
Here are three key things to monitor when the Mavs take on the Thunder on Saturday.
3. Luka Doncic vs. Luguentz Dort
It has been an impressive start to the season for Luka Doncic. He's averaging a league-most 36.3 points per game and has reached the 30-point threshold in all five of his performances. Against a tough on-ball defender in Luguentz Dort, will his streak reach six games?
While quicker guards tend to give Dort some challenges, he's best equipped to handle bigger scorers that like to use body contact to create advantages. Needless to say, Dort has not been a problem for Doncic, as he's averaged 29.7 points, 9.3 rebounds, and 9.3 assists in three games played against him.
There is a possibility for Doncic to make team history with another big scoring performance. With another 30-point performance, Doncic would tie Mark Aguirre for the longest consecutive streak of 30-point games in Mavs history.
Doncic has been the NBA's most prolific threat driving the lane to start the season. He's averaging 19.5 drives per game and is shooting 73.0 percent from the floor on those attempts — ranking first among all 111 players averaging at least five drivers per game. Will the Thunder be able to contain him?
With the Thunder not deploying a traditional center to anchor their defense, there could be some serious challenges with containing Doncic. Oklahoma City will have to pick between playing a more neutral coverage, or risk Doncic going mismatch hunting after they switch. If the goal is to double team, the rest of the unit will need to be ready to execute. How will that change when Christian Wood is on the court? All of these will be key to monitor.
2. Can Mavs Avoid Letdown?
None of the NBA's 29 other teams are safe to have your guard down against and expect a win. The Thunder showed this in their 118-110 win over the LA Clippers on Friday. While Kawhi Leonard was sidelined, Paul George was held to 10 points on 4-12 shooting from the floor.
When the Mavs took on the shorthanded New Orleans Pelicans without Zion Williamson, Brandon Ingram, or Herb Jones, they came out flat and lost. There was a lack of focus defensively from the start.
“We got comfortable and played down to our competition," Christian Wood said.
Atop the list of concerns raised by the loss to the Pelicans was the seeming lack of focus and assertiveness from JaVale McGee, particularly as a rim protector. The Mavs allowed 40 points in the paint in the first half alone, with McGee being a key culprit. Whether it was against Jonas Valanciuas or Jose Alverado, the results were ugly.
The Mavs' most recent meaningful game against the Thunder was even a letdown performance in itself. Dallas lost 120-114 in overtime on Feb. 2, despite Doncic finishing with 40 points and 10 assists Dort. Oklahoma City was 14th in the Western Conference at the time and the loss occurred immediately after losing to the Orlando Magic, who had the NBA's worst record.
“They just played harder than we did,” Mavericks coach Jason Kidd said after the loss. “When it got tight there, we started to play better. We put ourselves in a position like Orlando: Someone had to make a shot — someone did. We just couldn’t get the stop on the other end.”
A concerted effort will be required from the Mavs' unit overall. The team made an emphasis to mention the importance of getting off to a strong start in an improved Western Conference landscape. Starting out 2-3 is not the way to do it.
1. How the Mavs' Defense Contains Drives
With Chet Holmgren sidelined for the whole 2022-23 season, the focus of the Thunder's attack remains heavily involving Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. However, they have three active players that are legitimate lane penetration threats.
So far this season, Gilgeous-Alexander is averaging 29.3 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 6.5 assists while shooting 47.8 percent from the floor and 41.2 percent from 3-point range. He ranks 12th in the league in scoring, entering Saturday's NBA action.
The Mavs have struggled to contain dribble penetration early this season, and against a Thunder team averaging 62.8 drives per game, they will need to have their execution on point. It starts with slowing down Gilgeous-Alexander, who is the league leader in drives per game (24.3) and is 1-of-2 players driving at least 20 times per game.
Luguentz Dort (11.8) and Tre Mann (11.8) also average double-figure drives per game for the Thunder on the season. Josh Giddey is just 0.3 per game shy of meeting this threshold, but he's sidelined for the game. Still, that leaves lane penetration threats for the Mavs' defense to contain.
''We've just got to be able to guard point of attack,'' Clippers coach Tyronn Lue said after their recent loss to the ThunderF. ''They're just lining us up one-on-one, and guys are able to get whatever they want.''
Again, McGee needs to be an impactful rim protector against the Thunder. If he has another letdown performance against a non-elite opponent, the perceived value he brings to regular season basketball as a floor raiser isn't there.
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