3-point Shooting Could Define OKC Thunder's Series Against Dallas Mavericks

With a playoff series between I-35 rivals set to begin soon, Oklahoma City is gearing up for what could be an intense battle in the Western Conference Semifinals.

Apr 24, 2024; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) / Alonzo Adams-USA TODAY Sports

With the Dallas Mavericks victory over the Los Angeles Clippers in Game 6 of the first round on Friday night, the Oklahoma City Thunder's next opponent is set.

OKC will take on a red-hot Mavericks team who downed the Clippers by double digits in three of their four victories, including a 30-point victory in Los Angeles.

While much of the focus heading into the second round is on Dallas' two big men, Daniel Gafford and Dereck Lively II, against Chet Holmgren, each team's ability to hit 3-point shots might be an even bigger deciding factor in who earns a trip to the Western Conference Finals.

In the regular season, the Thunder had the highest 3-point percentage of any team in the NBA, shooting 38.9% from long range. Oklahoma City was in the middle of the pack in 3-point attempts, ranking 16th in the league with an average of 34.2 shots per game from beyond the arc.

The Mavericks, on the other hand, took the second-highest amount of 3-point attempts in the NBA during the regular season with 39.5 shots from deep per game. Dallas was 13th in the league in 3-point percentage, as the team made 36.9% of its attempts from beyond the arc.

In the first round of the playoffs, this trend continued for Oklahoma City as the Thunder shot 34.3 3-point attempts per game and made 38.7% of their triples in a sweep over the New Orleans Pelicans. The Mavericks attempted 34.8 3-point shots per game, making just 33.5% of their 3-pointers in a 4-2 Round 1 victory over the Clippers.

Even without having a great series from beyond the arc, Dallas' defensive effort and ability to get their centers involved on offense helped lead them to a win over Los Angeles, who was without Kawhi Leonard for most of the first round. Additionally, Kyrie Irving had a great performance against the Clippers, topping 30 points in three of the series' six games.

If the Thunder are able to consistently knock down more shots from 3-point range than Dallas in their second-round matchup against the Mavericks, OKC will have a good chance at earning a spot in the Western Conference Finals.

While Dallas may have more veteran experience on their roster and good size down low, Mark Daigneault's team should be able to keep pace with Luka Doncic and company if Oklahoma City can continue to connect on 3-point shots the way they did in the first round and throughout the regular season.

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