Despite Cold Stretch, OKC Thunder Must Remain Confident in Outside Shooting

Oklahoma City grinded out a win in improbably fashion on Monday night, outlasting the Mavericks in an ugly game. Both teams struggled to shoot the ball, and it took a Shai Gilgeous-Alexander masterclass to will the Thunder to victory.

Outside of game one, OKC has struggled mightily to find its stroke from outside. It feels like the team is getting plenty of good looks, and most are lightly contested. These are the kind of looks that made the Thunder the best outside shooting team in the NBA this season. The series against the Mavericks could shift on a dime if Oklahoma City rediscovers its ability to knock down triples.

In game one, the Thunder shot the lights out of the gym and displayed the elite ball movement and shot making that fans became accustomed to all season. The team shot 16-of-35 from downtown, good for 45.7%. It looked like the Thunder’s hot shooting had carried over from the team’s first series against the Pelicans.

From game two and on, though, the outside shooting touch has disappeared. Over the last three games, Oklahoma City is shooting just 31% from long range. On average, the Thunder is shooting 9-of-29 from 3-point range over that stretch. The points per game have taken a tumble, too, as OKC has averaged just 103.7 points compared to 120.1 points in the regular season.

Just because the Thunder’s rough stretch has spanned three games doesn’t mean the team’s philosophy must go out the window. Oklahoma City needs to keep shooting with confidence despite good looks not falling. The roster is full of capable shooters, and one game could turn around the entire series.

Oklahoma City’s dribble drive attack to kick out open shooters worked like a charm all season long, and also led the Thunder to sweeping New Orleans in the second round.

The Thunder must find a way to knock down triples and the team can’t let a few misses discourage them. It has been the team’s bread and butter all season long and the averages are sure to even out sooner or later. The only way to get back on track is to keep firing away. And that’s exactly what the team will do as it heads back to Oklahoma City.

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