Inside The Thunder

Reports of Mavericks Shutting Down Doncic, Irving Could Help OKC Thunder in Play-In Race

Oklahoma City is clinging to the final Play-In spot, but news out of Dallas could help the team secure that position.
Chris Becker|
Reports of Mavericks Shutting Down Doncic, Irving Could Help OKC Thunder in Play-In Race
Reports of Mavericks Shutting Down Doncic, Irving Could Help OKC Thunder in Play-In Race

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Oklahoma City Thunder

Oklahoma City could be getting outside help that could see them sneak into the NBA Play-In game, despite a recent cold stretch.

The Athletic's Shams Charania reported that the Dallas Mavericks could be shutting down Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving for the remainder of the season.

Doncic and Irving are the key catalysts to the Mavericks team, and shutting them down is a signal the team is shifting towards securing a draft pick rather than a playoff spot. The Mavericks must earn a pick inside of the top-10 in order to select in the first round of this year's draft. If Dallas does not get a top-10 selection, they'll forfeit their selection to the Knicks.

Doncic, one of the better players in league, is second in the NBA in scoring and sixth in assists. He's undoubtedly crucial to Dallas' success in the final stretch of games.

The Thunder are currently 10th in the Western Conference, holding down the final play-in game spot with the Mavericks one full game behind them. With the Mavericks trending down, the Thunder’s outlook looks bright for a postseason berth, despite losing six of their last 10 games.

The Jazz join the Mavericks as the only two Western Conference teams currently with a chance to make it into the Play-In game. The Jazz are one and a half games behind the Thunder for the final spot with the two teams slated to meet on Thursday in Utah. The Thunder currently lead the season series 2-1, but need a win to clinch the tiebreaker over the Jazz.

The Thunder control their destiny for the playoffs in a keep winning and they’re in scenario, but the Mavericks seemingly bowing out of the race could give OKC a huge boost going forward with three games left. 

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Chris Becker
CHRIS BECKER

Chris is a senior Sports Media student at Oklahoma State University who has grown up in Oklahoma and around the Thunder. Chris has covered OSU sports from women’s golf to football working for the O’Colly, the OSU student newspaper.

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