Thunder Gameday: OKC Looks to Tie Series in Game 4 in Dallas

The momentum of the Oklahoma City Thunder has finally started to slow down.

It's lost the last two games of the series to the Dallas Mavericks, both of which came down to less than double digit points. Luka Doncic has been his superstar self even with nagging injuries, Kyrie Irving continues to be lethal second option and P.J. Washington has emerged as a player haunting the Thunder with back-to-back near 30-point nights.

This is the first time of the playoffs Oklahoma City has been at a disadvantage in a series, a far different trajectory than its first round series against the New Orleans Pelicans. The odds are starting to build against its favor, especially as Game 4 acts as another home game for Dallas.

Although Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has stepped up as the rightful leader of the Thunder offense, the rest of his supporting cast has largely struggled in recent games. Tonight it will need all the firepower it can get, or it might fall even further behind.

May 11, 2024; Dallas, Texas, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) passes | Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

ODDS:

The Thunder enter the day as 1.5-point underdogs against the Mavericks, and the total over/under is 213.5 points.

KEYS TO THE GAME:

A few problems have plagued Oklahoma in the series, primarily in Game 3, but the two to highlight are rotations and defense.

Although Mark Daigneault is the reigning Coach of the Year, he hasn't been exempt from judgement lapses in his first playoffs at the helm. Josh Giddey has remained in the starting lineup for the entire playoffs even with clear signs that he'd be better suited for the bench, but changes have yet to been made.

Players such as Aaron Wiggins and Cason Wallace have added more value than Giddey has against the Mavericks, while even a player like Kenrich Williams, who could add versatility, has received DNPs the last two games. The Thunder has to prioritize who is playing the best right now, not the past.

While Luguentz Dort and the Oklahoma City defense has done its best to handle Doncic and Irving, the way its handled Washington leaves a lot to be desired. The forward has killed it the last two games from behind the arc, with many attempts being wide-open. He cannot continue to dominate in that area, or Dallas' scoring trio will continue to be far too much to keep track of.

RECORDS:

Oklahoma City Thunder (1-2) at Dallas Mavericks (2-1)

INJURIES:

Check out our live injury tracker, along with our game day injury report that will release later today.

WHEN:

Monday, April 13, 2024 at 8:30 p.m. CT

LOCATION:

American Airlines Center - Dallas, TX

TV/RADIO:

TNT, truTV, 98.1 FM The Sports Animal

Live Stream: fuboTV (Start Your Free Trial)

FINAL WORD:

Game 4 could be make or break time for the Thunder. Going down 3-1 has spelt doom for nearly every team in NBA playoff history, only having a below 5% success rate on coming back from it.

Oklahoma City will be tested tonight at 8:30 p.m. CT, live on TNT.

Want to join the discussion? Like Inside the Thunder on Facebook and follow us on Twitter to stay up to date on all the latest Thunder news. You can also meet the team behind the coverage.