Thunder most to blame for disappointing playoff series loss to Mavericks

Falling to Luka Doncic, Kyrie Irving and the revamped Dallas Mavericks in a hard-fought Western Conference Semifinals is still an extremely encouraging sign of the Oklahoma City Thunder's present and future despite knee-jerk disappointment. It wasn't even two weeks ago that Oklahoma City absolutely dominated the shorthanded New Orleans Pelicans, earning a first-round sweep to become the youngest team ever to win a playoff series. The better side indeed won in the second round, but the Thunder nevertheless came within a last-second, controversial shooting foul on Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of forcing a winner-take-all Game 7 back in Brick City.