Five reasons why OKC Thunder season is on the brink after Game 5 loss to Dallas Mavericks
The Thunder is one loss away from the end of its season.
OKC suffered a 104-92 home loss to Dallas in Game 5 of the Western Conference semifinals on Wednesday. The Thunder now trails 3-2 in the best-of-seven series.
Here are five reasons why OKC finds itself on the brink of elimination:
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1. OKC hasn't shot as well from deep as it usually does
One of OKC's biggest strengths during the regular season was its 3-point shooting.
The Thunder shot a league-high 38.9% from deep. Eight players shot a career-high percentage, and six shot at least 40%.
But OKC has struggled to dial it in this series. It has shot 32.7% from deep.
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2. Dallas' supporting cast has taken pressure off of Luka Doncic, Kyrie Irving
OKC's defense is focused on making life difficult for Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving, and rightfully so.
But Dallas' supporting cast has taken a ton of pressure off the star duo. Atop the list of contributors is P.J. Washington, who's averaging 19.4 points on 48.7% shooting from the floor (47.7% from deep) this series.
Even in Game 5, when Washington was held to 10 points, Derrick Jones Jr. stepped up. He recorded a playoff career-high 19 points on 7-for-9 shooting from the floor (3 for 5 from deep).
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3. Josh Giddey has gotten played off the floor
Josh Giddey has struggled to stay on the floor this series.
The third-year guard is often left open on offense, where he's averaging seven points on 44.1% shooting from the floor (21.4% from deep).
Giddey got benched for the first time in his career in Game 5. And while he provided solid production in the losing effort, he's still a plus/minus of minus-25 in 65 minutes this series.
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4. Dallas' size advantage has caused problems for OKC
Dallas' center duo of Daniel Gafford and Dereck Lively II has caused problems for OKC.
The two bigs have enforced their will down low on offense. The Mavericks are averaging 43.2 points in the paint this series as a result.
Gafford and Lively's rim protection has also played a significant factor. OKC is shooting 50.4% from inside the arc after shooting 56.3% in that department during the regular season.
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5. Thunder lacks NBA playoff experience
OKC is the youngest team in NBA history to be a No. 1 seed in either conference. And while inexperience isn't the biggest reason for its struggles this series, it can't be overlooked.
Dallas is an experienced group that knows how to adjust. The Mavericks entered the series having lost four straight Game 1s, but they won three of those series.
And after losing Game 1 of this series, Dallas can close things out on its home floor in Game 6 at 7 p.m. Saturday.
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This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: How Luka Doncic, Mavericks put OKC Thunder season on verge of ending
