Thunder-Mavericks takeaways: Luka Doncic leads charge to even up NBA playoff series vs OKC
Following Dallas' blowout loss to OKC in Game 1 on Tuesday, Luka Doncic was asked what caused him to struggle and finish with a playoff-low 19 points.
Was it his sprained right knee? Was it the smothering defense of Lu Dort? Was it fatigue from a six-game series against the Los Angeles Clippers in the first round?
Whatever it was, Doncic had no interest in sharing.
"Who cares?" Doncic replied with a shrug. "We lost. ... I've got to be better."
Doncic was much better in Game 2 on Thursday.
Dallas earned a 119-110 road win over OKC to even the Western Conference semifinals series at 1-1. Doncic led the charge with 29 points and 10 rebounds, and he helped secure the victory in the closing moments.
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OKC trailed by 10 points entering the fourth quarter, but a reverse layup by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander trimmed the deficit to five and brought the Paycom Center crowd to its feet.
Doncic quickly silenced it. He barreled in the lane and outmuscled Dort, who fell to the floor. Doncic then kissed the ball off the glass for the bucket.
That proved to be the exclamation point for a statement performance by Doncic, who led the league in points per game (33.9) during the regular season.
"Obviously, he's a really talented player," Gilgeous-Alexander said of Doncic. "He had a big night, and it was below his average, believe it or not. ... He's seen every coverage, every defense. It's just about making him work, and hopefully that wears on him."
This marks the first loss of the playoffs for OKC, which swept New Orleans in the opening round. Game 3 is set for 2:30 p.m. Saturday in Dallas (ABC).
Here are three more takeaways from the loss:
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OKC finds success with Jaylin Williams, double-big lineup
As OKC trailed 16-7 early in the first quarter, head coach Mark Daigneault looked to his bench for a solution.
He found one in Jaylin Williams. The second-year forward replaced Josh Giddey to form a double-big lineup with Chet Holmgren, and that proved to be the perfect storm for the Thunder.
OKC outscored Dallas 15-8 throughout the next three minutes and change, and Williams led the rally. He scored eight points and drilled two 3-pointers on three tries.
Williams even showcased his passing skills in the final seconds of the first quarter when he launched a full-court inbounds pass to Holmgren. The 7-foot-1 center snatched the ball out of the rafters, landed and sank a deep 2-pointer as the buzzer sounded.
Williams didn't get a ton of playing time on Thursday. He finished with eight points and four rebounds in 14 minutes.
Still, OKC found success in the brief time it went big. The Thunder recorded a plus/minus of nine points in the 3 minutes, 44 seconds that Holmgren and Williams shared the floor.
"Just two smart, high-IQ individuals playing on the court together," second-year forward Jalen Williams said. "They can rotate and are smart with how they play. ... They play good off each other."
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Dallas makes OKC pay on open 3-pointers
Doncic didn't even have to dribble the basketball to draw OKC's attention.
As soon as the star guard caught a pass on the right wing late in the second quarter, he had Jalen Williams' hand in his face. Then came Gilgeous-Alexander, who sprinted toward Doncic with his hands in the air.
Doncic calmly passed the ball to Derrick Jones Jr., who swung it to Josh Green for an open 3-pointer in the corner that found the bottom of the net.
Dallas struggled to make OKC pay for double-teaming Doncic in Game 1. The Mavericks only went 12 for 35 from deep (34.3%) despite getting plenty of open looks from kickouts.
But Dallas found its range on Thursday. It went 18 for 37 (48.6%) from behind the arc.
"It's a lot of threes," Daigneault said. "Some of it is just like game plan costs. You have to give something up. And then some of them I thought were just looseness. ... There's some that we just have to tip our hat. There are others that are controllable that we have to correct, obviously."
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Josh Giddey continues struggles this series
After not starting following halftime, Giddey checked into the game with 4:21 left in the third quarter.
The third-year guard then received a pass at the top of the arc on OKC's next possession and tried to find Gilgeous-Alexander.
But the ball went past Gilgeous-Alexander and into the hands of Kyrie Irving, who fed Tim Hardaway Jr. for an easy layup on the other end. Giddey checked out of the game two minutes later.
That marked the end of Giddey's night. He finished with eight points in a career-low 11 minutes, and he recorded a plus/minus of minus-20.
"I wouldn't say it didn't work," Daigneault said of Giddey's time on the floor. "Halftime subs is something we've done for a long time. It's basically an in-game substitution. ... We're going to keep it fluid. ... We're going to be a moving target there and do what we think is best every night. Every game is different."
Giddey continues to play himself off the floor in the series. He scored two points in 17 minutes in Game 1, and he finished with a plus/minus of minus-7.
Fortunately for OKC, it has a wealth of replacement options on the bench. It can turn to Aaron Wiggins or Isaiah Joe for more shooting. It can turn to Cason Wallace for more defense. It can turn to Jaylin Williams for more size.
None of those players are as strong of a facilitator as Giddey. But as long as he continues to struggle, OKC will continue to look to its bench for solutions.
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Western Conference semifinals: Thunder vs. Mavericks
Game 1: Thunder 117, Mavericks 95
Game 2: Mavericks 119, Thunder 110
Game 3: 2:30 p.m. Saturday in Dallas (ABC)
Game 4: 8:30 p.m. Monday, May 13, in Dallas (TNT)
Game 5: 8:30 p.m. Wednesday, May 15, in OKC (TNT)
*-Game 6: 7:30 p.m. Saturday, May 18, in Dallas (ESPN)
*-Game 7: 7:30 p.m. Monday, May 20, in OKC (TNT)
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Thunder vs Mavericks heads to Dallas tied up thanks to Luka Doncic
