Dallas Mavericks vs Oklahoma City Thunder: Analysis and Prediction – Dallas Mavericks will host Oklahoma City Thunder in NBA Playoffs Game 4.
Dallas Mavericks vs Oklahoma City Thunder Odds
Dallas Mavericks Team News
The Dallas Mavericks have managed to bounce back after a convincing defeat in the first game of this series, winning the last two games and leading 2-1 in the series. For now, the situation looks similar to the previous round where they played against the Los Angeles Clippers.
There are several important elements worth highlighting ahead of the fourth game in this series. Luka Doncic hasn’t been in his best shooting form, he played injured with visibly restricted movement, but once again managed to steal a crucial ball and grab a defensive rebound with a foul in the last two minutes of the game when it was most needed. He was also on track to break his own playoff record for rebounds (17), having grabbed 15 in the third game. Kyrie Irving is playing the best basketball of his recent years and he dominated in the last quarter without missing a shot from the field. It happened again that he had a much weaker performance in the first half compared to the second. Statistics show that in this playoff, he averages 6.3 points in the first half of the game, while in the second half, it rises significantly to 17. It’s worth noting that Jalen Brunson is the only player to have scored more points in the final quarters of this season’s playoffs than Irving. PJ Washington is in phenomenal form, demonstrating that the Dallas Mavericks management made the best possible move after acquiring him in a mid-season trade. He scored 29 points in the second game, a playoff career record for him, and continued his good form in the third game, scoring 27. The Dallas Mavericks played their best basketball in the third quarter when they made a 16-0 run in less than four minutes to erase a 10-point deficit and take control of the game. A significant contribution to this was the number of offensive rebounds, a total of 16, while their opponent had only one offensive rebound in the first three quarter.
Rebounding control is the number one priority, and undoubtedly the Dallas Mavericks duo of Dereck Lively – Daniel Gafford can create major problems for their opponents. Additionally, it’s necessary for the rest of the team to step up besides Luka Doncic, who is evidently playing injured. It’s a fact that they can improve their three-point shooting percentages, which is an extremely valuable weapon if they aim for a good result.
Oklahoma City Thunder Team News
After the Oklahoma City Thunder won the first game of this series, they failed to adequately respond to the adjustments made by the Dallas Mavericks, resulting in losses in the next two matches. In the third game, they had their chances and even held a 10-point lead, but ultimately suffered a defeat, putting them at a 2-1 deficit in the series.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is undoubtedly the team’s standout player, however, there were several positive and negative elements in the third game. The Canadian guard became the first guard in NBA history to record a minimum of 30 points, 10 assists, and even five blocks in a playoff game, which is also a career record for him. However, when it mattered most, he only made one field goal in the fourth quarter (1/6) with two turnovers. The biggest issue for the Oklahoma City Thunder was their lack of defensive rebounding, which was largely the main cause of their defeat. It should be noted that Jalen Williams suffered a minor injury in the third game, raising questions about its impact on him for the rest of this series. Interestingly, they had much better shooting percentages than their opponents in the third game, yet still lost, which somewhat reflects the entire flow of the game where they squandered a ten-point lead from the third quarter. Chet Holmgren simply needs to have more shot attempts, as he shot 5/9 from the field in the previous game, but it seems that the Oklahoma City Thunder backcourt is struggling to find their big men in the paint, which of course is also influenced by the defense of the Dallas Mavericks.
First and foremost, if they want a good result in the fourth game of this series, rebounding control is crucial, as they allowed their opponents to grab as many as 16 offensive rebounds in the previous game. Additionally, their three-point shooting must be at a much higher level, and they need to reduce the number of turnovers, as one costly turnover greatly contributed to their loss in the third game.
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Dallas Mavericks vs Oklahoma City Thunder H2H
Currently, the series stands at 2-1 in favor of the Dallas Mavericks in this best-of-seven series. During the regular season, the Oklahoma City Thunder held a 3-1 advantage over the Mavericks.
Absences and Injuries
Maxi Kleber and Greg Brown will not be playing for the Dallas Mavericks due to injury. Olivier Sarr is sidelined for the Oklahoma City Thunder as well.
Dallas Mavericks vs Oklahoma City Thunder Prediction
After the initial loss in the first game, the Dallas Mavericks find themselves in a much better momentum after two consecutive wins, and they’re playing on their home court this time. It’s expected that their experience, especially that of Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving, will come into play once again. However, it’s worth considering that Doncic has been playing injured for some time now. Additionally, it’s worth mentioning that both teams have had around 10 fewer possessions per game in the playoffs compared to the regular season. Only in one of the three games played did they collectively score more points than the offered margin. Once again, we expect a close game that will be decided in the fourth quarter, and the teams won’t exceed the offered margin in terms of points scored.
Tip-off Time: Tuesday, 14.05.2024, 03:30 CET
Prediction: Under 214.5 points
Odds: 1.90
Sportsbook: MyBookie
*Odds are active at the time the article is published
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