Oklahoma City Thunder vs Dallas Mavericks: Analysis and Prediction – Oklahoma City Thunder will host Dallas Mavericks in the NBA Playoffs Game 2.
Oklahoma City Thunder vs Dallas Mavericks Odds
Oklahoma City Thunder Team News
The Oklahoma City Thunder continued their winning streak with a win over the Dallas Mavericks, taking a 1-0 lead in the series after sweeping the New Orleans Pelicans in the first round. Including the end of the regular season, they have now won 10 consecutive games.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander remains instrumental in his team’s outstanding performances, dictating the pace of the game and significantly facilitating his teammates. In the previous game, he finished with 29 points, nine rebounds, and nine assists, while also greatly minimizing the contribution of the opposing backcourt defensively. Both the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Dallas Mavericks have averaged around 10 fewer possessions per game compared to the regular season, which could pose a double-edged sword for the Thunder. They prefer fast-paced transitional basketball, capitalizing on the athleticism of their players. The standout factor in the first game was undoubtedly Lu Dort’s defense on Luka Doncic, which will continue to play a significant role in this game and throughout the series. Offensively, Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren look phenomenal, complementing each other well and potentially making a difference.
The strategy from the first game, where they largely shut down Luka Doncic’s drives to the basket and prevented Kyrie Irving from facilitating his teammates, brought success. They must execute the same plan this time, consciously risking the three-point shot from the rest of the Dallas Mavericks team, as their primary task is to stop the aforementioned duo.
Dallas Mavericks Team News
The Dallas Mavericks have shown many ups and downs in the NBA playoffs so far, and one of their poorer performances was evident in the first game against the Oklahoma City Thunder, leading to a decisive a loss.
Luka Doncic is playing injured, and it’s more than evident. Confirmation of this comes from his recent numbers, where he has averaged 26.6 points on 24 shot attempts per game over the last five games. He’s shooting a mere 38% from the field and a dismal 16% from beyond the three-point line. These are his five least efficient games in his career, so it’s not surprising that the Dallas Mavericks are already facing significant problems. Kyrie Irving is another player who can perform much better; as the team’s leading scorer in the first game, he scored 20 points but only managed three assists. One player who has shown he can be more than competitive in this series is Daniel Gafford, contributing significantly at both ends of the court. However, it’s a fact that the Dallas Mavericks will need to make many adjustments, both offensively and defensively. There’s a necessity for greater involvement from bench players to maintain an equal footing or even gain an advantage in favor of the Mavericks when the main duo of Doncic and Irving is not on the court.
The priority undoubtedly lies in controlling rebounds and the paint, as this can neutralize the opponent’s transition game and prevent easy points. It’s essential to significantly improve three-point shooting percentages because in this series, that’s where the Mavericks can make a difference.
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Oklahoma City Thunder vs Dallas Mavericks H2H
Absences and Injuries
Oklahoma City Thunder vs Dallas Mavericks Prediction
Tip-off Time: Friday, 10.05.2024, 03:30 CET
Prediction: Dallas Mavericks +4.5
Odds: 2.00
Sportsbook: MyBookie
*Odds are active at the time the article is published
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