Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was excellent in Oklahoma City Thunder’s win over the Dallas Mavericks in the first game by 117:95.
A great start to the series for the Thunder. They show day by day that their results in the regular season were not a fluke and that they rightfully earned their place in the second round.
The first quarter saw a close game, where it seemed like the Mavericks could pull off a surprise and get the break. However, those hopes lasted until the middle of the second quarter. The Thunder then took a double-digit lead, and from that moment on, the visitors were not competitive on the court.
Although the Mavericks tried several times to make a run to narrow the gap and turn the game around, the hosts always had an answer. This is evident from the fact that they entered the final quarter with a double-digit lead. There, the Thunder played significantly better defense, allowing their opponent to score only 16 points and ultimately winning convincingly by 22 points.
The top scorer for the winning team was Shai Gilgeous-Alexander with 29 points, nine rebounds, and nine assists. Chet Holmgren had an excellent game with 19 points, and Jalen Williams added 18 points. On the other side, Kyrie Irving led the Mavericks with 20 points, while Luka Doncic contributed 19 points but struggled with 6 out of 19 shooting from the field.
The next game in this NBA playoff series will be played on May 10th at 3:30.