DALLAS — The Dallas Mavericks were defeated 100-96 by the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 4 of the Western Conference Semifinals on Monday. Dallas was unable to find a rhythm offensively. The Mavs’ defensive effort, though, was impressive.
They kept the Thunder in check for most of the game. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander seemingly couldn’t miss in the fourth quarter and he ultimately ended up with 34 points in the Thunder’s win. Nevertheless, Dallas limited Oklahoma City to 100 points while playing a respectable brand of defense.
Derrick Jones Jr. has emerged as one of the leaders on the defensive end of the floor. He’s a terrific defender who is often tasked with guarding opposing teams’ best players.
Jones knows the Mavs need to be better on offense, but he was pleased with the team’s defensive effort.
“We did well,” Jones said on Tuesday while speaking to reporters. “Holding any team to 100 points in this league in this day and age is phenomenal. We just gotta knock down our shots, knock down our free throws.”
Mavs head coach Jason Kidd made a similar comment.
“Great effort, defense was incredible,” Kidd said on Tuesday. “We held the team to 100 points. So our offense has to be better. We can’t turn the ball over, we gotta get shots. Hopefully we can do that in Game 5.”
Mavericks need to find balance vs. Thunder
Dallas Mavericks forward Derrick Jones Jr. (55) reacts in front of Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) during the first quarter during game three of the second round for the 2024 NBA playoffs at American Airlines Center. Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports
There were times during the early portion of the regular season where Dallas’ offense carried the team to victories. So far against the Thunder in the NBA playoffs, the Mavericks’ defense has led the way.
When Dallas performed especially well during the second-half of the season, they were utilizing a balanced all-around attack. The defense was sharp, but the offense was contributing at a high level as well.
In order to defeat the Thunder, the Mavericks need to recapture that balance. PJ Washington has been terrific from an offensive standpoint over the past few games. Overall, though, the Mavs are struggling to score points on a consistent basis right now.
Of course, the Thunder deserve credit. They feature a top-tier defense. Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic have yet to record any eye-popping scoring performances in the series. Oklahoma City clearly wants to contain the Mavs star-studded duo.
It is encouraging to see the Mavs’ defense perform well. The Mavericks still almost earned a Game 4 victory despite shooting just 40.9 percent from the field and 34.3 percent from deep, not to mention their lackluster 52.2 percent effort from the free throw line. Dallas’ defense kept them afloat.
If their defense continues to excel and if the offense can find just a bit more stability, the Mavericks will win this series. However, Oklahoma City is a team that never gives up. Dallas was seemingly in control of Game 4 until the final portion of the fourth quarter.
With all of that being said, Mavericks fans should remain optimistic. Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving are far too talented to remain as quiet as they have been in the scoring department moving forward.
