The Dallas Mavericks, the NBA's eighth-oldest team, outworked the Oklahoma City Thunder, the league's second-youngest, in Game 3 of their second-round playoff series, taking a 2-1 lead. Experience proved to be the difference, as the Mavs dominated in hustle statistics, including rebounds, second-chance points, and fastbreak points.
As the Oklahoma City Thunder embarked on their first postseason appearance in four years, the primary question surrounding them was their ability to overcome their youthful inexperience. However, after consecutive losses to the Dallas Mavericks in Games 2 and 3, it appears that question may have been answered prematurely.
In Game 3, the Mavericks, who boast the NBA's eighth-oldest roster, once again outworked the Thunder, the league's second-youngest team. Effort and energy proved to be the deciding factors, as Dallas dominated in every hustle statistic.
The Mavs held a 48-41 advantage in rebounds, including a 15-6 edge in offensive rebounds, resulting in a 16-9 advantage in second-chance points. They also outscored the Thunder 11-10 in fastbreak points and 52-40 in points in the paint.
"We're going against a young team," said Mavs guard Kyrie Irving, who led his team with 31 points. "We know they're going to compete at both ends. We just want to continue to do what gets us these Ws and it starts at the defensive end."
The Mavs' defensive efforts translated into a decisive momentum swing in the third quarter. After trailing by 10 points, Dallas held the Thunder scoreless for nearly 4 1/2 minutes and flipped the deficit into an 82-78 lead heading into the final period. The Thunder's misses and turnovers were repeatedly converted into transition buckets, as the Mavs grabbed rebounds and raced to the rim for dunks or kick-outs for 3-pointers.
The coup de grâce came midway through the third quarter, when the Mavericks missed three consecutive three-pointers but ran down all three rebounds. The possession culminated with Luka Doncic, despite being hobbled by injuries, fading away for a patented turnaround jumper, one of their seven second-chance points in the quarter.
In an attempt to counter the Mavs' dominance, Thunder coach Mark Daigneault resorted to an old trick in the fourth quarter: intentionally fouling a poor free-throw shooter to stall Dallas' offense. Center Dereck Lively was targeted with consecutive fouls, making only one of four attempts.
However, this strategy gave the Mavericks time to set their defense, and the Thunder turned the ball over after Lively's two trips to the line, inadvertently expanding the Dallas lead. Coach Jason Kidd eventually replaced Lively with Tim Hardaway Jr.
With the game winding down, the Mavs showcased their superior teamwork with Irving and Doncic distributing the ball effectively. Doncic's usage rate dropped to less than 25 percent, while PJ Washington Jr., Irving, and Hardaway Jr. all exceeded 20 percent.
This balanced attack allowed Doncic to conserve energy and exploit his size advantage over Lou Dort on the boards, grabbing a game-high 15 rebounds.
"When we play as a team, we're tough to beat," said Irving. "That's how you want to go into the locker room. Everyone feeling good, touching the basketball, doing the right thing."
As the series shifts back to Oklahoma City for Game 4, the young Thunder face an uphill battle if they want to regain home-court advantage. The Mavericks' experience and ability to capitalize on the Thunder's mistakes have proved to be insurmountable obstacles, and the Thunder will need to find a way to match their intensity and teamwork if they want to prolong their playoff run.
