For the second time in three seasons, Luka Doncic led the Dallas Mavericks to the Western Conference finals. But this time, the Slovenian star did it with completely new teammates, led by Kyrie Irving.
In the decisive Game 6 of the 2024 NBA Playoffs Western semi-final series, Irving and Doncic scored a total of 51 points and had 13 assists, helping the Dallas Mavericks win 117-116, thereby eliminating the No. 1 seed team. Oklahoma City Thunder with a total score of 4-2.
Luka Doncic scored 29 points (9-15 FG, 4-6 3PT) along with 10 rebounds and 10 assists, becoming the 5th player in NBA history to have a triple-double in 3 consecutive games at the Playoffs.
But he and Kyrie Irving alone will not be able to help the Dallas Mavericks come back from a 17-point deficit against OKC this morning. Making significant contributions to the Game 6 victory were the satellite and reserve players including:
_ Forward PJ Washington , who was brought in by Dallas at the NBA Trade Deadline mid-season. PJ responded firmly under the terrible pressure of the score, coldly throwing 2 free throws to bring the victory with only 2.5 seconds left in the match.
_ Forward Derrick Jones Jr. , who arrived in Dallas last summer on a minimum-value contract. He scored 22 points in Game 6 along with important contributions on defense, including marking Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
_ Rookie Dereck Lively II , a reward from the NBA Draft of the Mavericks after last year’s failed season. Lively had 12 points and especially 15 rebounds, greatly contributing to the victory in the dispute with OKC.
Oklahoma City Thunder was a proactive team for most of Game 6. They took an early lead (10 points in the first half, 11 points in the second half) and twice prevented Dallas’s attempt to rise up. Mavericks, quell the opponent’s excitement and reestablish the advantage.
The third time, although the Thunder led further (17 points difference, score 77-60), they could not keep the match. They let Luka Doncic and his teammates score 13 consecutive points to narrow the gap to less than 10 points, then the two teams were in a tug of war until the end of the fourth quarter.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander played extremely well, shining in both scoring points and creating assists for his teammates. He had a successful alley-oop with Chet Holmgren to put OKC in the lead with 20 seconds left in the match.
Watch the two final moments of the match, including Shai’s transition from hero to villain
But bitterly for Shai, he made a mistake in the last seconds. While trying to defend, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander fouled PJ Washington when the Dallas player was shooting a 3-pointer.
Although Oklahoma City Thunder used the right to appeal, Shai’s foul was relatively clear and caused OKC to lose a consultation. This then “doubled the damage” because the Thunder could not call a time-out after PJ Washington completed the free throw, forcing Jalen Williams to launch a lucky shot from home.
“I shouldn’t have made the mistake. We’ve told each other all year that we have to pay attention to the details and be disciplined if we want to win tough matches. It’s terrible,” Shai Gilgeous-Alexander shared after the match.
After defeating the No. 1 seed Oklahoma City Thunder to enter the Western finals, the Dallas Mavericks will compete in the Western finals series that will begin on Wednesday, May 22.
The opponent of Luka Doncic and his teammates will be the winner of the series between the Minnesota Timberwolves and the defending champion Denver Nuggets.
