DALLAS: Luka Doncic has guided the Dallas Mavericks to the Western Conference finals for the second time in three seasons.
In this instance, Doncic has a very different supporting group, led by Kyrie Irving, his co-star.
The top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder were defeated on Saturday night in a 117-116 Game 6 victory that included a combined 51 points and 13 assists from Irving and Doncic. The Mavs overcame a 17-point deficit in the second half thanks in large part to the crucial efforts of role players in their first season on the Dallas roster, as was the case throughout the series.
Moving forward With 2.5 seconds left, P.J. Washington, who was acquired around the trade deadline and shown his shooting prowess in two victories earlier in the series, made the game-winning free throw. Moving forward Arriving on a summertime veterans minimum deal, Derrick Jones Jr. scored 22 points while forcing Oklahoma City star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to play defense. With 12 points and 15 rebounds off the bench, rookie big Dereck Lively II—the Mavs' prize for losing the final two games of the disastrous regular season last year—overpowered Oklahoma City as Dallas won the rebounding war.
"He's one of the best players in the world, but sometimes we lose sight that it's not just built [around Doncic]," Jason Kidd, the Mavs coach, said. You can't get there with only a single guy. A team is required. He currently has a team that he is confident in."
According to ESPN Stats & Information research, Doncic became the fifth player in NBA history to post three straight triple-doubles during the playoffs when he concluded Game 6 with 29 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists.
However, Doncic, who has a painful left ankle and an injured right knee, had difficulty for a large portion of the series. Despite finding his touch, he shot 44.7% from the field and averaged 24.7 points, a notable decline from his league-leading 33.9 in the regular season.
"The series was won by ourselves. In the end, that's what counts," Doncic stated. "Despite not having home advantage, we won 4-2. Although we triumphed, there will still be challenges ahead. You must maintain your optimism and continue hoops."
Irving delivered "always positive energy" for the entire season and series, according to Doncic. Irving has become the outspoken leader of the Mavs, as seen by the fact, that follows Dallas' comeback victory, the team invited him to give an impromptu speech in the locker room.
In Game 6, Irving tied his series scoring high with 22 points on 9 of 23 shooting. "I was trying to hold back to emotions just because of how hard and tough this series was," Irving said. "I believe that we truly needed to respect one another's abilities and skill sets—but above all, our willpower. There are many guys who enjoy competing, who support one another's success, and who are prepared to make small sacrifices and undertake the necessary tasks to win. Thus, I believe we're still proving that.
"Obviously, the job's not finished, but feels good to be in the conference finals."
When his side had a chance to win a series, Irving increased his personal record to 14-0.
The Mavericks' ability to outrebound Oklahoma City 47-31 and outscore them 27-8 on second-chance points was a major factor in their successful comeback. Lively, who played the entire fourth quarter and finished with eight points and six rebounds, was largely responsible for that. Based on statistics provided by ESPN Stats & Information, Oklahoma City was 5-of-16 when it came to shots that Lively contested. After 30 minutes of play, Dallas led OKC by 26 points. Doncic remarked of Lively,
"It's insane, man, and he's doing this while being a rookie." "He has some unbelievable potential, and I'm just glad that the Mavs drafted him."
It took until 5:19 remaining on Saturday for Washington, who led the Mavericks in scoring three times in the series while taking advantage of the Thunder's attention on Dallas' top combination, to score. With two minutes left, he made a 3-pointer off a feed from Doncic to give the Mavericks a temporary lead. Later, he added two free throws to put Dallas ahead for good. He finished with nine points.
Irving remarked of Washington, "I think he was just waiting for his moment." We had some faith that he would ultimately make some huge shots and were happy that he knocked them down because he has performed well for the most part of the series. Man, that is just unadulterated faith and confidence."
With 36 points and eight assists in Game 6, Gilgeous-Alexander's genius gave the Thunder a chance to extend the series. With 20 seconds left, he tossed an alley-oop off the dribble to Chet Holmgren, giving the Thunder the lead again.
However, it was Gilgeous-Alexander's foul that forced Washington to the free throw line during the next play. Gilgeous-Alexander assisted on a drive by Doncic and came back to the corner when Doncic sent the ball out to Washington, who was fouled on his left elbow while trying to make a three-pointer.
"I was wrong to foul him. We discuss discipline and the small details that make a difference in games all year long, according to Gilgeous-Alexander. It's awful. I wouldn't have fouled him if I could go back in time. Let him miss, or let him make the shot.
After attempting to dispute the foul call, the Thunder were unsuccessful and Oklahoma City lost their last timeout. During a pool report, crew chief Tony Brothers stated that Gilgeous-Alexander had a clean block at first before making contact with Washington's arm.
"Since the ball was not dislodged by the contact, the ensuing contact to the arm is illegal," Brothers stated. "Had the ball been dislodged when Shai hit it, the contact afterwards would have been deemed marginal."
In order to deny the Thunder a chance to set up a play for a potential buzzer-beater, Washington made the first two free throw attempts before purposefully missing the last one. The season ended for Oklahoma City when Jalen Williams missed a 64-foot heave, causing spectators to tumble from the rafters of the American Airlines Center.
The fifth-seeded Mavericks will now find out who they will play against in the West Finals, which begin on Tuesday night when Dallas travels to the Minnesota Timberwolves and Denver Nuggets, the defending champions.
"Today is about today's game, and tomorrow we'll think about the conference finals," Doncic stated. "I think we should all enjoy this, because this, I would say, was a really hard series."
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