OKLAHOMA CITY — As the ultimate seconds of the primary half ticked away, Anthony Davis had an opportunity to get on the board. Held scoreless as much as that time, Davis hauled in Ryan Nembhard’s miss and tried to get a shot off over two Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder defenders. Thunder large man Chet Holmgren zoomed into the image and spiked Davis’ try to the bottom.
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Holmgren’s denial of Davis’ push shot was emblematic of how the Dallas Mavericks fared towards the Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder on Friday.
The Thunder’s No. 1-ranked protection held Davis to 2 factors on 1-of-9 taking pictures in 24 minutes. Oklahoma Metropolis dominated from the second quarter on and blasted Dallas in a 132-111 win at Paycom Heart.
The Mavericks’ three-game successful streak got here to an finish towards their I-35 competitors.
In the meantime, the Thunder collected a 14th consecutive win and improved to 22-1 this season. By 23 video games, the Thunder have the very best file of any group because the 2015-16 Golden State Warriors, who received their first 24 video games en path to an NBA file 73 regular-season wins. The Thunder, whose second-leading scorer from final season, Jalen Williams, has solely performed in 4 video games, appear to be an actual risk to equal or eclipse that mark — not that it’s on their minds in any respect.
“We now have a group that over time has shaped a perception that you just’re solely nearly as good as you might be tonight,” Thunder coach Mark Daigneault stated. “Nothing we’ve got completed earlier to this has helped us tonight.”
There is no such thing as a championship hangover in Oklahoma Metropolis, a group of 20-somethings who barely drink. If something, the Thunder — and their greatest participant, reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander — look even sharper than they did a yr in the past.
Gilgeous-Alexander wanted solely 12 pictures to attain 33 factors on Friday. He transformed 10 of 12 subject targets and made 11 of 12 free throws. Each Klay Thompson and Naji Marshall have been visibly pissed off within the second quarter once they have been whistled for taking pictures foul calls on the Thunder’s slippery and clean Canadian scorer.
Gilgeous-Alexander entered Friday’s recreation taking pictures 58.9 % on 2s and 43.4 % on 3s. He has by no means performed extra environment friendly basketball and continues scoring with metronomic consistency. On Friday, he reached the 20-point mark for the ninety fifth consecutive recreation, the second-longest streak in NBA historical past, behind solely Wilt Chamberlain.
“He places the work in,” Daigneault stated. “He has nice imaginative and prescient of what he needs to enhance on. Then he’s simply acquired lots of expertise now. He’s seen lots of photos. He has lots of experiences. A 23-game playoff run was informative for everybody, together with him.
“He form of channels all that into his work, which is ruthlessly constant and really targeted. All he’s ever completed is enhance. As nice of a participant as he’s, it’s not shocking when he will get even higher.”
The Mavericks began Nembhard at level guard for a fifth consecutive recreation. The undrafted rookie’s sturdy play continued early on. The Mavericks and Thunder have been tied after the primary quarter, however Oklahoma Metropolis seized management within the second and third quarters, outscoring Dallas 77-47.
Davis missed the primary eight pictures he tried. The Thunder used Jaylin Williams as a main defender on the Mavericks’ 10-time All-Star and let Holmgren lurk inside as a assist defender.
“That was their recreation plan,” Davis stated. “That’s most groups’ recreation plan. Once I catch the ball, have guys loaded up. Particularly, when I’ve it within the put up. … And so they didn’t have Chet on me. Chet was form of the assistance on the baseline.”
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Davis didn’t rating his first factors of the sport till the 8:08 mark within the fourth quarter. He subbed out for good lower than a minute later with Dallas behind by 24 factors.
“They’re taking part in actually, actually good basketball on each ends of the ground,” Davis stated. “It’s a must to play nearly good basketball as nicely.”
The Thunder’s path to successful a championship final season wasn’t with out nervous moments. The Thunder wanted seven video games to knock off the Denver Nuggets within the Western Convention semifinals, they usually trailed by one level in Sport 7 of the NBA Finals at house to the Indiana Pacers earlier than taking management of that recreation within the second half.
That postseason expertise has solely left the Thunder hungrier and extra assured than they have been earlier than.
“Our group has been far more of the identical than completely different,” Daigneault stated. “The one distinction is perhaps somewhat extra confidence — inside confidence and assuredness. I feel the chemistry and continuity assist with that. But it surely feels the identical. The identical issues we’ve emphasised.”
