The Dallas Mavericks got a cold, hard wake up call in Game 2 of the Western Conference Finals. They lost 106-100 because of their inability to defend the Thunder. The Thunder have averaged 109 points per game and shot 56% from the field in Game 2. They were seemingly in control of Game 2 in the second quarter until they allowed the Thunder to score on ten straight possessions. Unless the Mavs tighten up their defense they are going to have a very difficult time beating Oklahoma City.
The Thunder’s ability to keep the ball out of Dirk Nowitzki’s hands with their fronting of the post and doubling when he put the ball on the deck helped them win Game 2. More importantly by limiting his touches the Thunder avoided Nowitzki getting into an unstoppable rhythm. Their ability to keep him off the foul line helped them keep him and the Mavs in check.
The Thunder’s bench won Game 2. They combined for 50 points and played so well that Scott Brooks kept them in the entire 4th quarter. The bench scored 24 of the 29 Thunder 4th quarter points. James Harden, Nick Collison, Eric Maynor, and Daequan Cook made play after play throughout the game and took a lot of pressure off the shoulders of Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook.
The Thunder’s ability to keep the ball out of Dirk Nowitzki’s hands with their fronting of the post and doubling when he put the ball on the deck helped them win Game 2. More importantly by limiting his touches the Thunder avoided Nowitzki getting into an unstoppable rhythm. Their ability to keep him off the foul line helped them keep him and the Mavs in check.
The Thunder’s bench won Game 2. They combined for 50 points and played so well that Scott Brooks kept them in the entire 4th quarter. The bench scored 24 of the 29 Thunder 4th quarter points. James Harden, Nick Collison, Eric Maynor, and Daequan Cook made play after play throughout the game and took a lot of pressure off the shoulders of Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook.
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