Experience vs. Energy: Mavs Outclass Thunder Again in Playoff Battle

Despite their youthful exuberance, the Oklahoma City Thunder have faced a formidable challenge in the Dallas Mavericks, whose experience and hustle have proven to be a decisive factor in the first three games of their second-round playoff series.

For the Oklahoma City Thunder, their primary concern entering the playoffs was whether their youthfulness would prove to be a hindrance. However, as the last two games of their second-round series with the Dallas Mavericks have demonstrated, they may want to embrace it. For the second consecutive game, the Mavericks, the NBA's eighth-oldest team at the start of the season, have outworked the Thunder, the league's second-youngest team and making their first postseason appearance in four years. The result has been two consecutive wins, 105-101, giving the Mavericks a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven series.

Experience was widely perceived as the Mavs' advantage, but effort and energy have proven to be the defining characteristics. In every hustle statistic, the Mavs have held a clear edge. They outrebounded the Thunder 48-41, showcasing a 15-6 advantage 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. "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."

In the last two games, the Mavs have relentlessly pressured the younger Thunder opponents, leading to transition buckets that have swung the momentum in their favor. In Game 3, the pivotal shift occurred in the third quarter, when Dallas rallied from a 10-point deficit to an 82-78 lead going into the final period by stifling the Thunder's offense for nearly four and a half minutes.

Almost every missed shot or turnover by the Thunder resulted in a backcourt pass for a drive to the rim, culminating in either a dunk or a kick-out dish for a corner 3-pointer. The coup de grâce may have been a possession midway through the period when the Mavericks missed three consecutive three-pointers but recovered all three rebounds, allowing Luka Doncic to post up in the paint and score on his signature fading turnaround jumper. This accounted for two of their seven second-chance points in the quarter.

Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault, the third-youngest in the league and recently named Coach of the Year, attempted to counter his team's relative inexperience by employing an old trick in the fourth quarter: intentionally fouling a poor free-throw shooter to disrupt the opponent's offense. With the Thunder trailing 94-90, Mavs center Dereck Lively became the target of consecutive fouls but made only one of four free throws.

While the strategy temporarily stalled the Mavericks' offense, it also gave them time to set up their defense. Oklahoma City subsequently turned the ball over after Lively's two trips to the line, inadvertently expanding the Dallas lead by one point before coach Jason Kidd substituted Lively for Tim Hardaway Jr.

However, the absence of a true big man on the Mavericks' side allowed 6'7" PJ Washington Jr. to guard 7'1" Chet Holmgren. After the Thunder grabbed three offensive rebounds and Holmgren scored on a layup to reduce the lead to three, Kidd re-inserted Lively, prompting Daigneault to resume the intentional fouling strategy. This time, Lively sank all four free throws, compelling Oklahoma City to abandon the tactic.

Although Irving outplayed Thunder point guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander down the stretch to secure the victory, the Mavericks once again proved to be a far more formidable force when Irving and Doncic shared the ball with their teammates. Doncic, noticeably hampered by a sprained knee and a sore ankle, was compelled to adopt a more distributive role. After he missed two consecutive eight-foot floaters in the first quarter, Kidd substituted him out, a move that visibly displeased Doncic.

Despite leading the league with a usage rate of 36 percent, Doncic's utilization dipped below 25 percent on Saturday, while PJ Washington Jr., Irving, and Tim Hardaway Jr. all had usage rates above 20 percent. This allowed Doncic to conserve energy and opportunistically leverage his size advantage over Lou Dort on the boards, finishing the game with a team-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."