MVP frontrunners are all set to put their pride on the line in the Western Conference second-round series. The Dallas Mavericks, led by the phantom Luka Doncic will travel to Oklahoma for Game 1. The top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder will be steered by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and his multiskilled crew.

The Mavericks are coming off a challenging series against the Los Angeles Clippers. It took them six games to fend off their shorthanded rivals who lacked Kawhi Leonard for most of the series. OKC showered their wide range of attacks on the New Orleans Pelicans to complete one of the two sweeps in the postseason so far.

During their four-game contest against the Pelicans, some Thunder stars had to battle with injuries. Jalen Williams suffered a nasty blow on the head which forced him to briefly exit Game 2. Moreover, SGA reportedly tweaked his ankle in the series winning Game 4 against the Zion Williamson-less Pels.

With a few hours remaining for the enticing face-off, the OKC Thunder have revealed their injury report.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander cleared to play series opener against the Mavericks

Despite having suffered a minor ankle injury, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander did not appear on the injury list for the Thunder. In fact, they have a clean bill of health before they collide with the Doncic and Kyrie Irving-powered Mavericks. Jalen Williams also seems to be out of peril after withstanding the physically charged Pelicans defense.

The backcourt presence of both Shai and Williams is critical for the Oklahoma City Thunder to match up against Dallas. They will likely be tasked with matching the output of both Doncic and Irving in a classic two-player offense. SGA has had a prolific run in the postseason as the leading scorer for the Thunder. In the series against New Orleans, SGA went on to average 27.3 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 5.0 assists.

The 25-year-old domineering scorer is coming off one of his best regular season campaigns. After being selected in the All-NBA First Team last year, he led a young Thunder core to the first seed in the Western Conference. Averaging 30.1 points, one of the leading scorers in the league, his dashing display on both sides of the floor has earned him a chance to be crowned the MVP of the league for the first time in his career.

His attention is currently occupied to face the Dallas Mavericks. Both teams have a core that matches evenly. The series between the new age stars, this second-round series is bound to be a blockbuster. Do you think the Thunder have what it takes to pass the test of Doncic and KAI’s predatory nature? Let us know what you think in the comments below.