The Oklahoma City Thunder got their first win of the Conference Semifinals as they defeated a hobbling Luka Doncic-led Dallas Mavericks. While the Mavs had their share of troubles, Oklahoma wasn’t without them. The OKC superstar, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, had tweaked his angle as they swept the Zion Williamson-less Pelicans in the series-winning Game 4. His teammate, Jalen Williams, had also suffered a nasty blow to the head in Game 2 of the same series.

Having recovered from all that, tonight, they had to face another set of mid-game injuries. They weren’t serious enough to be scary or concerning. Talking to the press post-game, the two shared similar updates on their injury. “I’m fine.” That was SGA. Williams, for his part, said, “The aglets on my shoes split.” 

Well, it seems like the pair are indeed fine.

Aside from the minor on-court troubles, the OKC was going against Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks. And it wasn’t something they took lightly. The Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said as much after the Game 1 117-95 victory. “We know this is a heavyweight matchup. To think that you’re going to go through games or a series when they don’t land on punches is just unrealistic.” 

Doncic was without any magic against the youngest team in league history to win a playoff series. The usual otherworldly plays he brings to a game were indeed limited by a sprained knee. But the man in question was beyond disappointed that he couldn’t care less about the obvious struggles his injury caused. He said post-game that there wasn’t anything to discuss about his off-shooting night.

Giving props to the Thunder for being a “great defensive team,” Doncic warned that it wasn’t going to be easy against Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Co.

New Dad Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and his squad ensured they rolled to a thunderous start

This season has surely been one of great blessing and happiness for a number of NBA players. Many of them have become new dads, with Shai joining the list. And since the birth of his son, Ares Alexander, SGA has gone 2-0 in postseason games. There is no doubt that it has been a great motivating factor for the 25-year-old on the floor.

But for Game 1, the chemistry and poise of a team as young as the OKC was on full display. With Lu Dort sticking to his target for the night and leading the defense alongside Chet Holmgren, the Mavs were attacked relentlessly. Although Kyrie Irving tried to gain control in the third quarter, Oklahoma City had the solution ready.

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They scored on the next six possessions, which included five treys. And just like that, they were back on track with a double-digit lead. The OKC is limiting its opponents to 90.6 points per game in the postseason. It is the lowest through five games by any team since the Spurs in 2016.

Well, the 2023-24 has been a tumultuous season so far. The teams thought to make deep playoff runs were run off course before they could even try. In stark contrast, teams believed to be remarkable, but not good enough to be considered contenders are making all the noise they can in the postseason. The result of this year’s NBA season is surely one nobody will be expecting.