2024 NBA Playoffs: West Semifinals: #1 Oklahoma City Thunder vs #5 Dallas Mavericks (DAL WINS 4-2)

[Johnny Firpo]

OKC finally diversified their offense better, we needed some luck too. OKC will be great, they need a point guard and a big, and they don't even have to be all-worlders. And they have the pieces too to make that happen. Such a great situation.

[jokeboy86]

This was the best series of the 2nd round but the right team won. The NBA needs a Dallas vs Denver WCF.

That is NOT what the networks want lol. If anything they wanted SGA vs Edwards. Luka vs Jokic, although they are two of the 4 best players in the league is something they think they cant sell to the casual American audience. And dont let the Knicks lose tomorrow because ESPN execs will be pulling their hairs out covering a Celtics vs Pacers series

As a basketball fan I’m would love to see Luka and Jokic go at it.

[zshawn10]

Imaging if Presti believed in their chances this year at the deadline lmao

I was shocked that he didn't bring in a big. They need help on the glass in the worst way.

We saw it in spades tonight, JDub had 9 rebounds, but Chet, Dort, Shai and Isaiah Joe all had 3 rebounds each. That is unacceptable. Presti has to bring in some help. Even if it is just a vet big man. 8 mins of even a Andre Drummond would have helped them on the glass and would have gotten Lively some cheap fouls.

Presti gave either Gafford or pj and lively to Dallas in some form or fashion

[SFour]

OKC just a few moves away from being a real threat

[Mk0]

Nah that was Chet..he got punked


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I know Chet's defenders will say he's +8 and 21 points for the game, but watching the game, he was bad. He couldn't block out for boards, couldn't make a shot from the outside. All of his points were from set plays designed to give him easy dunks.

I’m barely 6’0 and a slim guy, I’m not joking when I say I don’t think Chet could even box me out.

Chet is a rookie. I don't blame him. This is on Presti for not bringing in a vet big. He knows you need some size in the playoffs.

That said, I think this year was all about him gauging the team and seeing what he needed to do for their future. He has such an insanely good young core. Now he knows how they fare in the playoff spotlight and can use that massive stash of assets to tool up for a perennial contender.

[LaLover11]

Paul George
Dwight

Dwight Howard? Lol

Maybe they meant…Powell? Lmao

OKC has plenty of youth
Howard would be a great veteran defender that can pair up well with Dort to play hard defense and do all the dirty work. Chet would also be able to play PF and be fresh to close out games in the 4th.

Get him for the minimum and get a great big body for this young team

[OE_Thunder]

Seriously wtf was SGA thinking there. Insanely low IQ. No timeouts left just make a good contest and live with the outcome.

Game 7 would have been crazy.

I mean he did get the ball first...

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Dude it was a foul get over it

I never said it wasn't a foul. But calling SGA low IQ for that play is crazy talk. You want your players to give it their all on the last play especially with a hot shooting washington. He got the ball first but just unlucky that Washington held onto the ball so long.

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[The Warrior]

You know he blocked the ball right? Any contact after that is not a foul.

Shai made contact with the ball but the ball was never released. Still a foul after the contact with the arm.

Ya so. Jump ball.

That's not how the play is called million other times.

Washington never came down with the ball. If he did, then it would have been a jump ball. The right call was made.

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[ChipotleWest]

Soft call to decide a game

I agree especially since there’s not a chance in hell PJ is making that double clutch one arm shot but thats a risky block for Shai to attempt and it clearly was a foul

Too bad the NBA is not like NFL where it's not a pass interference if the receiver has no chance of catching it. You hit someone's elbow who's shooting it's a foul. Thems the rules don't like it too bad. OKC got plenty of foul calls in their favor that weren't even fouls I believe Mavs won in spite in the refs.

[bluemj32]

I know Chet's defenders will say he's +8 and 21 points for the game, but watching the game, he was bad. He couldn't block out for boards, couldn't make a shot from the outside. All of his points were from set plays designed to give him easy dunks.

I’m barely 6’0 and a slim guy, I’m not joking when I say I don’t think Chet could even box me out.

Chet is a rookie. I don't blame him. This is on Presti for not bringing in a vet big. He knows you need some size in the playoffs.

That said, I think this year was all about him gauging the team and seeing what he needed to do for their future. He has such an insanely good young core. Now he knows how they fare in the playoff spotlight and can use that massive stash of assets to tool up for a perennial contender.

Yep, all on the GM. Everyone knows that's the roster flaw.

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[doogie_hauser]

Derrick Jones Jnr pretty much won the game for the Mavs, made huge Buckets when the Mavs needed them down the stretch.

GG Mavs and Commiserations OKC fans. Was a very competitive and entertaining series.

Dallas looking justified giving Kidd his contract extension.

[Yuri36]

You're the one dismissing a team as nothing when they’ve won 6 playoff games and have shown more than enough that they belong lol. No one expected them to win a championship in their first year in the playoffs together...

They have a bright future but this Thunder team is lucky they had favorable matchup in rd 1. A team like Lakers would’ve send them home in 4 or 5 imo due to the massive rebounding advantage.

No one but people in LA give a crap about the Lakers right now. OKC has nothing to be ashamed of with the way they played.

Presti failed the team not getting rebounding help at the deadline but they obviously got a super bright future.

Completely.
They were playing arguably the best team in the NBA of the last few months and really could have easily won that serie.
And they managed to limit both Kyrie and Luka like very few teams have managed to do so in the last few months (though of course Luka had his knee injury)

[TroubleS0me]

Read on Twitter

[Rainwater]

Just one piece away for OKC. KD would be perfect.

Brandon Ingram would be less of a albatross.

BI on that team would be crazy.

Wouldn’t they have to resign Chet, IB, and Jalen all at the same time?

[BodieB]

It'll be glossed over, but a #1 seed with the MVP runner up losing in the 2nd round is a disappointment. It probably would have been a gentlemanly sweep if Luka had been healthy.

[The Corey's]

Shai made contact with the ball but the ball was never released. Still a foul after the contact with the arm.

Ya so. Jump ball.

That's not how the play is called million other times.

Washington never came down with the ball. If he did, then it would have been a jump ball. The right call was made.

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You reward the player for getting his hand on the ball. You don't call the contact on his arm AFTER the ball was touched.

It's never called like that.

[Revived]

OKC just needs a C. If i was them, i'd trade up for Clingan

They can get Nurkic an experienced vet.

[jkvonny]

This was the best series of the 2nd round but the right team won. The NBA needs a Dallas vs Denver WCF.

That is NOT what the networks want lol. If anything they wanted SGA vs Edwards. Luka vs Jokic, although they are two of the 4 best players in the league is something they think they cant sell to the casual American audience. And dont let the Knicks lose tomorrow because ESPN execs will be pulling their hairs out covering a Celtics vs Pacers series

As a basketball fan I’m would love to see Luka and Jokic go at it.

FWIW, Dallas/DFW is the biggest market left in the West,

[Marvin Martian]

OKC just a few moves away from being a real threat

They had the assets to make those moves and didn't

[dockingsched]

This was the best series of the 2nd round but the right team won. The NBA needs a Dallas vs Denver WCF.

That is NOT what the networks want lol. If anything they wanted SGA vs Edwards. Luka vs Jokic, although they are two of the 4 best players in the league is something they think they cant sell to the casual American audience. And dont let the Knicks lose tomorrow because ESPN execs will be pulling their hairs out covering a Celtics vs Pacers series

As a basketball fan I’m would love to see Luka and Jokic go at it.

You are absolutely incorrect if you think tv networks prefer SGA and OKC over Luka and Dallas. I don’t think it’s even worth arguing to be frank. SGA is nowhere near the star that Luka is.