The Dallas Mavericks will play the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 6 of the second round of the NBA Playoffs on Saturday at 7:00 p.m. in American Airlines Center.
With a win, the Mavericks would advance to the Western Conference Finals.
Dallas is coming off a dominant 104-92 victory in Game 5. As previously reported by The Dallas Express, the team was led by a 30-point triple-double from guard Luka Doncic and did not fall behind once in the second half.
Doncic has led the Mavericks in all major statistics through their 11 playoff games thus far, averaging 27.1 points, 9.6 rebounds, and 9.0 assists.
Guard Kyrie Irving and forward PJ Washington have also played significant roles in helping the Mavericks inch one win away from the Western Conference Finals.
Irving has averaged 21 points while making 49.4% of his field goal attempts and 44.6% of his three-point attempts, while Washington has averaged 14.7 points and made 40.8% of his attempts from behind the three-point line.
Dallas will look to continue their hot shooting from Game 5, in which they shot 52.6% from the field and 40% from behind the three-point line. They also played solid defense to hold the Thunder to 25% from the three-point line.
Although the Mavericks were not an incredibly impressive team on their home court during the regular season, finishing just 25-16, they will look to close out an Oklahoma City team that finished with a 24-17 record while playing on the road.
Irving said after Game 5 that this series has been incredibly difficult, adding that the team’s “focus level has to be at a level that reflects that.”
“We have what it takes to win. But also, we understand we’re not going to get there without guys feeling like their best selves,” he explained, per the NBA.
Dallas is set to play Game 5 without Maxi Kleber, who will miss his sixth straight game after separating his shoulder in a game against the Los Angeles Clippers on May 3.
Oklahoma City will enter tonight’s game without any significant players missing from their rotation, as their roster has remained mostly intact throughout the season.
A win in Game 6 would move the Mavericks into the Western Conference Finals, where they would face either the Minnesota Timberwolves or the Denver Nuggets — the two teams will meet in a winner-take-all Game 7 on Sunday.
