The Dallas Mavericks will match up against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Monday at 8:30 p.m. in American Airlines Center for Game 4 of the second round of the NBA Playoffs, where they will look to take a commanding 3-1 lead in the series.
Dallas has been led in this series by guard Luka Doncic and forward PJ Washington, who have helped the team win two straight games against the Thunder.
Doncic has paced the team in multiple statistics through the series, averaging 23.3 points, 10.3 rebounds, and 7 assists through the first three games.
Washington has followed close behind Doncic in scoring with an average of 22 points per game. He has been one of the most efficient Mavericks players through the series. The 25-year-old has made 54.2% of his field goals during this series, while also shooting an astonishing 53.8% from behind the three-point line.
The Mavericks struggled to score in their first seven games of the postseason, averaging just over 103 points per game, a significant dropoff from the 117.9 points they averaged during the 82-game regular season.
However, Dallas has gotten back on track in the last two games, with the team increasing its scoring to 112 points per game and playing impressive defense to limit the number of open shots the Thunder have been able to attempt.
A major key to victory for the Mavericks in Game 4 could be rebounding.
Washington discussed the rebounding advantage the Mavericks had in the last two games, explaining that “whoever wins the rebounding game is going to win a lot of these games.”
“We know we have an advantage in size, but it’s about who wants it more. We have to be that team every night,” he added.
Dallas will enter Game 4 with various injuries. Maxi Kleber, for instance, has already been ruled out due to a separated right shoulder and will likely miss the entire series. Doncic also enters Game 4 with a day-to-day injury designation, though his history of playing through injuries suggests he will likely suit up for the game.
While discussing his injuries after Game 3, Doncic said that “everything” in his body hurts, but that he plans to continue playing to help his team secure more wins, as reported by The Dallas Express.
Although the Mavericks have been dealing with multiple injuries to rotation players, Oklahoma City enters Game 4 without any major players expected to miss any time.
A win in Game 4 for the Mavericks would give them a 3-1 lead in the series, with an opportunity to close out the Thunder in Game 5 on Wednesday in Oklahoma City.