DALLAS — The Dallas Mavericks and Oklahoma City Thunder are locked into a competitive Western Conference semifinals series. There is a strong desire to win on both sides, but the teams also respect one another. Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault shared his honest thoughts on the Mavericks being a “good team” before Saturday's Game 3.
I asked Daigneault about the playmaking ability of Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic. He believes it is something that plays a role in Dallas' overall success.
“That's why they're a good team,” Daigneault said. “There's a reason they're here, there's a reason we're here. Good teams put you in those types of dilemmas, good teams keep you up at night, good teams don't give you a clear answer. That's why they're a good team. They have two really good high-end playmakers that are capable of monster scoring nights that can also create for teammates. Their teammates are good play-finishers. They play with confidence.
“That's why they are sitting here playing against us, that's why we're sitting here playing against them. Hopefully we're putting them in the same dilemmas and situations.”
Both Doncic and Irving excel at getting teammates involved. Kyrie averaged 5.2 assists per game during the regular season, while Luka averaged 9.8 assists per game.
Both players have continued to find their teammates in the postseason. And it isn't only about assists either. Irving and Doncic understand what it takes to get everybody involved and orchestrate an offense.
Whether it is through communication, setting things up, or finding the open man, the Mavericks are going to have a chance to win when Irving and Doncic are on the floor.
Mavericks need similar results to Game 2
Of course, Doncic and Irving's playmaking is most effective when their teammates are finding the bottom of the net. That is exactly what happened on Thursday in Game 2.
PJ Washington scored 29 points, which tied Luka Doncic for the most points scored by a Mavs player in the game. Tim Hardaway Jr. added 17 points, while Daniel Gafford scored 13. Meanwhile, Josh Green contributed 11 points as well.
Irving scored just nine points, but recorded 11 assists. He was involved on almost every play, and Irving's impact was unquestionably felt by his team.
The Mavericks need to continue to get everyone involved. It gives opposing teams something else to think about. Otherwise, they can simply place their focus on containing Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic.
It will be interesting to see if the Mavericks can replicate their Game 2 results moving forward in the series. Game 3 projects to be a competitive affair as the Mavericks look to protect home court.
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