1 Stud, 3 duds from OKC Thunder’s Game 2 loss vs Mavericks

The OKC Thunder have finally lost in their return to the playoffs, dropping by a final score of 110-119 in a Game 2 loss to the Dallas Mavericks to lose home-court advantage as they head back to Dallas for Game 3. 

It was a somewhat disappointing showing for the Thunder, whose defense had been their calling card throughout their first five games of the postseason, giving up no more than 95 points in each of their previous affairs. 

In Game 2, the Mavericks’ final managed to break past the century mark.

There were a lot of lapses, especially on the defensive end. There were a lot of miscues, miscommunications, and misreads that resulted in easy baskets for the fifth-seeded Dallas. 

For Thunder head tactician and Coach of the Year, Mark Daigneault, there was a lack of poor process in their possessions, resulting in these breakdowns. 

Game 2 was definitely the first time in a long time that we saw the Thunder this unattentive on defense. They played without sharpness on both ends, which was the defining factor in their successful regular season run.

While others put up their best effort in the loss, some really struggled and showed their age against a hot-shooting Dallas team.

With this in mind, here are our picks for stud and, unfortunately, duds from Oklahoma City's Game 2 demise to the Dallas Mavericks.