Everyone repping the OKC Thunder breathed a sigh of relief Monday night as the ball club overcame what felt like an insurmountable margin in Game 4 to turn back the Dallas Mavericks 100-96 and regained homecourt advantage in this semifinal series.
It was an exhilarating ending to what was a nerve-wracking outing for the Thunder, who were down by as many as 14 points at one point.
The OKC outscored the Mavericks 57-42 in the second half to tie the series at 2-2. It was a comeback worth remembering as the team showed great composure, unlike in Game 3, down the stretch, stealing one on the road.
After rambles suggesting that head coach Mark Daigneault should move away from his game plan, the Thunder dodged enough bullets from suddenly deadeye shooter PJ Washington, Derrick Jones Jr., and Tim Hardaway Jr., while limiting Dallas stars Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving.
The defense was so good against Doncic and Irving that Washington and Jones matched the number of field goals attempted by the duo at 31 apiece. What made it more interesting was Washington and Jones shot better than Doncic and Irving, with the former making four baskets more.
Most of this should be attributed to the Thunder studs who provided a much-needed spark on both ends during Game 4.
Here are the studs and duds of the all-important Thunder win.