The concerning stretch needs not to be replicated
After all, it was a 30-0 run.
Needless to say, this should not be replicated at any point in the Thunder’s timeline. A lot went wrong in the game on both ends of the floor in the nearly 10-minute stretch where the Mavericks turned the tides.
The offense was not clicking as soft double teams have rattled the Thunder numerous times, while spacing looked suspect for the most part. It was a nightmare for any team, much like for the Thunder faithful during that stretch.
Defensively, tagging the roller on pick-and-rolls is essential in derailing the advantages of those screening actions. Thunder struggled to stop the Luka Doncic and Dereck Lively pick-and-roll while the Mavericks’ shooters waxed hot courtesy of the open shots their offense generated. Many things can be pointed out, but the energy on defense was also one of the culprits for the Thunder.
Dallas was 52 percent from the field and 8-for-16 from the three-point line in the fourth quarter alone.
The 30-0 run by the Maverick is something that the Thunder should remember and avoid repeating if they are profound enough to contend for the foreseeable future.
For now, it was a learning experience for the Thunder. Every great young team experiences bumps and setbacks, but for the Thunder, it came in the form of a 30-point assault that almost put them into disaster.