GAME 4 Playoffs 2024: Oklahoma City Thunder (1-2) vs. Dallas Mavericks (2-1)

[MarkAguirreWrathofGod]

The double dribble call was also so bad.  I don't even know what to say.

This was an egregiously bad non-call. That said, we had that game won. Very disappointing loss. It took some real effort to lose that game. Kai wayyy too passive and Luka was just terrible.

[KillerLeft]

The ref stuff sure, but his whole game is predicated on his ballhandling ability and that is clearly not normal. It impacts his entire game. Also he's bricking tons of his close/mid range bunnies that he normally hits at an insanely high rate.

I understand that. Really, I do. 

I'm just not as convinced as you that a portion of it isn't between his ears right now. It's like he didn't expect Lu Dort to be physical with him. That's just how the playoffs work!

[Scott41theMavs]

Call Quincy, we need an autopsy!

Oh course the Mavs can move beyond this, but I'll be disappointed in Luka if he apologizes for the wrong things. Bro, it's not that you "just couldn't do it because you were hurt" - it's that your attitude was somewhere south of Dante's lake of ice. That's forgivable if you acknowledge it. You let the team and your city down. Beg forgiveness and move on, and you'll be forgiven. If you don't acknowledge it, it's going to stick in our craw.

[HoosierDaddyKid]

There is also nothing wrong with SGA shooting contested two after contested two. That should be the gameplan. It worked. The defense was perfectly fine. The offense and mindset was garbage. Luka had his mind set on complaining all game and taking himself out of the game. He missed so many easy 2pters, cause his head was not focused on making the shots, but rather thinking about phantom and real contact. This also carries over to his teammates. They look to him for guidance, even when hurt, not some endless stream of crying. We scored 37 points in the first 23 minutes of the 2nd half to dig ourselves a hole. Their whole team was rattled, except for SGA. We score 25 points in the 3rd quarter, we are up 14 going to the 4th. We scored 15.

SGA is their closer. Contested twos are his shot. He makes them. He got it going and put the team on his back and brought it home. Mavs make their FT's, the 14 pt lead wouldn't have evaporated. Mavs blew it. Luka is playing hurt, but so is everyone else.

[MaxiThreeba]

Yeah. 

Look, I'm not in any hurry to dump on someone who, at 25, is arguably already the greatest Maverick of all-time, but I'm not sure we're not letting him off the hook a bit blaming this 100% on an injury. 

The injury seems to be improving, somewhat. He's moving ok to me. 

The injury isn't making him throw passes directly to Thunder players.

The injury isn't making him force up shots without anyone else touching the ball.

The injury isn't forcing him to bitch at the refs NONSTOP. 

I want to love him more than any athlete I've ever followed. I really, really do. And, I'm not going to let this year's playoff results, whatever they end up being, become the EVERYTHING of my opinion of him. But, if I'm being honest, if I followed any other team I think I'd despise him.

I’m with you on the injury thing.  We all get it and acknowledge it, he is hurt and it’s obvious.  

But he’s not adjusting his game at all based on that fact.  He’s actually flailing around even more and slamming to the ground over and over as a result.  He’s showing the worst version of himself when it comes to the complaining and theatrics.  

Unfortunately instead of having a HC that can pull him aside and tell him to pull back on all that, he has one that says it’s just Luka being Luka.  Instead of having a HC that is willing to say you are nowhere close to 100% and here’s how we are going to adjust things to counter that he has one that says Luka is the gameplan.

[BigDirk41]

I think this is a moment for Kyrie to pull Luka aside privately and talk to him about greatness and finding a way for his team. Nobody else on the team other than maybe Kidd could do that. We know Kidd won't.

[SwisherPrice]

I'm expecting Cason Wallace to get big minutes from here on out and that will be bad news for the Mavs as he will be a big upgrade to Giddey and the other OKC guards on their bench because of his defense + shooting.

[Chicagojk]

I'm expecting Cason Wallace to get big minutes from here on out and that will be bad news for the Mavs as he will be a big upgrade to Giddey and the other OKC guards on their bench because of his defense + shooting.

I agree.  They may have found something.  We are in trouble if Jalen gets going.

Don’t like our chances if we don’t have the best player in the series, but let’s see how they respond. I would say I hate the Luka threes right now, but he is not having any more luck inside.  I don’t know how we can get him going.  His threes even look labored and not smooth as they have been

[ThisIStheYear]

SGA: 34 points 0 turnovers. That’s what a superstar does in the big moment. Luka: more turnovers than made shots. Both play the same position. That was just a personal beat down, among the biggest ever, that will set the discussion for this era of players.

[DallasMaverick]

Or a Hardaway 3

[BigDirk41]

SGA: 34 points 0 turnovers. That’s what a superstar does in the big moment. Luka: more turnovers than made shots. Both play the same position. That was just a personal beat down, among the biggest ever, that will set the discussion for this era of players.

Luka had 7 turnovers. OKC had 7 turnovers. Can't win like that.

[Chicagojk]

Yeah and Kyrie needs more than 9 shots. I think he is letting the game come to him and is making the right play. But we are playing right into OKc hands if he isn’t getting at least 25 points. Especially with Luka struggling. If I am OKC I take my chances with jones and Williams. Both had made OKC pay but I would bet on the percentages.

[GATA]

What I don’t understand is that Kyrie, who is healthy, is getting no pushback. He was the worst player on the floor, both offensively and defensively. Luka is not healthy, but he was pretty damn good tonight on defense.

The crux of it is that we need to play Green way more. He’s a guy that will always be there with the energy, and I trust him to knock down shots

[BigDirk41]

This is also a perfect time for Kidd to go to the media about how Luka is being officiated. Get a big fine and stand up for your superstar like Rick did for the Pacers. Rick completely changed that series taking a 35k fine.

[Scott41theMavs]

I think this is a moment for Kyrie to pull Luka aside privately and talk to him about greatness and finding a way for his team. Nobody else on the team other than maybe Kidd could do that. We know Kidd won't.

That would be true, if Uncle Drew had done anything in this game to have the moral high ground to do that. He no-showed nearly as badly as Luka did.

[ThisIStheYear]

More turnovers than made shots is not on the officials. If those numbers are reversed, even in a still crappy Luka performance, the Mavs eke this one out. Luka just didn’t get the job done. Shai did. Shai is good every single game.

[Scott41theMavs]

This is also a perfect time for Kidd to go to the media about how Luka is being officiated. Get a big fine and stand up for your superstar like Rick did for the Pacers. Rick completely changed that series taking a 35k fine.

Lol that a Mavs fan would conceive that there was any possibility of that happening whatsoever. Ah, me.

[HoosierDaddyKid]

Part of the reason Kyrie isn't getting going is because they put JDub on him, a bigger athletic defender. That's not to say Kyrie can't still do his thing. It just makes it tougher for him to get clean looks.

[omahen]

Too bad. Mavs didn't take advantage of a bad OKC shooting game after leading for most of the game. In the end it was missed free throws and stars didn't deliver. Both teams defensive plans are working, but Mavs offense stopped in the second half. We go on, Mavs in 6.

[MarkAguirreWrathofGod]

Part of the reason Kyrie isn't getting going is because they put JDub on him, a bigger athletic defender. That's not to say Kyrie can't still do his thing. It just makes it tougher for him to get clean looks.

This is exactly it. He’s been having to work for every thing he gets. Need to find a way to spring him free for some clean looks.