Though the Mavericks let the Thunder attempt 36 free throws, they frustrated the young, inexperienced team throughout the game. The Mavericks were always in control of the game, even when Oklahoma came close to tying the game. After trailing 27-12 after the first period, OKC found difficulties getting back into a groove and rhythm on offense after a horrendous start. As the deficit grew, Oklahoma played worse. Despite winning the free-throw category, there were still too many outside shots taken by the Thunder. OKC was 1-for-17 from long distance and still continued to rely on them even in crucial moments. Why not attack the rim and go for a higher percentage shot. Kevin Durant led the way with three-point misses for his team with eight while ending the game making just 7-of-22 shots. It wasn’t until the fourth quarter that the Thunder got their stagnant offense flowing and this only came as a result of their defense. As the saying goes, Offense wins games, Defense wins championships.
Dallas’ defense wasn’t the lead story tonight. It was the maturity and leadership shown by this Dallas team and you ask who the spearhead of this teaching is, Jason Kidd. Russell Westbrook may be much quicker and stronger than the 38-year old veteran, but he has something that will take Westbrook years to develop -- playoff experience. This may be Kidd’s 15th consecutive playoff appearance, but he shows no sign of his age on the court with his fearless play. Just like when he played for the New Jersey Nets, J-Kidd is still leading fastbreaks and rewarding players with incredible passes as he racks up his assists. Kidd is the epitome of a born leader.
On the other hand, Oklahoma has no Kidd-like players and is still using these playoffs as a learning experience. It’s amazing that this team was resilient enough in Game 3 and still managed to cut the lead to six points with three minutes left to play in the fourth. That would be the lowest the deficit would drop due to the Thunder’s youth. Though Westbrook was abusing his mismatch against JJ Barea in the earlier minutes of the fourth quarter, he got a little out of hand in the final minutes. Two early three-point attempts by him and Daequan Cook were unnecessary. This eventually led to turnovers while giving Dallas more opportunities to increase the lead. You can only stop a team so many times before they execute and OKC failed to take advantage of their opportunities. In addition, though Westbrook got his swagger back while having a hot fourth quarter, the ball needed to be passed to Durant more. KD is one of the best scorers in the league and made 1st-Team All NBA for a reason. All the blame isn’t directed towards Westbrook because Durant needs to demand the ball more. As a superstar, he needs to be taking these shots in the closing minutes for his squad. To my understanding, he is the face of this organization. Dallas, in comparison, knew that Dirk Nowitzki should have the ball in his hands and Nowitzki answered when called upon.
With Dallas taking a 2-1 lead, the Thunder are put in a must win position for Game 4. If Dallas is able to steal both games away from home in this series, it would boost their confidence through the roof. Oklahoma is fully capable of winning the next game if they do all the right things. Obviously easier said than done, but the Thunder need to work on their defensive communication on pick and rolls and to thoroughly read the scouting report and not let shooters like Peja Stojakovic or Jason Terry have wide open three-point attempts in this series. Those points add up whether it’s one or several made by them. If these two things don’t change, I guarantee that Dallas will advance to the NBA Finals.
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