Luka Doncic and P.J. Washington both score 29 points as the Mavericks top the Thunder to even the series at one game apiece.
OKLAHOMA CITY — Writhing in agony, Luka Doncic grabbed at his head just as it bounced off the hardwood at Paycom Center.
The fall occurred not even a minute into Game 2.
“I think today was one of the hardest games I’ve had to play,” Doncic said. “I’m battling out there. I’m trying to do my best to help the team win.”
The Mavs walked out with a 119-110 triumph over the Oklahoma City Thunder to even their Western Conference semifinals series 1-1 as it heads back to Dallas on Saturday for Game 3 (3:30 ET, ABC). Doncic busted loose from a shooting slump with 29 points, while P.J. Washington added another 29 as an unexpected offensive catalyst.
We’ll get into that and more in our five takeaways from the matchup:
1. Luka Doncic fights through slump
Admit it, you wondered whether the sprained right knee Doncic suffered in Game 3 of the first round was starting to negatively affect him.
It was worth pondering after Game 1. Doncic quickly assuaged those concerns in the first half with a red-hot performance that likely lifted him from the shooting slump. Doncic led Dallas with 18 points in the first half, hitting 4-for-6 from 3-point range with wrecking ball Luguentz Dort draped all over him.
Doncic logged his 36th career game with 25-plus points, five-plus rebounds, five-plus assists, and five-plus made 3-pointers. That ranks as the most in NBA postseason history.
“He was Luka in the sense that he was aggressive,” Mavs coach Jason Kidd said. “He was taking the shots that presented. He was attacking early. He wasn’t settling.”
Doncic nailed six of his first eight shots in the first half as Dallas seized a 14-point lead. The five-time All-Star received long-range assistance from Washington.
Remember, Doncic entered Game 2 shooting 22.7% from 3-point range this postseason, fresh off a playoff-low 19 points two nights prior, forced in part by suffocating defense from Dort.
Doncic saw his streak of 24 straight games with at least 20 points end.
So, the NBA’s scoring leader bounced back in a major way.
2. P.J. Washington ‘set the tone’
At least that’s what Kidd said about Washington. You could tell Dallas wanted to involve the forward early in this one. The Mavericks opened the game with a Washington post-up.
“We wanted to look at something different,” Kidd explained. “We always look at Kai and Luka. So, we looked at something different and it worked. We’ll be able to maybe build on that as we go forward with other role players.”
Washington tied his career-high for 3-pointers in a game with seven in Game 2, marking the third time he’s accomplished the feat. The 25-year-old nailed five of his 3-pointers in the first half.
Washington and Doncic combined to drill a blistering 7-for-8 from 3-point range in the first quarter. Over the previous four games this postseason, the duo shot 12-for-55 from beyond the arc before combining to connect on 12-for-19 in Game 2.
Washington’s 29 points represent a career postseason high. Since he joined Dallas, it is 3-2 when he scores 20 points or more.
“We played through him a little bit in the post,” Kidd said. “I think that sparked him. We didn’t go to Luka or [Kyrie Irving] early. We just let the ball find them.”
3. OKC’s expanded rotation fizzles
Oklahoma City hoped to continue reaping benefits from its expanded rotation. The Thunder has routinely utilized 10 to 11 players this postseason when most squads keep that number to single digits.
“If you ask somebody why that’s not an ideal situation, they’d probably relate it to rhythm or confidence,” OKC coach Mark Daigneault said. “Generally, our team plays with pretty good rhythm and confidence. These guys have learned how to operate in that environment.”
Dallas used largely an eight-man rotation to best the home team.
OKC worked 13 players into its Game 1 (three logged garbage time minutes) win, and 10 saw playing time during critical sections of that game. It’s a trend that continued into Game 2. Reserves Jaylin Williams, Aaron Wiggins, Isaiah Joe, Cason Wallace, and Gordon Hayward contributed a combined 30 points.
Williams came off the bench first in the opening quarter and connected on 3-for-3 for eight points. By the end of the first frame, the Thunder had already utilized 10 players.
The Thunder bench outscored Dallas’ reserves 42-23 in Game 1.
In Game 2, the benches tied, 30-30.
4. Can the Mavs maintain this?
Kidd mentioned before Game 2 that Dallas’ shots eventually would start to fall. That took place on Thursday as the Mavericks connected on a playoff-high 48.6% from beyond the arc with five players scoring in double-figures.
Washington and Tim Hardaway Jr. combined for 46 points, hitting 9-for-15 from distance.
Playing through Washington early on helped to open the floodgates.
“Everybody that stepped on the floor fought,” Doncic said.
Irving dished 11 assists in Game 2 and is 5-1 in the regular season and playoffs when he finishes with 10 or more assists. The Mavericks are 17-1 in the postseason and regular season when logging 30 assists or more and they’re facing an OKC team intent on stopping Doncic and Irving.
“We’re sharing the ball,” Doncic said. “They have great players, they have great chemistry, a great team. It’s gonna be a fight until the end.”
5. Josh Giddey problematic in Game 2
OKC trailed by six points at halftime. When the Thunder came out for the third quarter, Daigneault decided to play reserve Wiggins over Josh Giddey, who started 80 games in the regular season.
Giddey registered a game-worst minus-14 in the first half. He finished at minus-20 over 11 minutes and sits at minus-27 for the series.
Wiggins ended up playing 20 minutes off the bench.
“I wouldn’t say [the lineups with Giddy] didn’t work,” Daigneault said. “Halftime subs are something we’ve done for a long time. It’s basically an in-game substitution.”
Since Giddey continues to struggle defensively and as a 3-point shooter, Daigneault elected to start Wiggins in the second half.
“Wiggins’ ability to step into a playoff game and not play until the second quarter, then have the game he had [in Game 1],” the coach said. “It’s all about how you look at it. We have guys that are mentally tough. If it’s not their night, they root for each other’s success.”
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Michael C. Wright is a senior writer for NBA.com. You can e-mail him here, find his archive here and follow him on X.
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