On Tuesday, the Oklahoma City Thunder punched their ticket to the Emirates NBA Cup semifinals in Las Vegas with a 118-104 victory over the Dallas Mavericks. The win flipped the script from last season’s playoff defeat, as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the way with a spectacular all-around performance.
SGA poured in 39 points, outscoring Dallas’ stars Luka Dončić and Kyrie Irving, who combined for just 33 points. He also added eight rebounds, five assists, five threes, and three steals. Oklahoma City’s balanced attack saw all five starters in double figures, with Jalen Williams contributing 18 points and Isaiah Hartenstein notching a double-double with 10 points and 13 rebounds.
The Thunder broke the game open in the third quarter, outscoring the Mavericks 33-19 behind 16 points from Gilgeous-Alexander and capped by Isaiah Joe’s buzzer-beating three.
OKC’s defensive dominance was on full display. The Thunder, who allowed the league’s second-fewest points, held Dallas to its second-lowest scoring output of the season. Dončić and Irving’s 33 points marked their second-worst combined total in games where both logged 40 minutes.
With a league-leading 14 steals, OKC capitalized on Dallas’ 18 turnovers, turning them into 36 points. The Thunder also rained down a season-high 20 threes on 50 attempts, improving to 13-1 when shooting 36% or better from deep.
The Thunder now await the Warriors and Rockets matchup winner to determine their semifinal opponent on Dec. 14.
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