Luka Doncic shines with triple-double; Mavericks defeat thunder in Game 5

SAN PEDRO, LAGUNA — The Dallas Mavericks regained ground versus Oklahoma City Thunder, 104-92, to win Game 5 at the Paycom Center in Oklahoma City on Thursday, May 16.  

Mavs star player Luka Doncic makes the first shot of the opening quarter. But Thunder’s Chet Holmgren scored a three-pointer, giving the opposing team their lead, 2-3.  

Derrick Jones Jr. racks up a six-foot floater, bringing the lead back to the Mavericks, 9-8. 

The second quarter was a breeze for Dallas. In the past three minutes of the second quarter, Tim Hardaway Jr. and Kyrie Irving scored separate three-pointers respectively, blasting a 9-point lead against the Thunder, 40-27.  

The Mavericks were aggressive during the second quarter, adding 30 points for the team, compared to Thunder’s 22, ending the first half with a 10-point margin, 54-44.  

P.J. Washington scored five points in the third quarter, from driving for a dunk and shooting a three-pointer after, 65-51.  

Nine minutes left in the final quarter, and Doncic scores a 27-foot trey, bringing the team to a surprising 18-point lead, 89-71.  

With two minutes left, Jones Jr. blocked Holmgren’s attempted three-pointer, where Doncic threw the ball back, ran across the court, and dunked the ball, 99-86.  

Doncic, who played through a sprained right knee and a sore left ankle, posted a 31-point triple-double, including 10 rebounds and 11 assists.  

“We’re up 3-2, but that’s still nothing. We’ve got to finish it and go with the same mentality at home,” an injury-stricken Doncic said in a post-game interview.  

Jones Jr. scored a playoff career-high of 19 points, including a rebound and an assist to go with his record.  

After an upsetting 40.9% successful field goal from the previous game, the Mavericks put up 52.6% in today’s game. The Thunder also registered 42.5% field goals, compared to 38.0% from the prior game.  

With only one game left to secure a Western Conference Finals ticket, the Mavericks are set for Game 6 against the top-seeded Thunder at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas on Sunday, May 19 at 8:00 a.m. PHT.