Thunder Have Yet to Allow 100 Points in a Game This 2024 NBA Playoffs

The Oklahoma City Thunder have only played five games during the 2024 NBA Playoffs, but they still have yet to allow 100 points in a single game. Oklahoma City surrendered 92 points in Game 1 of the Western Conference first-round series against the New Orleans Pelicans.

Then the Thunder gave up 92 points in Game 2, 85 points in Game 3, and a postseason-low 80 points in Game 4 to complete the series sweep. In Oklahoma City’s second-round Game 1 win over the Dallas Mavericks on Tuesday night, the Thunder allowed just 95 points.

Referring to a few NBA betting sites, the Thunder have third-shortest odds to win the championship. Sportsbooks are showing better odds for the Boston Celtics and Minnesota Timberwolves.

❝We put together a team effort tonight on the defensive end.❞@NickAGallo catches up with @ChetHolmgren and the squad after Game 1 🎤 pic.twitter.com/2o1gDaapcp

— OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) May 8, 2024

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had 29 points, nine rebounds, and nine assists in the top-seeded Thunder’s 117-95 win over Dallas in Game 1 of their Western Conference semifinal series.

Gilgeous-Alexander finished 8-of-19 (42.1%) shooting from the field, 2-of-4 (50%) from 3-point range, and 11-of-13 (84.6%) at the foul line before exiting with 3:26 remaining and the Thunder leading 111-89.

Oklahoma City Thunder held Dallas Mavericks to under 100 points in Game 1, kept Luka Doncic to under 20 points

The Thunder outscored Dallas 28-16 in the fourth quarter. Oklahoma City also held the Mavericks to 33-of-84 (39.3%) shooting from the floor and 12-of-35 (34.3%) from beyond the arc.

“I thought we got a good groove going after kind of a choppy start,” Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said. “Really intelligent attacks.

“We had a good blend of aggression and also taking what the defense gave us, keeping them on their heels, keeping the ball ahead of them. They’re really good when you slow down and you allow them to kind of scheme and calibrate.”

More importantly, Luka Doncic was held to under 20 points for only the third time of his seven-year playoff career. Entering Tuesday, Doncic had scored at least 20 points in 24 straight playoff games.

Luka Doncic last 5 games:

26.6 PPG
24.0 FGA
38.3% FG
16.3% 3PT

The least efficient 5-game stretch of his playoff career. pic.twitter.com/VVBAJArfUU

— StatMamba (@StatMamba) May 8, 2024

“They’re a great team,” Doncic said. “Great defensive team, great offensive team. So it’s not going to be easy at all. We’ve got to very good basketball and focused basketball for 48 minutes.”

Lu Dort, who mostly guarded the five-time All-Star, ended his outing with seven points, four rebounds, one assist, and two steals in 26 minutes of action.

“He’s just a warrior,” Daigneault said of Dort. “Brings the juice every single night. Doncic is a really hard matchup and a great player that didn’t have his best pitch tonight. He’s going to play better than this. Lu made it hard on him. I thought our team made it hard on him.”

Oklahoma City led by as many as 25 points against Dallas.

The Thunder host the Mavericks in Game 2 on Friday at 9:30 p.m. ET.