Western Conference: Round 2 Review
#1) Oklahoma City Thunder vs #5) Dallas Mavericks
(DAL wins 4-2)
A close one. This series was closer than the 4-2 series tally would lead to believe. Both teams dug deep and overcame obstacles. The Oklahoma City Thunder entered these playoffs as the youngest #1 seed in NBA history, with an average age of 23.4. This clears the previous record by nearly two years, held at an average age of 25.2 by the Phoenix Suns. Led by MVP winner Steve Nash, the 2004-2005 Suns won 62 games that season before being eliminated by the eventual champion, San Antonio Spurs, in the Western Conference Finals. Phoenix's starting five consisted of two players over 25, including Nash, who was 30 years old. For the Thunder, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who finished second in MVP voting, is the oldest player in Oklahoma City’s starting lineup at 25 years old. The Thunder shocked the Mavericks in Game 1 in blowout fashion, defending home court. Shai led the way with a nearly 30-point triple-double. The Mavericks would bounce back in Game 2, led by Luka Doncic and newly acquired P.J. Washington, who each scored 29 points and grabbed 10+ rebounds. Dallas then carried this momentum from Game 2 to Game 3 and would seize control of the series. Despite inconsistent performances in this series by co-star and NBA Champion Kyrie Irving, he would make his presence felt in the closeout of Game 6. Irving and Doncic combined for 51 points and 13 assists in the 117-116 Game 6 win. Doncic specifically finished with 29 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists, becoming the fifth player in NBA history to record three consecutive triple-doubles during the playoffs, according to ESPN Stats & Information research. It was an all-around team effort, with more than enough credit to go around. P.J. Washington made the game-winning free throw with 2.5 seconds remaining. Derrick Jones Jr., who signed a veterans minimum deal in the summer, scored 22 points and played a pivotal role on the defensive end. Luka Doncic has led the Dallas Mavericks to the Western Conference finals for the second time in three seasons. Kyrie Irving improved his individual record to 14-0 in closeout games to clinch a series.
#2) Denver Nuggets vs #3) Minnesota Timberwolves
(MIN wins 4-3)
Battle of the Titans. In an exhilarating series for the ages, Anthony Edwards has ingratiated himself in the history books as one of the youngest players in NBA history to lead a deep playoff run, joining the likes of LeBron James, Magic Johnson(with Kareem Abdul-Jabaar), and Kobe Byrant(with Shaquille O’Neal). The Minnesota Timberwolves took the world by storm out the gate, grasping home-court advantage by the neck and seemingly en route to squeezing the air out. In Game 3, the Nuggets were slapped and snapped back to reality, going on an unprecedented run, winning the next three games to seize control and go up 3-2 in the series. Many assumed the defending champs would finish the job, especially now appearing to have momentum, but Minnesota Coach of the Year finalist Chris Finch would gameplan the Wolves past Jokic, whom many regard as a top 15-20, maybe even top 10 player already. At one point in Game 6, Minnesota led by a staggering 50 points before ultimately winning by 45 to force just the second Game 7 in Wolves franchise history. For Denver, it would be their first Game 7 since the 2020 Western semi-finals. Their 30% shooting (26-86) in Game 6 was the worst in franchise history, and the 70 total points scored set a franchise record for fewest points scored in a playoff game. The Nuggets continued to find themselves on the wrong side of history, as the 45-point win is also the 2nd largest margin of victory when facing elimination. In Game 7 Minnesotta found themselves down but ultimately, ignorance was bliss. The stage was set, and the Wolves set a Game 7 record for the largest comeback, erasing a 15-point half-time lead and winning by 8 to advance to the 2nd Western Conference Finals in franchise history and the first since 2004. Denver became the 9th defending champion to be eliminated at home in a Game 7. Jamal Murray and Nikola Jokic combined for 69 points, while the rest of the team chimed in with 21 points. Denver is typically way more reliant on their role players, and the fact that they are 0-11 when held to under 100 points further drives home this point. In these playoffs and specifically this round, the Timberwolves played well beyond their years, disproving the myth that it takes years of experience before being qualified for the job. Young phenom Anthony Edwards displayed his poise and leadership as the T-Wolves bounced back from a nearly 4-game reverse sweep in historic fashion, sending the defending champions home and Nikola Jokic back to his beloved horses.
Did your team make it out of round 2? Share some of your favorite moments below!