Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 39 points, and the Oklahoma City Thunder beat the Dallas Mavericks 118-104 on Tuesday night in the quarterfinals of the NBA Cup.
Jalen Williams scored 18 points and Isaiah Hartenstein added 10 points and 13 rebounds for the Thunder, who will play the Golden State-Houston winner in Saturday’s semifinal game in Las Vegas.
Oklahoma City’s biggest lead was 20 points in last season’s Western Conference semifinal series when Dallas won 4-2.
The Thunder and their collection of elite perimeter defenders held Luka Doncic to 16 points on 5-of-15 shooting. Lu Dort led the effort, with Alex Caruso and Cason Wallace among the first assists.
Naji Marshall and Klay Thompson each scored 19 points and Kyrie Irving added 17 for the Mavericks.
PJ Washington, Oklahoma City’s star during last season’s playoff run and last month’s win over Dallas, missed the game due to illness.
Oklahoma City led 57-54 at halftime after 18 points from Gilgeous-Alexander. Doncic had two points on 1-for-7 shooting at halftime.
Gilgeous-Alexander scored 16 points on 7-for-8 shooting in the third quarter to help the Thunder take control. Isaiah Joe’s deep 3-pointer at the buzzer gave Oklahoma City a 90-73 lead heading into the fourth.
What is taken
Mavericks: Dallas made too many mistakes to have a chance. The Thunder scored 36 points to the Mavericks’ 19.
Popularity: Oklahoma City brought in the 7-foot, 255-pound Hartenstein as a free agent in the offseason to provide bulk and rebounding. It paid off – the Thunder outshot the Mavericks 52-44.
Time is important
Oklahoma City opened the second half with a 13-2 run. Gilgeous-Alexander scored nine points in the period to help the Thunder take a 70-56 lead.
Key statistics
The Mavericks made just 6 of 19 field goals in the third quarter after shooting 50% from the field in the first half.
Next
Mavericks: Catch the Los Angeles Clippers on Dec. 19.
Popularity: It will play either Golden State or Houston in the NBA Cup semifinals on Saturday in Las Vegas.
It is reported by the Associated Press.
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