Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's Record-Breaking Performance Leads Thunder to Series Tie Against Mavericks

Dallas, Texas United States of America
Gilgeous-Alexander broke a record for most midrange buckets made in a playoff game over the past decade, going 12-of-16 on midrange shots.
Jalen Williams made a crucial corner 3 to take the lead for OKC in Game 4, while Lu Dort made one of his missed 3s in the fourth quarter.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the Oklahoma City Thunder to a series-tying win against the Dallas Mavericks in Game 4 with a score of 100-96.
The Mavs' Luka Doncic missed a free throw with 10 seconds remaining that could have tied the game.
The Thunder started the postseason with a 5-0 record and have shown youthful energy and depth.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's Record-Breaking Performance Leads Thunder to Series Tie Against Mavericks

In the Western Conference semifinals of the NBA playoffs, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the Oklahoma City Thunder to a series-tying win against the Dallas Mavericks in Game 4. With a score of 100-96, Gilgeous-Alexander displayed impressive shotmaking and decision-making skills that carried the Thunder past their opponents. The Mavs, who had won two games in a row, were looking to take a commanding lead in the series. However, Gilgeous-Alexander's performance proved crucial for OKC.

Gilgeous-Alexander scored or assisted on 20 of the Thunder's final 30 points. He went 12-of-16 on midrange shots in the game, breaking a record for most midrange buckets made in a playoff game over the past decade. His ability to find teammates and trust them during critical moments was praised by coach Mark Daigneault.

The Mavs' Luka Doncic missed a free throw with 10 seconds remaining that could have tied the game, and Dallas made only 12 of 23 free throws compared to Thunder's 23-of-24. Doncic had more turnovers (7) than field goals (6) in the game, while Kyrie Irving registered only 9 points for the second time in the series.

The Thunder started the postseason with a 5-0 record, and their youthful energy and depth have been tested by Dallas' physicality. The team is looking to rely on muscle memory built during the regular season to overcome this adversity. In Game 4, Jalen Williams made a crucial corner 3 to take the lead for OKC, while Lu Dort made a big play by making one of his missed 3s in the fourth quarter.

Despite dealing with sore knee and bum ankle, Doncic is expected to play in Game 4. He has averaged 15 potential assists through the first three games of the series but has only posted nine actual assists in Game 1. OKC has contained Doncic's scoring, holding him to 19 points in Game 1 and 22 points in Game 3. Doncic is projected to have at least 9.5 assists in Game 4, with his number coming out closer to 9.9.

Chet Holmgren is projected to score over 14.5 points in Game 4.



Confidence

90%

Doubts
  • Are there any inaccuracies in the reported scores and player statistics?

Sources

98%

  • Unique Points
    • Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led Oklahoma City Thunder to a series-tying win against Dallas Mavericks in Game 4 with 34 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 blocks and 2 steals.
    • Gilgeous-Alexander scored or assisted on 20 of the Thunder’s final 30 points.
    • He went12-of-16 on midrange shots in the game, breaking a record for most midrange buckets made in a playoff game over the past decade.
    • Gilgeous-Alexander scored four consecutive points for Thunder with increasing difficulty, including a 10-foot baseline fadeaway that tied the game.
    • He kicked the ball out to Chet Holmgren for go-ahead 3-pointer when surrounded by Mavericks defenders in the paint.
    • Luguentz Dort swished a wide-open 3 after receiving Gilgeous-Alexander’s assist, stretching Thunder’s lead to four points.
    • Mark Daigneault praised Gilgeous-Alexander for his ability to find teammates and trust them during critical moments in the game.
    • Doncic missed a free throw with 10 seconds remaining that could have tied the game, and Dallas made only 12 of 23 free throws compared to Thunder’s 23-of-24.
    • Doncic had more turnovers (7) than field goals (6) in the game, and Irving registered only 9 points for the second time in the series.
  • Accuracy
    • ]Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led Oklahoma City Thunder to a series-tying win against Dallas Mavericks in Game 4 with 34 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 blocks and 2 steals.[
  • Deception (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Fallacies (95%)
    The author uses inflammatory rhetoric when describing the stakes of the game for Gilgeous-Alexander, stating it is 'probably the most meaningful game I've played in my career.' This is an appeal to emotion and can be considered a form of informal fallacy. Additionally, there are several instances where the author uses hyperbole when describing Gilgeous-Alexander's performance, such as 'unbelievable,' 'ill-advised,' and 'tough-shot maker.' These statements are not objectively true and can be considered an exaggeration or a form of informal fallacy.
    • ][author] The stakes of Game 4 weighed on Oklahoma City superstar Shai Gilgeous-Alexander all day Monday as he waited for the 8:30 tipoff with the Thunder trailing the Dallas Mavericks in their Western Conference semifinal series 2-1. He called it 'probably the most meaningful game I’ve played in my career.'[[/],
  • Bias (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Author Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication

81%

  • Unique Points
    • Oklahoma City Thunder started the postseason with a 5-0 record.
    • The Dallas Mavericks have won only one game in the playoffs when P.J. Washington scores 20 points or more.
  • Accuracy
    • Shai Gilgeous-Alexander said that they need to 'trust their teammates' in critical moments.
  • Deception (50%)
    The article contains editorializing and selective reporting. The author makes statements such as 'These last two games built confidence for the already hungry Washington' and 'We’ve got to turn that water off if we want to win the series.' These statements are not factual, but rather opinions of the author. Additionally, the article selectively reports on certain statistics and events in a way that supports its narrative. For example, it mentions P.J. Washington's shooting percentages and Dallas' record when he scores 20 points or more, but does not mention similar statistics for other players or teams.
    • These last two games built confidence for the already hungry Washington
    • We’ve got to turn that water off if we want to win the series.
  • Fallacies (85%)
    The author makes an appeal to authority in the quote 'We think we've done that.' by Mark Daigneault regarding prioritizing defensive strategies against P.J. Washington. Additionally, there is a use of inflammatory rhetoric in the phrase 'brute physicality' and 'first true test of adversity'.
    • “We think we’ve done that.” by Mark Daigneault
    • “stormed to a 5-0 start this postseason, but its youthful bounce has been weakened these last two games by the brute physicality of the Dallas Mavericks.”
  • Bias (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Author Conflicts Of Interest (0%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication

80%

  • Unique Points
    • Luka Doncic is dealing with sore knee and bum ankle but is expected to play in Game 4 of the NBA Playoffs.
    • Doncic has averaged 15 potential assists through the first three games of the series, despite posting only nine actual assists in Game 1.
    • OKC has contained Doncic's scoring, holding him to 19 points in Game 1 and 22 points in Game 3.
    • Doncic is projected to have at least 9.5 assists in Game 4, with his number coming out closer to 9.9.
    • Chet Holmgren is projected to score over 14.5 points in Game 4.
  • Accuracy
    • The Over/Under total for the game has opened at 215 points and has since slipped to as low as 213.5 O/U, making it the shortest total of the series.
    • 62% of picks are laying the short spread with Dallas in Game 4, while 64% of picks are betting the Over on the total.
    • Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led Oklahoma City Thunder to a series-tying win against Dallas Mavericks in Game 4 with 34 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 blocks and 2 steals.
    • Gilgeous-Alexander scored or assisted on 20 of the Thunder’s final 30 points.
    • He went12-of-16 on midrange shots in the game, breaking a record for most midrange buckets made in a playoff game over the past decade.
    • Gilgeous-Alexander scored four consecutive points for Thunder with increasing difficulty, including a 10-foot baseline fadeaway that tied the game.
    • He kicked the ball out to Chet Holmgren for go-ahead 3-pointer when surrounded by Mavericks defenders in the paint.
    • Luguentz Dort swished a wide-open 3 after receiving Gilgeous-Alexander’s assist, stretching Thunder’s lead to four points.
    • Mark Daigneault praised Gilgeous-Alexander for his ability to find teammates and trust them during critical moments in the game.
    • Doncic and Irving combined for 27 points on 10-of-31 shooting, their lowest scoring outing as a duo since Dallas acquired Irving.
    • Doncic missed a free throw with 10 seconds remaining that could have tied the game, and Dallas made only 12 of 23 free throws compared to Thunder’s 23-of-24.
    • Doncic had more turnovers (7) than field goals (6) in the game, and Irving registered only 9 points for the second time in the series.
  • Deception (30%)
    The article makes multiple assertions about the performance of Luka Doncic and the Thunder's ability to contain him, but it does not provide any clear evidence or facts to support these claims. Instead, it relies on speculation and assumptions. For example, the author states that 'OKC has held the Dallas Mavericks star to 19 points in Game 1 and 22 in Game 3,' but this is not a factual statement as it does not account for other factors such as turnovers or assists. The article also makes predictions about Luka's performance in Game 4, stating that 'Doncic is nursing both a sore knee and bum ankle but is still the focus of the Mavericks’ offense and is touching the ball on almost every possession.' However, there is no evidence provided to support this claim or any indication of how the author arrived at this conclusion. Additionally, the article contains multiple instances of emotional manipulation through phrases such as 'put OKC on the ropes' and 'looking to put OKC on the ropes in Game 4.'
    • Luka Doncic Over 8.5 assists (-115 at DraftKings)
    • Many of Chet Holmgren’s scoring models call for 16+ from OKC’s big man, with his ceiling for shot attempts higher than his Game 3 output.
    • OKC has held the Dallas Mavericks star to 19 points in Game 1 and 22 in Game 3, yet Luka Doncic continues to set up his teammates for solid looks, averaging 15 potential assists through the first three games.
  • Fallacies (85%)
    The author makes an assumption about Luka Doncic's impact on the game beyond scoring, which is not directly supported by the data provided. This is an example of an informal fallacy called 'Jumping to Conclusions'. The author also uses inflammatory language when stating that OKC has been doing a 'good job containing Luka Doncic's scoring', implying that this is a negative thing, which is not objectively true. This is an example of emotional rhetoric.
    • My analysis OKC has done a good job containing Luka Doncic's scoring
    • Despite posting nine actual assists in the series opener before outputs of five and seven dimes in the past two outings, Doncic has gone Under his closing assist total of 9.5 the past two games.
  • Bias (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Author Conflicts Of Interest (0%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication

95%

  • Unique Points
    • Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the Thunder's comeback win against the Mavericks with his shotmaking and decision-making.
    • Jalen Williams made a crucial corner 3 to take a lead for OKC.
    • Lu Dort made a big play by making one of his missed 3s in the fourth quarter.
  • Accuracy
    No Contradictions at Time Of Publication
  • Deception (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Fallacies (85%)
    The author uses inflammatory rhetoric by describing Dallas' defense as 'completely transformed' and the Thunder's performance as 'trending toward the Thunder falling behind 3-1 in the series'. These are subjective statements that do not add any logical value to the analysis.
    • ]The author describes Dallas' defense as 'completely transformed'.[
    • ']The Thunder's performance is trending toward the Thunder falling behind 3-1 in the series'.[
  • Bias (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Author Conflicts Of Interest (0%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication