Game 3 Pregame Primer: Thunder (1-1) @ Mavericks (1-1)

Game Info

NBA.com preview | Tip-off: 2:30pm, American Airlines Center | Broadcast: ABC

3 Big Things

• The weakest link(s). SGA, Chet, JDub, and Dort are all 10+ in on-court plus/minus impact for the postseason, announcing themselves as a balanced contending core. The variance between everybody's most (Joe, Wiggins, Wallace) and least favorite (Giddey, Hayward) rotation players' impact beyond those four has been much more checkered. If the team plays from behind again throughout Game 3, expect to see the weakest links waving goodbye to more of their minutes.
• The margin is 2, not 3. Hot shooting was far and away the reason Dallas won on Thursday, and the odds are low that will continue. The Mavericks only shot 48.6% or better from three in games that Luka made 5 or more of his own, as they combined to do in Game 2, three times in the regular season. But life comes at you fast in the playoffs. OKC can only afford to lose two of its next seven games.
• Time to panic adjust? Oklahoma City's first postseason loss took home court advantage with it. After a dominant first five games of the playoffs, the Thunder are now betting underdogs for the series. Adjustments and on-court urgency are not the enemy of season-long, effective habits and playstyle. The fans certainly don't think Mark Daigneault will be quick-triggered to deviate from his rotation in meaningful, necessary ways, but I'm more open-minded. For now.

Prediction

OKC by Kyrie's assist total.

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