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Oklahoma City Thunder vs Dallas Mavericks Game 4: Western Conference Playoffs – Second round

The Dallas Mavericks are hosting the Oklahoma City Thunder at the American Airlines Center on Monday with a 2-1 series lead.

 

Can the Thunder get back in the series?

The Oklahoma City Thunder finished the regular season at the top of the Western Conference, and after sweeping the New Orleans Pelicans, they are facing a real challenge against the Mavericks. They took the series lead with a huge home win, but lost the following two. They had a double-digit lead at a certain point in Game 3 but could not hold on to it. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had 31 points and 10 rebounds, and Jalen Williams scored 16.

 

Is this the season for the Mavs?

The Dallas Mavericks had a rough start to the series, but just like in the series against the Los Angeles Clippers, they bounced back when needed. PJ Washington is the key man for the Mavs in this series, leading the team in scoring in the second consecutive game. The forward finished Game 3 with 27 points, while Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving scored 22 points each.

 

Betting Trends

The Thunder have won 6 of the last 8 games against the Mavericks. They are 10-2 SU in the last 12 games overall, 9-2 SU in the last 11 games against teams from the Western Conference, and 7-2 SU in the last 9 games against teams from the Southwest Division. OKC has covered the spread in 8 of their last 11 games overall, 9 of the last 13 games against the Mavericks, and is 2-6 ATS in the last 8 games on the road and 2-7 ATS in the last 9 games played in May. Dallas is 6-2 SU in their last 8 games overall, 15-5 SU in the last 20 games against teams from the Western Conference, and 6-12 SU in the last 18 games played on Saturday. The Mavs have covered the spread in 6 of the last 8 games overall, 10 of their last 12 home games, and 5 of the last 7 games played in May.

 

Prediction and Conclusion

The Thunder came into the series as favorites, but things looked way different after the first three games. The Mavericks are the more experienced team, and that has made a difference in the key moments of the previous two games. PJ Washington came out of nowhere and has been a huge factor in this series. Luka Doncic is not 100 percent healthy and has minor knee issues, but he still finds a way to have control of the game. This is the game for the Mavs where they can make the crucial step toward the conference final, and Irving and Doncic will take full advantage of the given opportunity, taking the team to a 3-1 lead.