- What: NBA Western Conference semifinals
- Who: Dallas Mavericks vs. Oklahoma City Thunder
- When: Saturday, May 18 at 8 p.m. ET
- Where: American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas
- How to Watch: ESPN and YouTube TV
Things are coming down to the wire between the Oklahoma City Thunder and Dallas Mavericks. Entering the series, the Thunder were expected to have their way with Dallas, but that hasn’t been the case at all. Matter of fact, Dallas is up 3-2 in the series and the team is one win away from reaching the Western Conference Finals. Having said that, the Mavericks are favored over the Thunder in a crucial Game 6. Which side will come out on top?
In Game 5, Dallas was able to stun a lot of people, as they posted a 104-92 victory. In the win, Luka Doncic was downright brilliant, scoring 31 points and adding 11 assists. Doncic took over when his team needed them too and he didn’t hesitate in knocking down some great shots. Now, more of the same will be needed in Game 6, as Dallas is looking to close out the series in style. It’s not going to be easy, but Doncic will be relied upon to have another strong showing.
“I just focused on basketball,” Doncic said after the Game 5 win against the Thunder. “I remembered the thing I love, the thing I love to do. Just play basketball. I talked to them (the officials) normal without complaining — nothing. I think it was the whole game, nothing. So I just go out there and hoop. Have fun, have fun. It was the old Luka — a smile on my face.”
According to the best-rated sportsbooks, including the reliable Bovada review, the Mavericks hold -110 NBA playoffs betting odds for this showdown. Dallas is the home team for this one, which is why it makes sense that they’re favored. As for the Thunder, they hold +125 NBA betting odds. Dallas is going to rely on the home crowd to make a difference and a lot of people think they’ll post a victory. However, we don’t think they’re going to be able to get the job done.
More work to do.@ModeloUSA // #OneForDallas #MFFL pic.twitter.com/mNGtlhWQPH
— Dallas Mavericks (@dallasmavs) May 16, 2024
The Thunder are our pick to win Game 6 over Dallas
While there’s a ton of buzz that the Mavs will pull off a victory, the Thunder are our pick to win Game 6 over Dallas. Oklahoma City was nothing short of brilliant during the regular season, earning the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference. They’re loaded with young talent, of course including Chet Holmgren and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Gilgeous-Alexander has been unreal this season, including his 30-point performance on Wednesday night.
In order for the Thunder to take down Dallas, the team will need Gilgeous-Alexander to be at his best and the same can be said for Holmgren. Oklahoma City is facing a must-win game on Saturday night. With a win, they’ll force a Game 7, which would be electric and that contest would be played in Oklahoma. However, if they lose, then their season will be over. This is something the staff and players are fully aware of.
Trusting each other no matter what pic.twitter.com/aiziCpO2Wf
— OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) May 16, 2024
“There’s no player, regardless of where they are in their career, that doesn’t struggle in the playoffs at different times throughout the course of a series. Those guys are going to bounce back,” head coach Mark Daigneault said. “They’re really good players that we have a ton of confidence in.”
Daigneault, the 2023-24 NBA Coach of the Year, thinks that his guys will be able to bounce back and something tells us they’ll do just that. The Mavericks think they’re close to ending this series, but the Thunder will remind everyone of how great they can be. The crowd in Dallas is going to look to make a difference, but the Thunder won’t let the noise impact them. It will be a close game, but we’re indeed going with the Thunder as our pick to win Game 6 and force a Game 7.
Will the Mavericks or Thunder move on to the Western Conference Finals?
A big question people have on their minds is will the Mavericks or Thunder move on to the Western Conference Finals? On the other side of things, it’s looking like the Denver Nuggets will be advancing. So, the winner of Dallas and Oklahoma City will then go on to take on Denver. That’s going to be an interesting series regardless of who ends up moving on.
Per the sportsbooks, the Mavericks hold -145 odds to win this series, with the Thunder at +200. Dallas is up 3-2 and people are betting big on them to get things finished at home in Game 6. However, if the Thunder win Game 6, then Game 7 will be back at home for them in OKC.
The Thunder need to take care of business on Saturday night and then things will be looking good for them in Game 7. We’ll have to wait and see how things go down, but we have a feeling that the Thunder will win both Game 6 and Game 7. Soon enough, we’ll see if OKC proves us right or wrong. They should be two fun games, though.
