The Oklahoma City Thunder have been so good in the playoffs so far that even one Dallas Mavericks player had to admit it on Tuesday.
The Thunder walloped the Mavs 117-95 to take Game 1 of the Western Conference semis at Paycom Center. Thunder star Jalen Williams, who was mic’d up during the blowout affair, had an interesting conversation with one of his opponents.
Dallas Mavericks Player Had Mic’d Up Moment With Oklahoma City Thunder Star Jalen Williams
Williams was his usual energetic self while mic’d up for Game 1. The Thunder wing had a handful of fun little interactions. But perhaps the most interesting was his conversation with Mavs reserve AJ Lawson.
Lawson entered the contest once Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd had waived the white flag. The Thunder built a 111-89 lead with 5:14 left at that point. During a dead ball, Lawson praised the Thunder while talking to Williams, who took the comment in stride.
“I ain’t gonna lie, y’all boys a good basketball team” said Lawson.
“It’s gonna be a good series,” Williams responded.
Jalen Williams mic'd up is, no surprise, a must watch.
A.J. Lawson: "I ain't gonna lie, y'all boys a good basketball team."
JDub: "It's gonna be a good series." https://t.co/uATnuXFFD7
— Brandon Rahbar (@BrandonRahbar) May 8, 2024
It’s unclear if Lawson knew Williams was mic’d up. But regardless, the Mavericks player’s comment was a show of respect to what the Thunder were able to accomplish in Game 1.
The Oklahoma City Thunder Laid The Smack Down In Game 1
The Thunder were the most accurate three-point shooting team during the regular season. That continued in Game 1 against the Mavericks. OKC poured in 16 threes on 45.7% shooting from distance.
The Thunder had seven different players hit two or more threes. They also had 29 assists compared to the Mavs’ 19. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was, as per usual, the team’s leading scorer with 29 points. But the team was clearly revving on all cylinders as a unit.
Williams himself had some explosive moments late in the contest. He had just four points before halftime before coming alive in the second half. Williams finished with 18 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists.
OKC also limited Dallas to just 95 points, which continued a telling Thunder trend through the team’s first five playoff games so far.