Dirk Nowitzki had one of the greatest games of his career in Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals. The Dallas Mavericks star put up 48 points against the Oklahoma City Thunder. He did it on just 15 field goal attempts. He was a perfect 24-for-24 from the free throw line. All of this has been well documented by SB Nation’s Tom Ziller.
Thunder Vs. Mavericks: Dirk Nowitzki Not Only Game 1 Positive For Dallas In Victory
But while Nowitzki was incredible, he wasn’t the only positive for the Mavericks, according to SB Nation’s Mavs Moneyball. Some other good takeaways for Dallas in Game 1:
Dallas dispelled the thoughts that their layoff would cause them to “rust,” as if they’re some sort of metal machine that acted like a human. The word escapes me. Maybe Carlisle knows it.
JJ Superstar Barea killed it tonight. He was huge off of the bench, and sliced up the porous Thunder defense, just like he did in the series with the Lakers.
The Mavericks showed that being crafty and wise can overcome athleticism, but most of us knew that anyway.
As always, there were some negatives for Dallas that Mavs Moneyball points out, which include relying on Dirk too much. But on a night like he had in Game 1, they can hardly be blamed for that.
Game 2 of the Thunder-Mavericks series is Thursday night at 9 p.m. ET on ESPN.
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