Dallas, TX
Three Takeaways From OKC’s No. 1 Seed-Clinching Win Over Dallas
It was a history-making Sunday for the Oklahoma City Thunder.
In its final game of a successful yet slightly surprising 57-win campaign, it became the youngest team to achieve both that win count and a No. 1 seed in a season. With an average age of 23.9 years old — increased heavily by the addition of Gordon Hayward — Oklahoma City is accomplishing things unprecedented for the stage its at.
The Dallas Mavericks had little opportunity to prevent that from happening. Most of their roster rested last night, including its star guard duo of Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving. This led to a 49-point loss, but one that ultimately mattered less for Dallas.
It was a combined effort for the Thunder, with all of its starting lineup receiving less than 20 minutes of playing time. The leader was Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s 15 points, followed by Aaron Wiggins’ 14 points.
Here are three takeaways from the 135-86 win:
Apr 14, 2024; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder forward Jalen Williams (8) and
Alonzo Adams-USA TODAY Sports
1. Bring the Thunder
If yesterday’s win proved anything, it was that Oklahoma City is ready to embark on a playoff run.
The Thunder went on a five-game win streak to finish out the regular season, allowing the returning Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams to get comfortable after dealing with minor injuries. The roster is fully ready to head into its first shot at the Larry O’Brien since the “bubble season” of 2020, with the highest expectations its had since the days of Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant.
The pieces to the puzzle have fully come together, too. Gilgeous-Alexander has clearly been at the top of the MVP contention ladder, Chet Holmgren has been the second-best performing rookie of the year and Jalen Williams has made the expected sophomore jump, but it’s clicking even beyond that.
Josh Giddey played possibly his worst stretch of basketball of his entire career on multiple occasions throughout the season, but finally got back to his confident play in the final few weeks. Bench pieces such as Cason Wallace, Isaiah Joe and Aaron Wiggins have been crucial pieces to Oklahoma City’s success, while the newest addition of Gordon Hayward has finally started to get comfortable.
No matter the age, inexperience or matchup, the Thunder is going to be the team that the Western Conference runs through. It’s hard to place exact expectations on a team with these circumstances, but as its proved all season long, you can’t count it out.
2. OKC has Depth
Although the playoffs tend to be the time for coaches to shorten the rotation, Oklahoma City certainly has the depth to last in the playoffs.
Due to the circumstances of a depleted Dallas lineup, the Thunder starters hardly had to play to secure one of the biggest blowout victories of the year. That allowed the bench unit to step in and do most of the damage, scoring 85 of the 135 total points.
Wiggins’ 14 points led the way for the bench, followed up by Ousmane Dieng’s 13, Wallace and Lindy Waters III’s 12. Wiggins and Wallace will certainly be the top pieces that come off the bench, but Dieng and Waters showed the potential to make an impact, even if the possibility is far more unlikely.
Teams never want to think about the possibility of their top players getting injured in the playoffs, but it can happen at anytime. If Gilgeous-Alexander fell it would be a much different story, but if players lower on the ladder came down with an injury, Oklahoma City would have plenty of options to retain the same production.
3. Potential First Round Matchups
Even though the Thunder has the No. 1 seed locked up, it won’t know its first round matchup until after the Play-In Tournament.
The four teams featured in the tournament in order are the New Orleans Pelicans, Los Angeles Lakers, Sacramento Kings and Golden State Warriors. It includes teams that have previous playoff experience with superstar talent, so no matter the matchup, it won’t be a cakewalk for Oklahoma City.
As great as the Thunder has been throughout the entire season, it doesn’t have a player with the legendary status as a LeBron James or Stephen Curry. Those players alone can pose a serious challenge, even if their rosters are relatively weaker all-around. It certainly has the capability of beating those four teams, but it may not be as much of a shock if it fell in the first round.
Oklahoma City will set it eyes on its opponent after Friday, when the Play-In comes to a close.
Want to join the discussion? Like Inside the Thunder on Facebook and follow us on Twitter to stay up to date on all the latest Thunder news. You can also meet the team behind the coverage.
For a moment, it looked like FC Dallas was on its way to another statement win at home tonight.
Petar Musa scored two first half goals, to extend his Golden Boot leading tally to nine goals. But after Dallas grabbed control, the Galaxy found a way back before halftime with goals from Lucas Sanabria and Joseph Paintsil.
The second half brought more chances and more frustration for Dallas, which finished the night with 13 shots to LA’s nine. In the end, the point stretched Dallas’ unbeaten run to five games, though just like last week, it felt like another match where Dallas left points on the table.
Key Moments
7’ – GOAL! After a poor pass back by a LA defender, Petar Musa was free to go one-on-one with the LA goalkeeper. After a touch to get ahead of a defender, Musa slotted home his eighth goal of the season from outside the penalty box.
21’ – Offside! Joaquin Valiente sent a floating ball over the Galaxy defense, where Musa was able to get behind the defense and make an easy play for what appeared to be his second goal of the night. The play was called offside despite a fairly lengthy review period.
38’ – GOAL! This one counts! Musa gets his second of the night off a great ball from Chris Cappis. Logan Farrington picked off the ball in the midfield. He then played Cappis wide to the left of the penalty area. Cappis immediately played a ball back across the goal for Musa to slide in and finish for his ninth of the season.
43’ – Goal LA. Lucas Sanabria got the ball near the top of the penalty area. He took a couple of touches to get outside the penalty box before firing a shot that beat Michael Collodi at the near post.
45+4’ – Goal LA. Gabriel Pec got the ball near the top of the penalty area. He pulled the ball back a bit, which caught a pair of Dallas defenders. This allowed Joseph Painstil to get free behind the Dallas defense as Pec played him through inside the penalty area. Pec immediately smashed home a shot above Collodi to tie the game.
75’ – Another offside goal. This time on a corner kick for Dallas, after a scrum in the penalty box, Kaick hammered home what looked to be the go-ahead goal. But after a few seconds the flag was raised due to a deflection on Osaze Urhoghide, who was in an offside position.
Instant Reaction
Yeah, this is another disappointing result for this team. In a real way, it felt like the first half against Houston from last month. Dallas grabbed the lead, looked in control, but some defensive miscues opened the game up for the visitors to climb back.
With a double-game week coming up, this will certainly be another game where Dallas will wonder ‘what if’ more than anything else…especially when you factor in the two goals called off for offside.
About the Subs
Eric Quill went to his bench for the first time in the 66th minute, as he brought on Santiago Moreno for Logan Farrington. Quill went to his bench again 81st minute with Ran Binyamin and Nolan Norris coming on for Sebastien Ibeagha and Deedson. The final sub came during stoppage time with Herman Johansson and Joaquin Valiente coming off for Sam Sarver and rookie Nick Simmonds, who made his MLS debut.
Man of the Match
No question about it tonight, it has to be Musa.
Where does this fit into the season
As of this writing, the draw puts Dallas into a three-way tie for 5th place with Real Salt Lake and Seattle. Both are in action right now and look firmly in control of their games. I’d expect Dallas to be in 7th place by the end of the night.
What’s next for FC Dallas
Dallas wraps up a three-game homestand next Wednesday night as they host Minnesota United.
Dallas, TX
Akheem Mesidor selected by Cowboys by Blogging The Boys in SB Nation’s community mock draft
Akheem Mesidor, Edge, Miami
Pass rush has been an issue since the Micah Parsons trade. The Rashan Gary trade helped, but Dallas still needs an injection of talent. Akheem Mesidor fits here because his body size allows for some versatility inside and out, something DC Christian Parker utilizes. Mesidor is also a high-motor player with a deep bag of pass rush moves.
His last season at Miami was full of disruption in the offensive backfield and he shows an all-around game, not just a bend-around-the-edge pass rusher. Yes, he’s a little older than you’d like in a rookie (25), but his motor, pass rush toolbox, and ability to play the run matches up with a need and makes him a quality pick at number 20.
The City of Dallas Office of Community Police Oversight is hosting a Public Safety Response Symposium to connect residents with public safety leaders. Here’s how to participate on May 9.
The Dallas Police Department posted to social media about the event on Friday afternoon. The post states, “Join public safety leaders for an inside look at how emergency and non-emergency calls are handled and how resources are deployed across Dallas.”
The symposium will be held at the Briscoe Carpenter Livestock Center, 1403 Washington St., fro 11 a.m.-noon on May 9. Doors open at 9:30 a.m. Light breakfast and refreshments will be provided.
Topics for the symposium include:
- How 911 calls are handled and dispatched
- How DPD uses specialized units and technology to improve response times
- When to use 311 for non-emergency services
- How crisis and behavioral health teams collaborate through alternative response strategies
There will also be a community Q&A forum where residents can engage directly with public safety leaders. Moderation will be provided.
Dallas Police Chief Daniel C. Comeaux will offer the opening remarks. Featured speakers include 911 Communications Center Assistant Director Robert Uribe; Major of Police Anthony Greer; 311 Senior Outreach Specialist Stephen Walker; and Emergency Management & Crisis Response Director Kevin Oden.
When it comes to parking: Enter through Gate 2 and drive straight to the Pan Am Gate, and continue to the Briscoe Center (located on the left).
RSVP for the Public Safety Response Symposium here.
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