Thunder lose Game 5 at home, putting season on the brink
Dallas goes up 3-2 on OKC in the Western Conference Semifinals. The Thunder will need to win Game 6 in Dallas to force a return to Oklahoma City for a deciding Game 7.
The more things change, the more they stay the same. Isaiah Joe started over Josh Giddey, and Cason Wallace continued to gobble up rotation minutes. And, once more, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (30 points on 22 shots) was the only thing going right for the Thunder offense.
No OKC player besides Shai fared better than 33% from three, and the Thunder's sturdy defense was yet again not enough to overcome their cratering shot-making. What's worse: Luka Doncic had a breakout game (30/10/11), and now has two chances to put Oklahoma City away. The under-25 Thunder players will have to play much better to stave off elimination on the road in Game 6.
