Luka Doncic gives crucial insight on how to stop Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

Jaren Boslow

Dallas Mavericks, Luka Doncic / Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

On Monday night, the Dallas Mavericks played the OKC Thunder for a chance at a potential 3-1 series lead in the second round of the playoffs. After beating the Thunder convincingly in Game 3, the Mavericks were poised to take the driver's seat against OKC.

The Mavericks held a strong lead for the majority of the game but it undoubtingly slipped through their fingers after multiple untimely missed free throws as they lost 100-96. It also didn't help that Mavericks stars Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic only combined for 27 points, while having numerous bad possessions down the stretch.

Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander kept his team within striking distance for the first three quarters of the game. Gilgeous-Alexander managed to score 34 points on uber-efficient numbers and no matter how difficult the shot he took, it fell in this hoop. The Mavericks made little adjustments during the game to deter Gilgeous-Alexander from sinking his signature mid-range jumper.

Luka Doncic says Mavericks need to double-team Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

After a frustrating end to the game, Luka Doncic was asked what adjustments he would make to defend Gilgeous-Alexander better. "Maybe at some point, we've got to send a double-team too. He's just too good. Very good. But every shot he took, he was contested," Doncic said.

Doncic on Gilgeous-Alexander's 34 points: "Maybe at some point we've got to send a double-team, too. He's just too good. Very good. But every shot he took, he was contested."
— Brad Townsend (@townbrad) May 14, 2024

Throughout this series, the Mavericks have found success defending Gilgeous-Alexander one-on-one and letting him play iso ball with the Mavs' best defender on him. Clearly, that game plan was exposed during the Mavericks' Game 4 loss. Players like P.J. Washington and Derrick Jones Jr. were getting cooked all night long by Gilgeous-Alexander's incredible shot-making ability.

Going into Game 5, it will be critical for Dallas to make these subtle adjustments on Gilgeous-Alexander. Sending a double team may seem like an aggressive decision by Jason Kidd and the Mavericks, but it could be just enough pressure on the Thunder's surrounding cast to make open shots.

Forcing the ball out of Gilgeous-Alexander's hands could be a recipe for success for Dallas. In Game 4, OKC managed to shoot just 25 percent from behind the arc.

Dallas will need to make adjustments before a critical Game 5 on the road, if they choose to not send the double team on Gilgeous-Alexander there will need to be some other change. For more updates on the Dallas Mavericks playoff series with the OKC Thunder, stay plugged in.

Jaren Boslow

Jaren Boslow is a contributor for The Smoking Cuban, where he has been covering the Dallas Mavericks since the beginning of the 2023-24 season. Jaren is currently an undergrad student at the University of North Texas studying sports journalism. In addition to writing for The Smoking Cuban, Jaren is the beat writer for the North Texas men's and women's golf teams. While Jaren has only recently gotten into the journalism side of sports, he has been a longtime fan of the Mavericks for over a decade. Through his passion for sports and Mavericks basketball, Jaren offers a unique perspective to fans of the Dallas Mavericks. Outside of covering Mavericks basketball, Jaren is a full-time student who enjoys working out and spending quality time with friends.