3 Studs, 2 duds from Mavericks' crucial Game 2 win over Thunder

On Thursday night, the Dallas Mavericks played against the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 2 of the Western Conference Semifinals. Dallas was coming off a disappointing loss in Game 1 in which Luka Doncic struggled tremendously.

The Mavs came out extremely flat in Game 1 on both ends, and the Thunder seemingly couldn't miss from downtown. Dallas needed a big response in Game 2, and that's exactly what they got.

Dallas defeated Oklahoma City 119-110 in Game 2, and Doncic's hot start helped propel them to the win. This was definitely a breath of fresh air for Mavs fans considering how badly he struggled in Game 1, and several role players also stepped up in the win.

3 Studs, 2 duds from Mavericks' crucial Game 2 win over Thunder

Tying up the series at 1-1 was game-changing considering how hot the Thunder were heading into this series, and the winner of this series will now have to win three of the next five games.

The Mavs will now go back to Dallas with a tied series, and several stars and role players in this game helped earn this win.

Here are three studs and two duds from the Dallas Mavericks' crucial Game 2 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder.

5. Stud - Josh Green

You never knew which Josh Green you were going to get in the first round of the 2024 NBA Playoffs when the Dallas Mavericks played the LA Clippers, but his strong ending to that series has carried over to their series against the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Green finished with 11 points, four rebounds, and three assists in Game 1 while shooting 4-9 from the field, and he had an even better game in Game 2.

Green finished with 11 points while shooting 3-5 from downtown, and he continues to hit timely shots when the Mavs need him most. His shooting from the corner in this series has been excellent, and he has been one of the most consistent shooters on the team in this series.

Defensively, Green gives his all and plays with physicality. You never have to worry about Green's effort, and his energy is always there no matter how good or bad of a game he's having.

4. Dud - Dereck Lively II

After the Dallas Mavericks' Game 1 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder, Luka Doncic talked about how both Dereck Lively II and Daniel Gafford were playing too reserved. He touched on how both players needed to finish strong at the rim with dunks, especially when Chet Holmgren isn't under the rim, and Daniel Gafford understood the assignment to an extent.

He was attacking fearlessly and getting to the free-throw line often, but Lively II was not great in this game. Lively II finished with two points while shooting 1-7 from the field, and he was extremely inefficient while trying to score at the rim.

Lively II did have some bad angles when trying to score at the rim, but he looked out of control on most of his attempts. He would get too far under the rim to finish, and he didn't attempt to even finish above the rim outside of his alley-oop finish and the dunk attempt that was blocked by Holmgren.

Lively II's struggles in this series are a complete change from how he played in their first series against the LA Clippers, and there were even points in that series where he looked like he should have been the starter over Gafford.

The Mavs will need Lively II to improve as this series goes on considering how much he is playing, and his next opportunity to put together a big performance is on Saturday.

3. Stud - Luka Doncic

After Game 1, it seemed to be all doom and gloom for Dallas Mavericks superstar Luka Doncic.

Doncic finished with 19 points while shooting 6-19 from the field and 1-8 from downtown. His struggles were extremely concerning, and his knee injury was clearly bothering him all game long. With his knee seemingly not getting better, the Mavs looked like they may be in trouble.

Doncic shut down any doubters from Game 1 in Game 2 as he finished with 29 points, 10 rebounds, and seven assists while shooting 11-21 from the field and 5-8 from downtown. His shooting from downtown was electric to start this game, and you would have never known that he was in a shooting slump.

He was getting to his spots from behind the arc, scoring from the mid-range, and taking his hard-nosed matchup with Lu Dort with confidence. This was a matchup that has been talked about a ton from the outside looking in, and Doncic got the best of him in Game 2.

Outside of Doncic's scoring, he was getting his teammates involved and making passes that only he could make. This was the first game since the article was published that pretty much said that Doncic's teammates don't like playing with him because of his heliocentric playstyle, and he shattered this narrative.

P.J. Washington even harped on Doncic's passing during an interview in the game, and Dallas needed this game from Doncic desperately to avoid going down 0-2.

2. Dud - Dante Exum

The disappearing act of Dante Exum in the 2024 NBA Playoffs has been one of the craziest storylines for the Dallas Mavericks, and his struggles continued into the second round against the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Exum finished with just five points in Game 1, and he was even worse in Game 2. He finished with zero points while shooting 0-2 from downtown. His shooting struggles have been unbelievable in the playoffs, and he is starting to enter unplayable territory.

Exum has lost all confidence in his jumper from behind the arc in these playoffs, and he is not the deadly shooter that he once was during the regular season. He is shooting 12.5 percent from downtown in these playoffs, and that has been a complete downfall for him as he shot 49.1 percent from 3-point range during the regular season.

Exum has not been bad defensively in this series due to his length and versatility, but he can't continue to be a non-factor on offense. The Mavs relied so heavily upon Exum during the regular season and he even had a great stretch as a starter, but the playoffs have been a completely different story for him.

Exum's game doing a complete 180 wasn't something that Mavs fans had on their playoffs bingo card, and gaining some confidence and seeing some shots fall will be crucial for him if Jason Kidd plans on continuing to play him.

1. Stud - P.J. Washington

Heading into Thursday night's Game 2 between the Dallas Mavericks and Oklahoma City Thunder, P.J. Washington was having a solid series. Washington finished with 10 points in Game 1 while shooting 4-7 from the field. He was also playing great defense, but he got into early foul trouble and barely got to play in the first half.

Washington responded in Game 2 by finishing with 29 points, 11 rebounds, and two steals while shooting 11-18 from the field and 7-11 from downtown. He started hot from downtown and finished with 19 points in the first half. Luka Doncic and the Mavs emphasized getting him involved early, and he was letting it fly from downtown with confidence.

Washington hit threes from the corner, wing, and even the top of the key, and this was one of the better starts that he has had as a Maverick. It's always been known that he was going to be a big X-factor in the playoffs, and he stepped up to the plate in Game 2.

Washington's importance to the Mavs on both ends of the floor has been evident ever since he was traded to the Mavs, and they'll need him to continue shooting the three-ball at a high clip and defend at a high level.

For all the latest on P.J. Washington and the Dallas Mavericks throughout the 2024 NBA Playoffs, stay tuned.