3 Studs, 2 duds from Mavericks' thrilling Game 5 win over Thunder

1. Stud - Derrick Jones Jr.

Yesterday, reports came out that Derrick Jones Jr. wanted to return to the Dallas Mavericks this summer. Jones Jr. is expected to test the open market this summer, and his agent's phone is going to be ringing off the hook this summer with the way that he is playing right now.

In Game 4, Jones Jr. finished with 17 points, three rebounds, and four blocks while shooting 7-12 from the field, and he followed this up with another huge performance in Game 5.

Jones Jr. finished with 19 points, one rebound, one steal, and one block while shooting 7-9 from the field and 3-5 from downtown, and his performance in the first half of the game is what helped the Mavs get ahead early.

Jones Jr. scored 15 points in the first half while shooting 6-6 from the field and 3-3 from downtown, and he was all over the place early in this game. He was knocking down open shots, cutting back door to be an alley-oop option for Luka Doncic, and playing solid defense.

The Mavs needed this solid start from Jones Jr. to help slow down the momentum that the Oklahoma City Thunder gained at the end of Game 4, and he was a big reason that Dallas was able to grab this big win in enemy territory.

Jones Jr. has been elite in the playoffs, and without him, who knows where the Mavs would be.

For all the latest on Derrick Jones Jr. and the Dallas Mavericks throughout the 2024 NBA Playoffs, stay tuned as we'll have you covered through it all.