Dallas Mavericks Must Fix 'Unacceptable' Free Throw Shooting After Meltdown Loss Against OKC Thunder

The Dallas Mavericks could not overcome free throw struggles during their 100-96 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 4 of the Western Conference Semifinals on Monday

May 13, 2024; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic (77) attempts a free throw / Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

DALLAS — The Dallas Mavericks could not overcome free throw struggles during a 100-96 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 4, placing them in a 2-2 series tie. The Mavs' struggles at the line significantly affected their collapse. They converted just 12-23 attempts (52.2%). In contrast, Oklahoma City made 23-24 free throws (95.8%).

"We have to do better as a group," Mavericks coach Jason Kidd said. "We can't shoot 50% if we want to win. We'll talk about it tomorrow. We'll get better, and we'll have an opportunity on Wednesday."

May 13, 2024; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic (77) attempts a free throw / Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

With 10.1 seconds left, Luka Doncic stepped to the free-throw line with a chance to tie the game but split the attempts, continuing a night of "unacceptable" free throw shooting execution.

"We just have to work on our free throws," Doncic said after the game. "We shot 52%. That's unacceptable."

When asked about how controllable Doncic's free throw shooting is from a team standpoint, Kidd stated how obviously no player will be perfect, but free throw shooting often comes down to the nature of how a player performs in their career. Some players are just inconsistent, but the hope is for the results to be favorable when it matters most.

"He's a pro. They're not machines," Kidd said of Doncic. "You're going to make some. You're going to miss some. No one's ever shot 100% from the free-throw line. It's just about being able to simulate late game.

"Some guys in this league shoot a high percentage. Some guys shoot in the 70s. Some guys shoot in the 50s," Kidd explained. "That's just the nature of their makeup. You just have to hope they make them at the right time."

Kyrie Irving's advice to the team was to focus on the basics by concentrating and being patient at the free throw line. Based on what he's seen during his time with the team, he's confident they can get the job done going forward, but the need for consistency is clear.

"Just concentration and focus, man," Irving said. "It's all a psychological thing, just taking your time and going up there and knocking them down. We've shown it before, so we've just got to stay consistent on them."

While facing a 98-95 deficit with 3.0 seconds left to play, P.J. Washington missed the first of two free throws and tried to miss the second intentionally. Still, it went in when the team needed a full possession to quickly get up a 3-point attempt.

"I tried to miss it, and it's just my luck that it goes in," Washington said. "Throughout the game, we gotta be better at the line."

Achieving underwhelming results at the free throw line should not surprise the Mavericks considering they are shooting a league-worst 69.3% in the postseason, ranking last by a 3.5% margin. Dallas ranked 27th in the regular season by converting at a 75.8% clip.

The Mavericks will attempt to bounce back in Game 5 on Wednesday in Oklahoma City.

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