P.J. Washington Steps Up as Dallas Mavericks Take Game 2 Against OKC Thunder

P.J. Washington scored a career-high 29 points and grabbed 11 rebounds, leading the Dallas Mavericks to a 119-110 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder on Thursday.

May 9, 2024; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) / Alonzo Adams-USA TODAY Sports

OKLAHOMA CITY — P.J. Washington scored a career-high 29 points and grabbed 11 rebounds, leading the Dallas Mavericks to a 119-110 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder on Thursday. He shot 11-18 from the field and 7-11 from 3-point range, playing with a confidence and swagger that inspired his teammates.

"Going into the game, I had confidence in my shot. I knew I was gonna get open corner shots," Washington said. "So I just had to come in here and knock them down."

May 9, 2024; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) / Alonzo Adams-USA TODAY Sports

Luka Doncic added 29 points, 10 rebounds, and seven assists, Tim Hardaway Jr. chipped in with 17 points, and Daniel Gafford had 13 points and seven rebounds. On a night when Kyrie Irving commanded defensive attention and scored nine points, the Mavericks' depth had a counter.

"P.J. played amazing, man. We went to him on the first play. We got to do that more. We got to give him the ball more," Doncic said. "Off the bench, Josh, D Live, Tim, they were all incredible. It was a whole team effort, and everybody stepped on the floor fought."

The Mavericks took control of the game early, pushing the pace and taking advantage of the Thunder's slow start. Washington was instrumental in the surge, scoring 11 points in the first quarter alone. He continued to impress throughout the game, showing his versatility and range. He made the Thunder pay for giving him space in the corner or on pick-and-pop by being aggressive and letting it fly on the catch.

"PJ obviously starting his role today when he shoots the ball like that, you know, dangerous. We're dangerous," Kyrie Irving said. "And it's easy to watch good basketball like that as a teammate, you know, we're making the right plays in the middle of the floor, our bigs are making great decisions."

A change in the Mavericks' approach was to feature Washington, guarded by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, in the post in early situations. Making the Thunder's best player have to work while trying to hide on defense proved to not only generate results, but helped Washington gain a rhythm.

"We played through him a little bit in the post. I think that sparked him," Kidd said. "We didn't go to Luka or Kyrie early. We just let the ball find them."

Considering how the opposition will focus on doubling or loading up on Doncic and potentially mix in blitzing Irving when he gets the ball, it helps to have a third option to make the defense pay. Whether it was Washington knocking down shots or Tim Hardaway Jr. scoring 10 consecutive points in the third quarter, there were plenty of contributions from the rotation despite being in a hostile environment on the road in the postseason.

"We wanted to look at something different. We always look at Kai and Luka," Kidd said. "We looked at something different and it worked. We'll be able to maybe build on that as we go forward with other role players."

Irving, who finished with nine points and 11 assists, chose not to press his offense with Washington scoring early, proving to be a strong display of the Mavericks' potential when they do have someone stepping up in a significant way offensively.

"With everyone getting involved, it's not my time to press," Irving said. "It's my time to do other things in order to make us successful. It's just part of being a champion. It's continuing to push forward no matter what shots you're getting."

The win was crucial for the Mavericks, who had faced criticism for their slow pace and lack of aggression in Game 1. But with Washington providing such a significant spark, Dallas showed a new intensity and purpose, pushing the Thunder to the limit and coming out on top in what was considered a "must-win game" to avoid going down 2-0 in the series.

"I feel like it was a must-win game for us," Washington said. "In those games, I feel like we play our best. We got out in transition, we didn't foul, we rebounded well, and we played a great team ball."

The series shifts to Dallas for Games 3 and 4, with the Mavericks looking to build on this momentum and take control of the series.

READ MORE: Doncic Faces Uncertain Injury Status for Game 3 Against Thunder

READ MORE: Doncic, Irving Beef With Thunder Fans in Mavericks Game 2 Win

READ MORE: Mavericks Respond with Hard-Fought Game 2 Victory Over Thunder, Tie Series 1-1

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