NBA: Dallas Can Take 2-0 Lead Against the Thunder

A near perfect performance from Dirk Nowitzki coupled with an outstanding showing from the Mavs bench gave Dallas victory in Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals on Tuesday. Tonight the Thunder must find a way for Russell Westbrook to make a difference if they are to avoid going 2-0 down in the series.

Westbrook must become a factor
Russell Westbrook’s shooting was poor against the Mavericks on Tuesday but his 3 of 15 performance isn’t the reason the Thunder should be worried. Westbrook should be expected to put up that many shots, NBA betting fans are however more used to seeing him try to score closer to the basket. The Mavs shut him down in Game 1, preventing the point guard from driving through the lane and that limited him severely. While he made 14 of 18 from the line, he had just 3 assists compared to 4 turnovers. A player of his talent simply needs to adapt better when boxed out.

Bench dominance
The Mavericks had the highest scoring bench in the regular season and they showed why with an jaw-dropping performance on Tuesday night. Dallas out-scored the Thunder 53-22 in bench points in Game 1. J.J. Barea and Jason Terry each scored over 20 points despite playing limited minutes. That’s the kind of weaponry any other team in the NBA would kill to have.

OKC simply can’t match the Mavs’ back-ups in terms of scoring. This places a greater emphasis on their need to maximise the points they get from their starters. Westbrook, for all his shooting woes, still contributed 20 points while Kevin Durant had 40. Thabo Sefolosha and Kendrick Perkins simply aren’t scorers so there is pressure on Serge Ibaka to step up to another level. Ibaka has been a revelation this season and had a fine performance on Tuesday night but fine won’t cut it. In this series, he needs to be electrifying.

The verdict
I’ve yet to mention a certain German phenomenon. Dirk Nowitzki’s gem on Tuesday night was undoubtedly one of his better nights but he can be relied upon to deliver several more throughout these playoffs. The statistics have always shown Nowitzki is up there with the all-time greats but like so many under-rated stars, he won’t get the respect he deserves until he gets a ring. Anyone who has followed these playoffs will recognise that Dirk has gone into beast mode in this post-season and it going to be tough for anyone to stop him. Look for the Mavs’ starters to once again support the big German with muscle while he goes to work scoring from impossible angles. Bet on the Dallas Mavericks as -5.5 favorites [http://www.basketball-reference.com/blog/?p=9486] with Sports Interaction.