The Thunder took a commanding 2-0 series lead over the Timberwolves after defending home court. This was exactly what the Thunder were supposed to do, and they were just two wins away from reaching the NBA Finals. However, Game 3 was a completely different story as the Thunder got blown out by 42 points. This was the Thunder’s worst loss of the season and in the playoffs. In addition, no team has ever won the NBA Finals after losing a game by more than 40 points during that playoff run. The Thunder let the Timberwolves right back into the series, and people were questioning if the Thunder were ready to make a Finals run. However, in Game 4, the Thunder responded with a win to take a commanding 3-1 series lead, which began with Lu Dort bringing back the defensive identity for the Thunder.
With the Thunder winning Game 4, they are now 6-0 in that game since Shai Gilgeous-Alexander joined the Thunder. They won Game 4 against the Rockets in the bubble back in 2020, unfortunately, they didn’t win that series. Last year, they swept the Pelicans and then won Game 4 against the Mavericks to tie that series 2-2. This year, they swept the Grizzlies and won Game 4 against the Nuggets, and now the Timberwolves. Let’s dive into how Lu Dort helped bring back the defensive identity for the Thunder and why this needs to continue moving forward.
Lu Dort Helped Get OKC’s Defensive Identity Back in Game 4
Dort Brought the Physicality Back
Lu Dort finally got the recognition that he deserves and made the All-Defensive team for the first time in his career. The Thunder’s defense has a ton of talented ball stoppers on their team, but it all starts with Dort. He sets the tone for the Thunder’s defense in every game, and when he is having a great game defensively, usually the Thunder are as well. In Game 3, when the Thunder were up 2-0, they didn’t have any force on the defensive end. They let the Timberwolves get whatever they wanted. Minnesota shot 50% from behind the arc, the Timberwolves had 30 assists as a team, Anthony Edwards and Julius Randle scored 54 combined points, and finally, the Thunder only forced 10 turnovers.
The Thunder had no resistance, which led to the blowout loss. However, in Game 4, Dort and the Thunder brought back their physical defense and responded with a win. Dort set the tone early on Edwards and also on Randle, which helped the Thunder’s defense play more physical. The Thunder got back to forcing turnovers and caused 21 in the game. Ultimately, it wasn’t perfect; this game got close because the Thunder let the Timberwolves shoot 43.9% from behind the arc. Regardless, the Thunder brought back their defensive identity in this game, and they will need to sustain that moving forward.
The Thunder did a Better Job on Edwards and Randle
In the three games the Thunder won, they did a great job of limiting Edwards and Randle. In Game 1, Edwards had just 18 points and Randle scored 28, but most of that damage was done in the first half. Then in Game 2, Edwards did score 32, but it wasn’t a very efficient 32, as it took him 26 shots to reach that mark. Additionally, Randle scored just 6 points and was completely taken out of the Game. In Game 4, they held Edwards and Randle to 21 points combined.
These three games prove how dominant the Thunder’s defense can be. However, in their Game 3 loss, they were slow on rotations, and didn’t play with force, as it seemed like they were just going through the motions. The Thunder’s offense can be hot and cold, and that trend has continued in the playoffs. However, the reason they can withstand a cold shooting night is because of their defense. The Thunder hang their hats on that end of the court. If the Thunder want to reach their ultimate goal, they will need to show the intensity on defense they had in Games 1, 2, and 4, not what they displayed in Game 3.
The Big 3 on Offense
Finally, the cherry on top in Game 4 was the big three‘s offense. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams, and Chet Holmgren combined for 95 points. Gilgeous-Alexander scored a playoff career-high of 40 points and was one rebound shy of a triple-double. Williams also had a playoff career-high with 34 points, cashing in six triples from behind the arc. Holmgren scored 21 points and secured a game-sealing block in the fourth quarter. This was the best game the big three have had in their career together. The scary part is that they are still getting better.
The Last Word on Lu Dort’s Defensive Identity
The Thunder now hold a 3-1 lead over the Timberwolves in the Western Conference Finals. They are now only one win away from reaching the NBA Finals. The Thunder will look to avoid the same collapse they endured in 2016 when they blew the 3-1 lead to the Warriors.
Regardless, this Thunder team is built on defense, which is led by Lu Dort, and the Thunder will need to rely on this moving forward. If the Thunder win the NBA Finals, we will look back at this Game 4 and how Dort helped get the Thunder’s mojo back on defense.
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