The outcome of playoff battles between two teams of a similar caliber tend to boil down to the performance of role players, and whether they can capitalize on the open looks they get from the sheer amount of attention the star players draw. On Thursday night, it was the Dallas Mavericks role players’ who shone. In Game 2, the Mavericks got a herculean performance from PJ Washington, who finished their 119-110 Game 2 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder with 29 points (on seven made triples) and 11 rebounds.
Washington hasn’t exactly been at his best, scoring-wise, in the playoffs prior to Game 2 of the Mavericks’ second-round matchup against the Thunder. In Game 1, he scored 10 points, which is right around the number he averaged during their first-round tussle against the Los Angeles Clippers. But Washington can get hot in a hurry, and he emerged as the best shooter on the night despite sharing the court with the likes of Luka Doncic and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
Following his stellar Game 2 effort, PJ Washington became the first player with at least 10 rebounds and seven made threes in a playoff game since the 2022 NBA Finals, when Stephen Curry had arguably the best game of his playoff career in Game 4 against the Boston Celtics. In a game where the Golden State Warriors faced the prospect of going down 3-1 in the series, Curry put up 43 points, 10 rebounds, and four assists while making seven of his 14 attempts from beyond the arc.
Now, it’s disingenuous to suggest that the in the quality of the game Washington had in the Mavericks’ Game 2 win was anything close to that of Curry’s immortalized Game 4 efforts. The stakes are very different, and Washington, unlike Curry, was not tasked to be the number one option of an offense. Moreover, all of Washington’s three-pointers were assisted, and he barely took any dribbles before his 11 made baskets.
But superstars elevate role players, and vice versa, and the Mavericks getting this sort of production from Washington is house money. Washington was brought in at the trade deadline to provide an extra two-way punch, but a 29-point, 11-rebound, and seven-three game in a playoff game, and on the road no less, should make Dallas’ offense breathe more easily moving forward.
Mavericks thrive despite Kyrie Irving’s rough night, Luka Doncic’s leg issues
Thanks to PJ Washington’s stellar Game 2 efforts, the Mavericks stole homecourt advantage and dealt the Thunder their first loss of the playoffs even though they got a mixed bag of production from their two stars in Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving. Doncic has been dealing with a knee issue since the Clippers series, and he was hobbling yet again on multiple occasions on Thursday night.
It looked like Doncic also sustained a knock to his ankle in the second half after a collision with Cason Wallace, adding further to his woes. But Doncic always finds a way to rack up the numbers, as he finished with 29 points, 10 rebounds, and seven assists, and he shot over 50 percent from the field, thanks in large part to a 5-8 night from deep, for just the second time in this year’s playoffs.
The big story, however, was Kyrie Irving’s lack of production. On a night where the Mavericks’ role players weren’t on point, there would be more attention towards the poor Game 2 he had on the offensive end. Irving scored just nine points on a rough 2-8 shooting night, although he did make up for it by tallying 11 dimes.
Thankfully, it wasn’t just Washington who was on point for the Mavericks. They also got plenty of contributions from Tim Hardaway Jr., who scored 17 points on 6-10 shooting in only 19 minutes of play, while Josh Green was a livewire off the bench as per usual, and he did make his shots as well for good measure.
Like in 2022, the Mavericks will need the supporting cast to be at their best so they could knock off the one-seed and advance to the Western Conference Finals.
PJ Washington, as streaky as it gets
To anyone who followed PJ Washington during his stint with the Charlotte Hornets, his Game 2 scoring outburst did not come as a surprise. Washington always has these sorts of games in his locker. When he has it going, he really has it going, and Thursday ended up being one of those days for the 25-year old forward.
However, Washington can be very streaky. As capable as he is of scoring 30 on eight made threes in Game 3, he can also go ice cold and shoot 20 percent from the field on 10 shots. The Mavericks’ chances of going up in the series against the Thunder will greatly hinge on whether Washington, and the other role players for that matter, can make their open shots due to OKC’s game plan.
