Luka Doncic hands OKC first playoff loss with gutsy Game 2 effort

Already nursing a knee injury, Doncic banged up his elbow and face in a nasty fall to the hardwood in the first half. Regardless, during crunch time, he delivered again and again as he helped lead Dallas to a 119-110 victory in the Western Conference semifinals on Thursday. The series is now tied at 1-1.

Doncic scored 16 points in the first quarter to jumpstart the Mavericks, ultimately finishing with 29 points on 11-of-21 shooting, including 5 of 8 from deep. Several times, he came through with clutch, tough shots when it appeared that one of his ailments might force him to the bench for the rest of Game 2.  

Dallas also received an incredible effort from P.J. Washington. The forward posted a playoff career-high 29 points, shooting 7 of 11 from beyond the arc and grabbing a team-high 11 rebounds before fouling out late in the fourth quarter. Meanwhile, Kyrie Irving had only nine points (2 of 8), but he helped spread the ball around, finishing with a team-high 11 assists. 

Leading by as many as 14 points early, the Mavericks saw their lead disappear in the second half. However, thanks to Doncic and several massive makes from Washington and Tim Hardaway Jr., they were able to respond and hold off the young Thunder down the stretch. 

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored a game-high 33 points (13 of 24), finishing two assists shy of a triple-double to lead OKC, but it wasn't enough. Jalen Williams (20 points) and Chet Holmgren (11 points) were the only other Thunder players to finish in double figures. 

For the Thunder, this is their first postseason loss after starting 5-0 and the first taste of adversity for a talented but inexperienced squad. They'll test their mettle when the series resumes with Game 3 in Dallas on Saturday.