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The Oklahoma City Thunder host the Dallas Mavericks on Tuesday night in Game 1 of their Western Conference Semifinals matchup. This only means that the Thunder will need to deal with the offensive juggernaut that is Luka Doncic as the Mavs superstar aims to upset the No. 1 seed Thunder in what should be a compelling series.
OKC head coach Mark Daigneault has the unenviable task of trying to conjure up a defensive game plan against one of the most explosive scorers this game has ever seen. Despite the major challenge, however, the Coach of the Year winner remains confident in his team’s ability to hold Luka down.
Oklahoma City Thunder News: Mark Daigneault Reveals Luka Doncic Defensive Strategy
Daigneault spoke to reporters on Monday ahead of their Game 1 clash in Oklahoma City. When asked how his team intends to slow down Doncic, the 39-year-old shot-caller turned his attention to Thunder defensive specialist Lu Dort:
“Just make sure Lu is on time for the game,” Daigneault said, via Clemente Almanza of The Thunder Wire.
That’s a pretty straightforward strategy. Surely, the Thunder coaching staff has devised a more complex plan against the Mavs superstar, but being the master tactician that he is, Daigneault has no intention of spilling the beans.
Be that as it may, the Thunder coach’s statement here points to the fact that OKC will be relying heavily on Dort as their bona fide Luka stopper. This is not going to be a one-man job, but there’s no denying that the No. 1 seed Thunder have a real gem spearheading their defensive strategy against Doncic.
Whether or not this will work, however, is an altogether different matter.
More must-reads:
- Watch: Celtics' Derrick White stays hot from deep in Game 1
- Former All-Star shares concerns of potential Knicks burnout
- The 'Leading scorers from the 1992-93 NBA season' quiz
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