Is Josh Giddey playing tonight against Dallas Mavericks? Latest on OKC Thunder guard’s availability (May 9)
Josh Giddey was one of the reasons the OKC Thunder were able to seal the best record in the NBA Western Conference playoffs and his presence is integral if they want to get deep in the playoffs. Game 1 of their best-of-seven playoffs against the Dallas Mavericks went their way.
As of now, there were no injuries reported by the OKC Thunder for Game 2, which means the Australian guard is expected to suit up. He joins Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to form the backcourt, while Chet Holmgren, Jayline Williams and Lou Dort make up the starting five.
What happened to Josh Giddey?
Since Josh Giddey started his NBA career with the OKC Thunder, the six-foot-eight guard has been perceived as an injury-prone player after missing 28 games in his rookie season. That perception has been erased as he missed only eight games in two seasons and played 80 matchups in the 2023–24 season.
However, right before the season ended, he was scratched by the team for just one game. There were no reported injuries, as the team just needed him fresh for the playoffs.
The last reported injury that Giddey had was back on December 23, 2023, due to an ankle issue. That made him miss the pre-Christmas matchup against the LA Lakers, which the OKC Thunder lost.
Josh Giddey stats vs Dallas Mavericks
In Game 1 of the Thunder's playoff matchup with the Mavs, Josh Giddey played only almost 17 minutes. In that span, he scored two points, two assists and five rebounds.
While Game 1 was not the best version of Giddey, during the regular season back on March 14, 2024, he had 18 points, five assists, three rebounds, one steal and one block. The former NBA All-Rookie Second Team shot a good 8-of-14 from the field as well.
In other regular season matchups, he quite had subpar performances, scoring only 11 and 10 points on their road games facing the Mavs.
How do watch Dallas Mavericks vs OKC Thunder?
The OKC Thunder aim to take a commanding 2-0 lead when they host the Dallas Mavericks for Game 2 of their 2024 NBA Western Conference semi-finals. The game tips off at 9:30 p.m. Eastern Time and will be aired live on television through ESPN.
NBA League Pass has the game up on their streaming platform for subscribers who prefer to watch online. SiriusXM, WWLS/WKY and 97.1 FM/99.1 FM are the official radio broadcast partners.