WATCH: Derrick Jones Jr. caps off Luka Doncic’s alley-oop with unreal one-handed jam
The Dallas Mavericks were solid in Game 5 of their second-round playoff showdown with the OKC Thunder on Wednesday, with superstar Luka Doncic squeezing in some highlight-reel plays.
One came in the opening quarter, where 'The Don' was running the break and finding a soaring Derrick Jones Jr. for an alley-oop, which the former slam dunk champion finished with a one-handed throwdown.
Watch the the impressive alley-oop play below:
The Mavericks went on to snatch homecourt advantage from the Thunder with a 104-92 victory and returning to Dallas with a 3-2 series lead.
Luka Doncic and Derrick Jones Jr. figured prominently in the victory, with the Slovenian superstar finishing with a triple-double of 31 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds. Jones, for his part, had 19 points, going 3-of-5 beyond the 3-point line.
Rookie Dereck Lively II had a double-double of 11 points and 10 rebounds, while PJ Washington also went the same route with 10 points and 11 rebounds.
NBA analyst believes Luka Doncic poised for big game against OKC
Dallas Mavericks All-Star Luka Doncic has had his struggles in their second-round playoff series against the OKC Thunder, but NBA analyst Tim Legler believes he's posied for a big game at some point.
The ESPN NBA analyst and former player shared on the ALL NBA Podcast following Dallas' Game 4 loss that allowed OKC to tie the series at 2-2, that a big game from the Slovenian sensation was in the offing. Legler said:
"This comes down to their (Mavericks) best offensive player ... you have to put the ball in the basket to stop the momentum of the Oklahoma City Thunder..."
He added:
"I think I'm going to expect in Game 5 is a big response out of Luka Doncic. He's gonna figure out how to put a bigger number on the board and to have a better shooting night to give them a chance..."
In Game 5, Luka Doncic had a ball game, finishing with 31 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds while going 12-of-22 from field and 5-of-11 from three. In their four previous games, Doncic was only averaging 22 points and 7.75 aasists.
Incidentally, the Mavericks All-Star said that he was aware that more is needed from him and he was looking to deliver in the pivotal Game 5.
With the victory on Wednesday, the Mavericks have two chances to close out the series and return to the Western Conference finals. The last time they reached the conference finals was in 2022 against eventual NBA champions Golden State Warriors, losing in five games.
Game 6 of the Mavericks-Thunder best-of-seven semifinal series is on Saturday in Dallas.