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He scored three consecutive three-pointers at a critical moment! The Thunder wing gate became the key to winning?

8:55pm, 17 May 2025Basketball

In the previous NBA Western Conference semi-finals G5, the Oklahoma City Thunder played at home and made a strong effort in the final quarter, defeating the Denver Nuggets 112-105, winning this key battle at Kings Mountain. After this game, the Thunder widened the total score of this series to 3-2, not only gaining the advantage but also getting the match point; while the Nuggets will face a desperate battle in the series G6.

In this game, the Thunder's starting wing player Luguentz Dort, who had previously performed poorly, finally showed his due level, and he also made a huge contribution to the team's key victory. Dort played 28 minutes and 14 seconds in the game, made 4 of 8 shots and 4 of 8 three-pointers, scored 12 points, 3 rebounds and 1 assist, and had 2 turnovers and 3 fouls, with a plus-negative value of +1. Dort's performance in the first three quarters was not ideal. He felt a mess. He made 1 of 4 from outside the three-point line, and he couldn't provide more support to the team in other aspects. The situation of the team was also a mess when he was on the court. However, at the critical moment of the fourth quarter, Dort scored three consecutive three-pointers and scored 9 points in a single quarter, which directly helped the team turn the game around. It is no exaggeration to say that if these three-pointers were to save lives, it would be a huge question whether the Thunder could turn the situation around.

In the NBA regular season this season, Dort played 71 games in 82 games, averaging 29.2 minutes per game, averaging 10.1 points, 4.1 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 0.5 blocks, and 0.7 turnovers and 2.9 fouls. He shot 43.5%, three-point shooting percentage 41.2%, and free throw shooting percentage 71.7%. So far in the playoffs, Dort has averaged 28.4 minutes in his first nine games, with averaging 8.1 points, 3.6 rebounds, 0.8 assists, 0.7 steals, and 0.6 blocks, 0.8 turnovers and 3.2 fouls, shooting percentage of 31.9%, three-point shooting percentage of 28.6%, and free throw shooting percentage of 75%.

Although the current situation of the Thunder seems to be very good, Dort has performed terrible in the playoffs so far. His offensive efficiency and three-point shooting percentage are outrageous, his scoring ability is surprising, and he is also a bit too devoted to other factors on the defensive end, which has led to his defensive contribution also not meeting expectations. Unexpectedly, in this game, Dort was able to perform like this in adversity, which really exceeded everyone's expectations. If Dort can maintain this level, I believe that the Thunder's competitiveness in the next game will be further improved?

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