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Mavericks can’t afford another subpar performance from Kyrie Irving, Luka Doncic in Game 5

The two superstars wilted in Game 4 in Dallas while the young Thunder thrived, tying the series at 2.

The easiest way to explain how the Mavs devolved from maybe their best half of these playoffs to their worst loss in two rounds was that they made only a little more than half their free throws. A pathetic sight, really. They were so artless at the line Monday, they made one in the closing seconds they were trying to miss.

But, as easy as it’d be to blame their inability to take advantage of something free, the fact is they haven’t been much good at the line all season.

What they hadn’t been, at least until Monday, was out of superstars when they needed one.

And that might have been the most disturbing aspect of the Mavs’ inexcusable 100-96 loss at American Airlines Center. Not only did they fumble away an opportunity to take an insurmountable 3-1 lead in the series, but they also gave an Oklahoma City team short on playoff experience a shot of confidence when it looked on the ropes at halftime.

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The Thunder, gracious receivers of the Mavs’ gift, got a big-time game from their superstar. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the MVP runner-up, scored 10 of his game-high 34 points in the last six minutes, when the Mavs unraveled at last.

“When he’s playing like that,” Kyrie Irving said, “it galvanizes the group.”

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Imagine, then, what it means to the Mavs when Luka Doncic goes 6 of 20 from the field and doesn’t make a field goal the last 10 minutes of the game.

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And what about Irving, the guy who’s been saving his best for last in the playoffs? Nine points, and not a one the last seven minutes.

Of course, Luka’s issues from the field are nothing new in the playoffs. He’s beat up, his shot broken. Just 40% from the field and a miserable 26% on 3s.

But, on top of his lost shot, he also committed seven turnovers Monday, finishing plus-1 for the game.

What was up Monday with both Luka and Irving?

“There’s a focus on us,” Luka said. “They collapse the paint very well. When we drive it, they collapse the paint. Almost five guys. I think that’s difficult for us.

“We’ve just got to find the open teammates.”

Luka did as much in the closing minutes, feeding Jones and Daniel Gafford close in as SGA did all the heavy lifting for the Thunder, which is how the NBA hierarchy generally works.

Luka had one last chance to salvage the game at the free throw line with 10 seconds left and the Mavs down, 96-94.

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And what did he do?

Clanked the first.

Game over.

Momentum lost.

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The difference on either side of halftime was fairly mind-boggling. In the first half, the Mavs imposed their will on the Thunder. They blocked nine shots, four by Dereck Lively II. Chet Holmgren had just seven points and a measly rebound. Only the Mavs’ difficulties at the free throw line foreshadowed any sort of problems to come after taking an 11-point lead at halftime.

Then the Mavs fell apart in the third quarter, scoring a paltry 15 points. The sight of Josh Green and Washington repeatedly bringing the ball up the floor certainly was a curiosity. Might have explained how the half-court offense went into a funk.

Only it got worse in the fourth, when the Mavs’ defense, so suffocating through three quarters, gave up 35 points, fueling the Thunder’s comeback.

On any other night the Mavs got 21 points from Washington, 17 from Jones and 21 from the bench, you could reasonably assume a win.

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But not on a night when they shoot 52.2% at the line.

“Unacceptable,” both Jason Kidd and Luka called it.

Can the Mavs bounce back with three games to go? They came back to win the series after the Clippers squared it 2-2.

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For that matter, they came back from an awful loss in Game 1 of that series. Luka said he had “no concerns.” Kidd said he’d give his team the same message now that he did after the opening loss of their playoffs.

But here’s the difference between that loss and Monday’s: The Mavs dug a hole they couldn’t climb out of against the Clippers, but the fight they showed in making a game of it late at least gave them reason to believe they could compete.

Losing like they did Monday — allowing an awful second half ruin a brilliant effort on defense in the first half while giving OKC hope and momentum going home — left a different taste in the Mavs’ mouths.

They said all the right things afterward.

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“They’re superstars,” Washington said of Luka and Kyrie. “They’re gonna figure it out. I’m not really worried about them.”

He ought to be worried, because the longer this series goes, the worse the Mavs’ superstars have played. They were the edge the Mavs had over the deeper yet inexperienced Thunder going in, right up until the second half Monday. On a night the pair wilted, the Thunder grew up. The Mavs can, indeed, still win this series, but it only gets harder from here, after a night when it had all looked so easy.

Twitter/X: @KSherringtonDMN

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