Are the Thunder eliminated if they lose against the Mavericks in Game 6?

The Oklahoma City Thunder are on the brink of elimination from the NBA Playoffs, as Mark Daigneault’s men prepare to visit the Dallas Mavericks in a must-win match-up today.

After losing Game 5 at Paycom Center on Wednesday, the Thunder are 3-2 behind in the teams’ best-of-seven conference semi-final. If Dallas claim victory in Game 6 at American Airlines Center, the Texans will establish an unassailable series lead and advance to the Western Conference finals, where either the Denver Nuggets or the Minnesota Timberwolves will await.

Oklahoma “on the right track”, says head coach

Despite watching his team go down to a 104-92 defeat in Oklahoma City in midweek, Thunder head coach Daigneault saw encouraging signs in the Western Conference top seed’s display.

“I did feel like we were bumping up against some hurdles on the offensive end of the floor with the way [the Mavericks] were playing us in the last three games,” he explained. “And I thought tonight we were able to find some cracks. We made them a little bit more uncomfortable.”

The 39-year-old added: “The guys are learning through the series and recognise the right reads on a lot of plays, and I think there’s something to be desired there. We can take another step forward. I wasn’t bursting with joy with [the team’s total of] 92 points, but I do think we’re on the right track in terms of how we’re attacking.”

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Thunder vs Mavericks: Game 6 start time, how to watch

In Game 6 of the Western Conference semi-finals, the Dallas Mavericks host the Oklahoma Thunder today, Saturday 18 May 2024, at American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas. Tip-off is scheduled for 8pm ET/5pm PT. Viewers in the United States will be able to watch the Game on ABC, and can stream the action on the online platform fuboTV, which offers new users a free trial.

Enjoy the Thunder vs the Mavericks live on fuboTV.

How many times have Thunder won series from 3-2 down?

Competing in the NBA Playoffs for the first time since 2020, the Thunder are chasing their first appearance in the conference finals since losing out on an NBA finals place to the Golden State Warriors eight years ago. Since the franchise moved to Oklahoma from Seattle in 2008, the Thunder have recovered to win a postseason series from 3-2 down once before.

That comeback came in 2014, when the Thunder saw off the Memphis Grizzlies in Games 6 and 7 to secure a 4-3 first-round victory. The Oklahomans then beat the Los Angeles Clippers 4-2 in the conference semi-finals, before being eliminated by eventual champions the San Antonio Spurs.

The Thunder haven’t lifted an NBA title since the team relocated. The franchise won one championship during its 41-year-old period as the Seattle SuperSonics, beating the Washington Bullets in the 1979 finals.