A few months ago, the Oklahoma City Thunder were eliminated from the playoffs after losing to the Dallas Mavericks in the second round. Finally got one back.

The Thunder advanced to the NBA Cup semifinals by defeating the Mavericks 118-104 on Tuesday night. Luka Doncic fell victim to Luguentz Dort’s brilliant defense, scoring a disappointing 16 points, 11 rebounds and five assists on 5 of 15 shooting from the field.

Meanwhile, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander turned in one of his best performances in his early assertion as a leading MVP candidate.

The 26-year-old finished the night with 39 points, eight rebounds and five assists on 15 of 23 shooting from the field and 5 of 9 from behind the arc. It didn’t matter where he shot from – Gilgeous-Alexander had to reward Dallas offensively, and he did it by only reaching the free throw line twice during the game.

With Kyrie Irving’s 17 points and five assists on 7 of 14 shooting, Gilgeous-Alexander single-handedly prevailed against the Mavericks’ star offensive duo.

The victory over a Dallas team that had ended its chances of reaching the NBA Finals was crucial in building confidence for Oklahoma City, now the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference with a 19-5 record is. It’s a team that has struggled a lot in the past, but the win showed they are on par, if not better.

“They came from the West last year,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “That means they were the best team in the West.” And I respect that: “That’s where I want to be. I want to come from the West and win an NBA championship.”

It’s clear the Thunder have the tools to make it happen this time around. Despite the two centers not even playing together yet due to various injuries – namely Chet Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein – the team has put together a strong winning streak.

No team in the entire league has a comparable defensive performance. Combine that with the nightly performances of Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams? It’s hard to imagine Oklahoma City not making a strong appearance in the Finals in April.

The Mavericks may have had the upper hand the last time the two teams met in a tournament, but now the Thunder have the edge.

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