NBA Playoffs 2011: Thunder vs. Mavericks Game 1 Report Card
In a somewhat surprising Western Conference Finals matchup, the Dallas Mavericks squared off against the Oklahoma City Thunder Tuesday in the America Airlines Arena.
The matchup paired one star on each team, consisting of veteran Dirk Nowitzki and budding superstar Kevin Durant.
Both teams have plenty of prominent role players, including guys like Russell Westbrook, James Harden, Jason Terry and J.J. Barea.
Now that Game 1 is in the books, here are the grades for the key players that made this Dallas win happen.
Dirk Nowitki
1 of 7
Dirk had a dominant Game 1. He came out and drained shot after shot, showing how incredibly difficult it is for opposing players to guard him.
Dirk's first half was as good as they get. In 19 minutes he scored 21 points, grabbed five boards and blocked two shots. His shooting performance was very impressive, going 8-for-9 from the field and a perfect 5-of-5 from the charity stripe.
For as good as his first half was, Dirk was even better in the second half of Game 1. He set an NBA record for his free-throw shooting, going a perfect 24-of-24 from the line.
His final stat line is worthy of the record books. Nowitzki finished with 48 points, six rebounds, four assists and four blocks.
Final Grade: A+
Kevin Durant
2 of 7
Durant's great game was easily overshadowed by the spectacular work of Dirk Nowitzki. He was the only true scoring option for the Thunder all night, raising serious concerns going forward.
Durant had a good first half keeping his team in the game. The 22-year-old scored 17 points, snatched five rebounds and dished out two assists. His shooting numbers were right in line with Dirk's, going 6-for-8 from the field and 4-for-4 from the free-throw line.
Durant finished with an astounding 40 points, eight rebounds and five blocks. Durant also went 18-for-19 from the free-throw line, just another stat that is overshadowed by Dirk's big night.
Final Grade: A
J.J. Barea
3 of 7
Barea has provided a great spark off the bench for the Mavs. Measuring in well under 6-feet, Barea has been a pest for other teams to guard.
Barea came in and did his job in the first half. He scored nine points in eight minutes, proving his efficiency.
In the second half, Barea exploded and finished off Oklahoma City. His final stat line was 21 points in just 16 minutes. His ability to slash to the hole and drain open buckets was truly frustrating for the Thunder.
Final Grade: A
Russell Westbrook
4 of 7
Westbrook has been one of the most criticized players in recent playoff memory.
In the first half against Dallas, Westbrook played terrible. He finished with seven points, two assists and two turnovers in 19 minutes of action. The real disturbing part of his first half was his shooting, tallying an abysmal 1-for-8 from the field.
Westbrook's play did not improve in the second half. He ended the game with a terrible 3-for-15 from the field, giving a big reason for why the Thunder did not win.
Westbrook is a huge X-factor in this series and will drastically need to improve his shooting for Game 2.
Final Grade: D+
Serge Ibaka
5 of 7
Though Serge Ibaka was guarding Dirk while he went off for 48 points, the youngster from the Republic of Congo actually had a decent night.
Ibaka finished Game 1 with 17 points and six rebounds on 7-of-11 shooting.
Ibaka got in foul trouble early and often in this game, limiting his overall defense on Dirk. Believe it or not, Ibaka actually did a decent job on Dirk.
If Dirk was not absolutely on fire, Ibaka's grade would have been much better.
Final Grade: C+
Jason Terry
6 of 7
Jason Terry has been one of the best sixth man players in the NBA for years. On Tuesday night against the Thunder, Terry continued to show how electric he can be off the bench.
The Jet contributed 10 points and two assists in his 16 minutes of first half action.
In the second half, Terry continued to drain shots from all over the floor. The Jet ended Game 1 with 24 points on 4-of-8 shooting from three-point land.
Final Grade: B+
James Harden
7 of 7
Seen as a bench scoring option, Harden was barely that in Game 1.
In 35 minutes of action, Harden was able to score just 12 points on 5-of-9 shooting. He also went 1-for-4 from downtown, limiting his threat as a big time scoring punch.
The worst stat of Harden's night was his plus/minus differential in the game, sitting at a team worst minus-13.
Final Grade: C-
