OKC Thunder Needs Lu Dort to Return to Regular Season Form

After dropping yet another devastating loss in the final minutes, Oklahoma City officially has its back against the wall. This team has given up home court advantage and could fall behind 3-1 depending on Sunday’s outcome. Every ounce of fight left in this squad has to come out in order to survive and advance.

While Game 3 was another brutal sequence of events to end the game, this series is far from over. Oklahoma City has dominated for the majority of the series, but late collapses have plagued them. The Thunder, even though down 2-1, are heavily favored for a reason. At some point, Vegas is expecting Oklahoma City’s double digit leads to stick and result in victory — just like they displayed all season long.

One way that the Thunder can get back to regular season habits is by knocking down open triples — starting with Lu Dort. Dort has struggled mightily during the playoffs, and the struggles have intensified in the second round.

In Friday night’s overtime thriller, Dort played 34 minutes and managed to add just three points. He was 1-of-6 from the floor, 0-of-4 from the 3-points line, and recorded six fouls. He wasn’t always sticking on Jamal Murray, but Denver’s point guard — and Dort’s primary matchup — led the Nuggets in scoring at 27 points.

Dort’s shooting has gone from a small slump to a cause for concern. In seven playoff games so far, he’s averaging just 7.9 points on 31.5% from the floor and 26.7% from 3-point range. He obviously creates so much good when he’s on the floor, but he can’t buy a bucket whatsoever right now.

This is a far cry from how accurate he was during the regular season. He turned into one of the Thunder’s very best 3-points shooters, averaging 10.1 points while shooting 41.2% from the 3-point line.

Dort is the type of player that can turn things around on a dime, so it’s not a lost cause just yet. As Oklahoma City desperately searches for a way back into the series, he’s someone that can turn the tide.