Luguentz Dort Catching Fire For OKC Thunder

The Oklahoma City Thunder had secured its seventh loss of the 2024-25 season Friday night against the Dallas Mavericks when Luguentz Dort dribbled across half-court with 10 seconds remaining. He made his way to the 3-point line, performed a left-to-right crossover against a defending Maxi Kleber and released a high-arcing side-step attempt — which went in, off the glass. The game finished seconds later.

While the desperation heave just turned an 11-point deficit into an eight-point deficit, it helps demonstrate how effective Dort has been as a shooter recently. The sixth-year wing went 6-for-8 on 3s in Dallas the night after putting up a season-high 22 points with six made triples against the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Dort has shot 28-for-52 (53.8%) from downtown in nine January games, increasing his season 3-point percentage to a career-high 42.7% on 225 attempts. He has made multiple 3-pointers in seven games since the new year, making at least three in five games.

"I try to always be at the right spot for the guys that handle the ball most of the time — Shai (Gilgeous-Alexander), (Jalen Williams) and all of them," said Dort after a 134-114 home win against the Cavaliers Thursday night. "They find me early, I was ready to shoot and then I got it going. When I make a couple shots early in the game, it helps me get going."

Dort's aforementioned last-second make was his only unassisted triple in his last two outings. Jalen Williams found him on four threes across both games, while Gilgeous-Alexander fed him twice Thursday before missing his first game of the season against the Mavericks.

Dort has yielded encouraging outside results throughout the court. He made two 3-pointers each from the left corner, top-of-the-key and right wing versus Cleveland, and sank four left-wing triples in Dallas. This month, Dort has recorded an 83.0% effective field goal percentage on 3-point shots and a 42.9% effective field goal percentage on 2-pointers — going 4-for-11 on attempts within three feet of the basket.

"I just gotta make myself open and then shoot it with confidence," Dort said. "Some teams dare me to shoot sometimes, run me off the line, so I gotta really read the defense and make the right play for my team."

Dort and the Thunder play against the Brooklyn Nets tomorrow at 6 p.m. CST.