Game 1 is finally over between the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Dallas Mavericks, the only good news for Dallas is that the playoffs are not single elimination. The represented two are very different teams. One team that played consistent basketball all year and has championship aspirations. The other is a team that snuck into the playoffs. The Thunder are a much better team than Dallas.

But the team that played Saturday night was not the Dallas Mavericks that scrapped the last few weeks and won a playoff spot. No question this was Dallas’ worst game this year, maybe in franchise history. It was for a fact the worst shooting performance in team history. Dallas is already breaking records in the playoffs and its only game 1.

The abysmal outing was not only caused by poor shooting, although it was the main reason, the Thunder dominated on the glass. It seemed every time Dallas forced an OKC miss, Kanter would box out Dirk and throw it out to Durant, who on cue would drain a three. The underdog Dallas Mavericks must win the hustle stats, that’s how all upsets take place. The underdog plays like a scrappy team out to prove something.

The only thing Dallas set out to prove Saturday night is the Thunder are really good. The Thunder are good and to make it worse for the Mavericks, they have a chip on their shoulder. Last year, they were aspiring to hoist the Larry O’Brien trophy, but Durant’s injury ended the Thunder’s season prematurely. Now they’re back and looking to send a message that the Thunder are a real threat: message received.

Dallas will need to play inspired and pride-filled ball in order to make this a series. Because Oklahoma City will not slow down or get complacent at least in this series. Keys for a game two victory for the Mavs are be aggressive and drive the ball. What do you do when your jump shot is not falling? You drive it inside and draw a foul or make a layup, Dallas continued to misfire from outside. They HAVE to out hustle OKC. The Mavs must be aggravating, be a pain in the butt. Lastly, just keep it close enough to put the pressure on OKC in the 4th, where they have struggled this year. Remember, all you have to do is split in OKC and it’s a success.

After all, as Rick Carlisle said in his post game interview, “It’s only one game. It’s only 1-0.” He continued “Everyone’s gotta do better.”