Julius Randle is still wondering where Lu Dort came from.
After catching a looping pass over Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Randle turned and … smack.
Dort read the pass like a free safety. He spiked the ball from Randle’s hands into the hardwood. Dort secured the strip and passed ahead. Gilgeous-Alexander paid off the third-quarter steal with a running, and-1 layup.
On the night SGA backed up his MVP award, Dort showed why he earned All-Defensive first-team honors.
Dort and the Thunder’s D rattled the Wolves once again, taking Game 2 of the Western Conference finals 118-103 Thursday night in Oklahoma City.
OKC outscored Minnesota 22-10 in points off turnovers. For the series, it’s 53-20 Thunder in that category.
“That’s just how scrappy we are,” Dort said.
Minnesota shot 41% of the floor. Not until the fourth did they crack 30 points in a quarter. That on the heels of a third quarter the Thunder won 35-21.
The Thunder’s defense has reached peak levels of disruption. As overwhelming defensively as the Splash Brothers Warriors were offensively. Instead of death by threes, OKC drowns opponents under tidal waves of defense.
Dort and Cason Wallace. Jalen Williams and Alex Caruso. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Chet Holmgren.
Dort and Wallace tag-teamed Timberwolves superstar Anthony Edwards, who earned every bit of his 32 points in the Game 2 loss. Edwards was 12-of-26 from the floor, even in spite of a 1-of-9 night from 3-point range.
In Game 1, Wallace played more than Dort. In Game 2, Dort played more than Wallace. When both are on the floor against Edwards, sometimes it’s Dort who gets the assignment. Sometimes it’s Wallace. Either way, Edwards can’t get a break.
Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said his assistants — likely Dave Bliss, the Thunder’s de facto defensive coordinator — handle the defensive matchups.
“I don’t know what the hell they’re doing or why, but those guys, it’s great to have two of them out there,” Daigneault quipped.
Not to mention Caruso and J-Dub, who also saw time on Edwards.
“It’s a huge luxury,” Daigneault said. “It lets us keep fresh legs on the best players. Keeps us a moving target in terms of matchups.”
After so many of Dort’s teammates lobbied for him to make All-Defense, it was Dort who made the All-Defense pitch for Wallace on Thursday night.
“He’s a great defender and he’s always ready for any challenge,” Dort said. “The fact that we’re on the court together or we take our turns on their best player, it’s huge. We try to wear him down, we try to make everything tough for him.”
Dort and Wallace are often in a tug-of-war for who gets to take on the hardest matchup. In this case, the Edwards matchup.
“Whoever’s having the better night on him can take on that task,” Wallace said.
Thursday night was Dort’s night. A coronation of his All-Defensive claim.
Joe Mussatto is a sports columnist for The Oklahoman. Have a story idea for Joe? Email him at jmussatto@oklahoman.com. Support Joe’s work and that of other Oklahoman journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today at subscribe.oklahoman.com.