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Luguentz Dort had a historically bad shooting performance during Game 5 on Saturday as the Oklahoma City Thunder nearly suffered a 40-point defeat to the Houston Rockets but his teammates implored him to continue to shoot the ball.
Dort recorded just six points in the contest, shooting 3-of-16 from the field while he missed all nine of his 3-point attempts. His nine misses were the third-most in a playoff game without making any shots and were the most ever by a player logging fewer than 25 minutes.
The rookie bounced back in Game 6 on Monday as the Thunder defeated the Rockets behind the heroics of Chris Paul. The 10-time NBA All-Star scored 15 of his 28 total points in the fourth quarter to seal the win and force Game 7 on Wednesday.
Dort came up big for the Thunder in the third quarter when he scored 10 of his 13 points in the period, including a personal 8-0 run heading into the fourth quarter. After missing all nine of his 3-point attempts, Dort went 2-of-6 from beyond the arc on Monday.
“I do think that the two 3’s that he made, I give him a lot of credit as a young player to go 0-for-9 last game,” head coach Billy Donovan said.
Paul has been a driving force in instilling confidence in Dort amid his shooting struggles. His pep talk in Game 4 proved to be instrumental in Dort avoiding fouling out and Paul once again offered some strong words of encouragement following his Game 5 woes.
“The thing we have been telling Lu ever since last game was, if they back off of you, you shoot it,” Paul said. “We got too much confidence in him and his ability and what he has been doing; he means so much to our team. The good thing about a series is that each game takes on its own identity. I said it game after game: I’m gonna ride with Lu Dort ’til the wheels fall off.”
Paul has been invaluable to the Thunder this season based on his leadership and ability on the floor. He has helped pick up his teammates when needed and the advice offered from him has given players like Dort the confidence to continue playing at a high level.
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