Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the charge with 29 points, nine rebounds, and nine assists as the Oklahoma City Thunder secured a 117-95 victory against the Dallas Mavericks in Game 1 of their Western Conference semifinal showdown on Tuesday.

Gilgeous-Alexander made 8 of 19 field goal attempts and an impressive 11 of 13 free throws in his debut second-round playoff appearance. The Thunder made history as the most youthful team ever to win a conference semifinal contest in the NBA.

Kyrie Irving contributed 19 points, while Luka Doncic concluded with 19 points and nine assists for Dallas.

In just under five minutes of the third quarter, the Mavericks decreased a 12-point lead held by the Thunder to a single point with Irving’s 3-pointer after a pass from Luka Doncic.

Oklahoma City outpaced Dallas 51-30 for the remainder of the game.

Reacting swiftly to Irving’s three-pointer after a break, the Thunder, led by Isaiah Joe, initiated a 14-4 surge over the subsequent trio of minutes.

During the run, Gilgeous-Alexander facilitated two of the Thunder’s four 3-pointers, and then concluded the stretch with a spectacular 3-pointer from the top of the key, igniting an eruption of support from the home audience.

Before the match, Doncic commended Luguentz Dort from Oklahoma City, hailing him as one of the premier defenders on the perimeter in the NBA.

Dort demonstrated his prowess during a crucial moment by dispossessing the ball from Doncic near the midpoint, diving to retrieve possession before rapidly finding a sprinting Joe, who then assisted Jalen Williams for a dunk.

Dort aided in restraining Doncic to 6-of-19 shooting from the field, including 1-of-8 from long range.

The Mavericks endured nearly four minutes without a field goal late in the third quarter as Oklahoma City expanded its advantage to 15 before Dallas managed to reduce it to 10 with two baskets in the last half a minute.

Chet Holmgren of Oklahoma City amassed 19 points, seven rebounds, and three blocks, Williams contributed 18 points, and Aaron Wiggins scored 16 off the bench, including 12 in the second quarter.

The Thunder capitalized on 22 points from Dallas’ 16 turnovers.

The Mavericks only shot 39.3 percent from the field, while the Thunder connected on 44.9 percent of their shots.

The second match is set for Thursday in Oklahoma City.