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Dallas Mavericks forward Derrick Jones Jr. threw down a vicious first-half slam dunk during Tuesday's Game 1 second-round playoff showdown against the OKC Thunder.
With the Mavericks trailing 56-46 late in the second quarter, shooting guard Tim Hardaway Jr. attempted a corner 3-pointer. His shot was well short, however, Thunder rookie center Chet Holmgren failed to box Jones out, allowing him to fly in for an offensive rebound.
The 2020 NBA Slam Dunk Contest champion subsequently converted a nasty left-handed putback slam to cut OKC's lead to eight points with 1:38 remaining.
The dunk marked two of seven first-half points for Jones, who has played a key role as a rim runner and defender for the Mavericks.
However, the Thunder took a 62-53 halftime edge behind a game-high 19 first-half points from superstar guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
Derrick Jones Jr. on playing key playoff role with Mavericks
Dallas' offseason signing of Derrick Jones Jr. was a fairly under-the-radar move. Jones signed for only one year, $2.7 million. However, he has become one of the Mavericks' most vital role players.
The undrafted forward started in a career-high 66 of 76 regular-season games as Dallas closed the season on a dominant defensive run. Jones has since started in the Mavericks' first seven playoff contests, regularly taking on the toughest defensive assignments.
That includes during Dallas' six-game Round 1 postseason series victory over the LA Clippers. Jones was tasked with guarding stars Paul George and James Harden.
According to the 27-year-old, he is grateful that Mavericks coach Jason Kidd trusts him to take on such a significant defensive responsibility.
"I mean, it means everything to me, personally. That's what I want," Jones told ClutchPoints.
"That's what I told coach I wanted when I first got here. We had a team meeting as players, wanted to talk about goals for the team, goals individually. ... I told everybody that I wanted to be on the All-Defensive team."
However, Jones noted that he isn't surprised by his success, as he "knows what [he's] capable of" and is "not gonna be out-worked."
Outside of his defense, most would probably agree that Jones has been a seamless offensive fit with Mavericks stars Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving. His athleticism and ability to space the floor have allowed him to make a two-way impact alongside the star duo.
Entering Tuesday, Jones averaged 8.8 points, 4.3 rebounds, 1.5 blocks and 0.8 3-pointers per game on 56.4% shooting over his first six playoff outings.
