More unsung heroics from Derrick Jones Jr. in the Mavericks’ crucial Game 5 win at the Thunder

Derrick Jones Jr. is doing all the little things, and an increasing share of bigger and bigger things, as the Dallas Mavericks continue to find ways to win on this storybook playoff run.

He scored 15 of his 19 points in the first half of Wednesday’s Game 5, a 104-92 dagger in the belly of the Oklahoma City Thunder on their home floor at the Paycom Center. Jones scored 17 more points and blocked four shots on defense in Monday’s 100-96 Game 4 loss. That’s right, he’s now had his best two playoff games ever, in back-to-back games, right after his teammate P.J. Washington did the same thing in Games 2 and 3. Jones hadn’t scored 17 or more in a game since March 3 against the Philadelphia 76ers.

Before Game 5 tipped off Wednesday, a report from the Athletic indicated that Derrick Jones Jr. “wants to be back” with the Mavericks after his one-year deal with the team is up at the end of the current playoff run. And since the identity of this team shifted to the defensive end sometime around February, Jones has been an indispensable part of this team. It should be a no-brainer on all sides, and he continues to step up in key moments on both ends of the floor as this playoff run gets nittier and grittier by the day.

His steal in the first quarter turned into a transition look for Luka Dončić — one of those banking, floating rhythm looks early in the game that helps him get engaged right away. The Thunder shot a collective 0-for-8 from the field on attempts contested by Jones in Game 5, according to ESPN.

Then he hit his first two 3-pointers of the game, a treat from the defensive specialist who shot just north of 34% from 3-point range in the regular season. When he proved he could make the Thunder pay for helping off him when Dončić or Irving drive — and that he could do it just as effectively as Washington did earlier in the series — Oklahoma City’s entire defensive gameplan was shot.

His running jam assisted by Dončić after a Josh Green steal late in the first gave the Mavericks a 22-17 lead. Jones led all scorers with 10 first-quarter points.

Jones hit his third 3-pointer of the game with 5:11 left in the first half to put the Mavericks up 45-33. He scored 15 points on 6-of-6 shooting, including 3-of-3 from 3-point territory in the first half. He filled the “unexpected instant offense “ role that Washington has pioneered in this playoff run, while Washington had a slower start to Game 5 on Wednesday.

Jones missed his only two 3-point attempts in the second half but did get into the highlight reel again late in the fourth when Dončić found him on an outlet after an OKC turnover. Jones blocked a shot on one end to get the play started, then raised up to end the play on another emphatic slam that stretched out all 46 inches of that vertical leap with just over 2 minutes to play. It put the Mavs up 99-86 and the game out of reach for the Thunder.

Jones finished with 19 points on a beautifully efficient 7-of-9 shooting, with a blocked shot and a steal in the win. He has outscored (36 combined points to 26) and outplayed Jalen Williams, the Thunder’s second-best player, handily in Games 4 and 5.

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