NBA Finals Game 7 is a different beast, but Lu Dort has shined in a Game 7 before
Even the stellar ball stopper couldn't prevent some of them from getting past his hardened defense, as they slowly streamed down his baby face.
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The emotions overwhelmed Dort, who'd just scored a career-high 30 points as an undrafted rookie only for OKC to still suffer a Game 7 loss to Houston in the first round of the 2020 NBA playoffs.
"It's a blessing just to be here," Dort told reporters with pain-filled pauses. "It didn't end up going our way, but it was big. It was big. It was a helluva season I had, and I'm grateful for that."
Dort still remembers the pain of letting that Game 7 slip through his hands. But they've become far more calloused since then, toughened by countless nights of blue-collar contributions to the Thunder's success.
Now, nearly five years later, Dort will try to leave his fingerprints on an even bigger Game 7. The biggest one of them all.
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NBA Finals roundtable: How can OKC Thunder win Game 7? What is path for Indiana Pacers?
OKC will host Indiana at 7 p.m. Sunday in Game 7 of the NBA Finals. The winning team will secure its first NBA championship in franchise history.
"It was good, especially early in my career," Dort said Saturday when asked about his 2020 Game 7 experience. "I didn't know what to expect. I never knew what a Game 7 felt like. Just the nervousness and all of the stuff that you feel before a game like that.
"I've felt that before (now). You've just got to approach it like any other game. You go out there and play your best and live with the results."
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Even the Thunder couldn't have predicted the perfect storm that was Dort's Game 7 performance against Houston.
After going undrafted in 2019, the Arizona State alum joined OKC on a two-way contract. That was eventually converted to a standard deal after the season was suspended due to COVID-19.
Dort cracked the starting lineup with regular-season averages of 6.8 points, 2.3 rebounds and 0.8 assists. They were solid numbers for a sturdy defender with a budding shot.
But Dort used the bright lights of the playoffs to blossom. The then-21-year-old guard became the youngest player in NBA history to score at least 30 points in a Game 7. And despite going 7 for 38 from deep (18.4%) throughout the first six games of the series, he went 6 for 12 in that department (50%).
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MUSSATTO: Thunder has won its 'must-win' games. Now comes Game 7, biggest test of all.
Thunder guard Luguentz Dort (5) defends Pacers forward Aaron Nesmith (23) during Game 2 of the NBA Finals at Paycom Center on June 8. Oklahoma City won 123-107.
Dort's final 3-point attempt, a potential game winner, was blocked by James Harden with about five seconds left in regulation. That sealed Houston's 104-102 victory.
Still, there was no denying the obvious. After a lengthy journey from his home country of Canada to college to the G League to the Thunder, Dort had arrived.
"It was one of the most impressive things that I've seen out of a player that young," Billy Donovan, OKC's head coach at the time, said after the game. "Here's a guy who was in the G League and never got drafted. ... He really did a lot of good things. It was unfortunate at the end of the game that (his) shot got blocked because he was playing so well."
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Dort also shined on defense in the losing effort.
Harden's iconic beard wasn't the only thing attached to his face throughout the game. So was Dort's hand.
Despite averaging a league-leading 34.3 points that season, Harden only finished with 17 points. He went 4 for 15 from the field (26.7%) and 1 for 9 from deep (11.1%).
CARLSON: Thunder, Pacers have 'a privilege' in basketball's holy grail — NBA Finals Game 7
Oklahoma City guard Luguentz Dort (5) celebrates a 3-pointer in the fourth quarter during game 5 of the NBA Finals between the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Indiana Pacers at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, on Monday, June 16, 2025.
'He doesn't care about anything but playing hard,' Harden said of Dort after the game. 'As a young guy coming into this league, that's all you can ask for. ... He has the right mindset of just playing hard and playing balls to the wall, and he don't care what anybody thinks. He's gonna have a great career.'
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Harden was one of the first victims of the "Dorture Chamber," which has since become one of the most feared forms of punishment in the NBA.
Dort landed on the All-Defensive first team this season for the first time in his career, and he has lived up to that selection in the Finals.
The 6-foot-4 guard has showcased his versatility by helping defend both Tyrese Haliburton and Pascal Siakam. He has even knocked down his shots when needed, going 51.7% from deep on 4.8 attempts per game.
Dort will do whatever it takes to win. That'll surely be the case Sunday for the fiery competitor, who's familiar with the burning pain of a Game 7 loss.
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"You know that if you win, you'll be happy for a long time," Dort said of Game 7s. "And if you lose, you'll be mad for a long time. ... We know that we've got to give it our all."
Justin Martinez covers sports for The Oklahoman. Have a story idea for Justin? He can be reached at jmartinez@oklahoman.com or on X/Twitter at @JTheSportsDude. Sign up for the Thunder Sports Minute newsletter to access more NBA coverage. Support Justin's work and that of other Oklahoman journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today at subscribe.oklahoman.com.
More: Why Thunder homecourt advantage vs Pacers may be an understatement in Game 7 of NBA Finals
NBA Finals Game 7: Thunder vs. Pacers
TIPOFF: 7 p.m. Sunday at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City (ABC)
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: How Lu Dort grew after OKC Thunder's Game 7 loss in 2020 NBA Playoffs
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