Austin Rivers of the Houston Rockets thought he had a free crack at the rim. However, trailing from behind is defensive stalwart Lu Dort of the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Though Dort did not complete the epic chase down, it's safe to assume that Rivers heard his footsteps. This influenced Rivers' composure as he missed the wide-open slam.

Dort, who was in the G League at the beginning of the 2019-20 season, has been a revelation for the Thunder this postseason. Dort has been tagged as an elite defender for making it difficult for James Harden to score all series long.

And as the series progressed, Dort, too, has been making an impact on the offensive end as well. This has gave the Thunder another weapon they have utilized very well. The Rockets, meanwhile, have had to add Lu Dort as one of the players to look out for.

 

–

Follow ClutchPoints on Twitter & Instagram, and like us on Facebook. We can also be found on Flipboard where you can subscribe and follow us.

All of our NBA content can be found on the NBA section of the ClutchPoints home page here. For all of our college basketball content, click here.

Follow NBA games live by downloading the ClutchPoints App and heading to the scores tab under the NBA section.

You can listen and subscribe to the Battle for LA podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Soundcloud. You can also find new episodes of Battle for LA, the ClutchPoints NBA Podcast, and Establish the Pass under the Podcast tab on the ClutchPoints home page.