Dirk Nowitzki‘s 48-point game against the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 1 of the Western Conference finals stood out not only because of the high point total, but because of the incredible efficiency with which he scored. He went 12-for-15 from the field and 24-for-24 from the free throw line in the Mavericks’ 121-112 victory in Dallas.
One way to measure overall scoring efficiency is to use true shooting percentage, which resembles field goal percentage but takes into account field goals, 3-pointers and free throws to give an overall measure of how efficiently a player scored his points...
...According to the Elias Sports Bureau, there have been more than 2,500 instances of a player in the shot clock era (since 1954-55) taking at least 25 true shot attempts in a playoff game. Among those games, Nowitzki’s 93.9 percent in Game 1 was the highest true shooting percentage, by far. Next closest was Vince Carter’s true shooting percentage of 82.5 from his 50-point game in the 2001 playoffs against the Philadelphia 76ers.
Not a whole lot I can add to that. Dirk was literally unstoppable in Game 1, and he single-handedly carried the Mavericks to victory with one of the most efficient high-volume scoring performances ever. I suppose the only thing resembling good news for Thunder fans is that Dirk would have to break his own record to actually have a better game throughout the rest of the series, but if Nowitzki keeps draining his unblockable baseline jumpers and getting to the free throw line at anywhere close to the rate he did in Game 1, the Western Conference Finals could end up being a short series.