The Dallas Mavericks are once again headed to the NBA Finals, defeating the Oklahoma City Thunder 100-96 in Dallas Wednesday night.
It was a story not too dissimilar to Monday night’s. The Mavericks once again found themselves trailing most of the game three-quarters of the way into the fourth quarter, and once again found a way to win. They don’t yet know who their Finals competitor will be, but this kind of late-game efficiency bodes well.
The turning point was a 3-pointer by Dirk Nowitzki with 1:14 remaining to put the Mavericks on top for good, and complete the comeback.
Nowitzki finished with 26 points and nine boards, while Shawn Marion, seemingly out of nowhere, hit the Thunder for 26 points himself to go along with eight rebounds. Jason Terry added 12 points, and J.J. Barea had 14 points off the bench for the Mavericks.
In the losing effort, Russell Westbrook played incredibly for Oklahoma City, particularly in the second half. Moving mostly over to the two-guard position (with Maynor at the point, Harden at the three), Westbrook finished with 31 points, eight rebounds, and five assists. Harden also had a spectacular game in the losing effort with 23 points.
Kevin Durant had a tough game finishing with 23 points and nine rebounds, and shooting just eight-for-twenty from the field.
It will be Dirk Nowitzki’s second NBA Finals appearance, and what a run he has had thus far in these playoffs. During this postseason, the Mavericks boast an impressive 12-3 record, including a sweep of the two-time defending champion Los Angeles Lakers in the second round.
The Mavericks will face the winner of the Miami Heat and Chicago Bulls who play Game Five tomorrow, with the Heat leading the series 3-1.
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