To the NBA playoffs and the Dallas Mavericks were looking to stay perfect in Oklahoma this season.

Dallas had won all three meetings between the teams this year in Oklahoma City and that included a win in Game three of the western conference finals. One more victory and the Mavs would be on the verge of heading to the NBA finals.

Dallas had won all three meetings between the teams this year in Oklahoma City and that included a win in Game three of the western conference finals. One more victory and the Mavs would be on the verge of heading to the NBA finals.

The Thunder would make sure they put an end to Mavs mastery on their home court. Oklahoma got off to a great start. Kevin Durant hitting the jumper from the foul line. OKC would start the game making their first 8 shots and taking an 8-point lead in the first quarter.

Durant would have a great game, finishing with 29 points and 15 rebounds. The prettiest basket coming of a Dallas turnover, Durant would lead the fast break and abuse the Mavs on the way to the rim for the throwdown. That put the Thunder up 10 and it looked like they were going to run away with this one.

Fourth quarter now and Durant nails this three and the Thunder had a 15 point lead with five minutes left -- this game seemed to be over. But Dirk Nowitzki would have other ideas -- the German would hit the fade away and that brings the Mavs to within 8. Disco Dirk would then hit the three ball to close the gap to 7.

More from Nowitzki and check out the bucket here -- off balance, but still gets it to go. The Thunder's 15 point lead is now down to 5. The offensive game plan in the final minutes for Dallas was get the ball to Dirk. He was feeling it. Once again hitting his patented jumper off one leg to bring the Mavs to within 3.

9 seconds left, and Jason Kidd -- looking for you-know-who. Nowitzki though is fouled before he can get a handle on the ball. He would go to the line an calmy hit both freebies to level the game at 101. 6 seconds left, and Kevin Durant with the ball. He tries a deep three, but he is blocked by Shawn Marion! The ball now in the Mavs hands -- with less than a second to go.

Dallas with a chance for the unvelievabale comeback -- but Kidd's pass to Marion is broken up. We are now off to overtime.

And in the extra session, the ball would once again get into Nowitzki's hands, but just as he is about to get double teamed he finds Jason Kidd. He head fakes the defender and calmy nails the bucket. Dallas is up 3, and they would go on to win it 112-105 and have a 3-1 series lead.

Dirk Nowitzki said, "We're just a veteran team trying to play off each other and getting stops and getting rebounds that kind of helped our offence in the last couple of minutes. We just ran down, we free flowed - I don't remember calling a play in the last couple of minutes. We just ran down and pick and rolled it and free flowed it. Like I said all season long, I think when our defence is good and we rebound the ball that's when our offence opens up and that really helped us down the stretch."

Kevin Durant said, "Late in the game that's my time - and a few of those times it was just too clogged up. I didn't want to force a bad shot. I passed to my team mates and I believe in my team mates and I trust in them. But we just weren't making shots and they were."

Go to Forum >>0 Comments