Dallas Mavericks best Oklahoma City Thunder in game-3 of Western Conference Finals 93-87: NBA Analysis
The Western Conference final series took another twist on Saturday night when the Dallas Mavericks beat the Oklahoma City Thunder 93-87 at the Oklahoma City Arena. In doing so, they not only took a 2-1 but also snatched back the
home court advantage; they had lost two nights back.
After being routed in the first half, OKC managed to cut a 23-point deficit to just four points down the stretch, but Dirk Nowitzki again stole the show, particularly in the fourth quarter, to seal the victory. Nowitzki scored
just eight points in the first three quarter and was not in his comfort zone. The Mavs, however, kept going to him throughout the game, knowing that he has the guts to win the game for them. The big German did the same and scored 10 of his 18 points in the
final stanza help Dallas in the crunch time.
The Mavs’ coach Rick Carlisle appreciated the sizzling play of Nowitzki in the fourth and said, "He is our guy. In the fourth quarters, he's going to touch the ball as frequently as we can get it to him," "If he misses a few shots,
he is not going to get deterred; he is not going to get discouraged. He has the kind of will; he is going to keep going at it.
Forward Shawn Marion also added 18 points while Jason Kidd finished with 13 points, eight assist, six rebounds, and four steals in the victory. Guard Jason Terry came off the bench with 13 points and six assists for Dallas.
For Thunder, only two players were able to score in double figures and they were the usual suspects, the duo of Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook. Westbrook erupted with a game-high 30 points on the night but also committed 7
turnovers. NBA scoring champion Kevin Durant had 24 points on a 7-of-22 shooting, a game-high 12 rebounds, five assists, two blocks, two steals in the losing efforts.
Game Analysis
The Mavericks grasped the court with all guns blazing, taking a 13-4 lead with 06:02 to go in the first quarter. The Thunder, on the other hand had their worst opening quarter of the season, allowing Dallas to carry a 27-12 lead
into the second. With both the teams playing evenly throughout the second quarter, the Mavs managed to take a 52-36 advantage at the end of first half.
Trailing by 16 points at halftime, the Thunder managed to shore up their defence somewhat. However, they kept on misfiring from the field and trailed by 70-56, heading into the final stanza.
The fourth quarter was a complete turnaround for the OKC. They rallied with an 18-10 run early to cut the deficit to six, bringing the home crowd back to life. Oklahoma City missed had missed all 16 three-pointers going into the
last two minutes of the game. However with 1:33 remaining, Westbrook finally made one in the final minute to cut the margin to five, 88-83.
The Mavericks were prepared with an answer though. With the Thunder defence eager to get possession and make a final run, the Mavs intelligently drew fouls and converted 5-of-6 in the last 33 second to hold on for a win. The Thunder
coach Scott Brooks admitted that the defeat was the entire result of the missed 3-pointers and said, "There's no question they started the game really hitting us and knocking us out of our offense.” "And we missed a lot of 3’s. Those 3’s weren't all contested."
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