Thunder at Mavericks
THE STORY: After getting one of the greatest shooting efforts in NBA playoff history two nights earlier, the Dallas Mavericks will be hoping for an encore performance from Dirk Nowitzki in Game 2 of the Western Conference Final on Thursday. Nowitzki erupted for 48 points while going perfect on 24 free throws as the Mavs cruised past the Oklahoma City Thunder 121-112.
TV: 9 p.m. ET, ESPN
ABOUT THE THUNDER: Oklahoma City had absolutely no answer for Nowitzki, who shredded the Thunder's troop of big men from start to finish. Kendrick Perkins landed in early foul trouble and was tentative the rest of the way. Nazr Mohammed did not have the lateral quickness to keep up with Nowitzki, who used an array of stepback jumpers and drives to the lane to generate most of his offense. Serge Ibaka did the best job against Nowitzki, but even he found himself somewhat neutralized by the foul count and simply incapable of keeping Nowitzki from scoring at will. Kevin Durant had a similarly dominant night, scoring 40 points in defeat. Unlike Nowitzki, Durant didn't get enough from his supporting cast - particularly Russell Westbrook, who scored 20 points but made just three of 15 shots.
ABOUT THE MAVERICKS: Nowitzki's night was one for the record books. His 24-for-24 result from the free-throw line established a new league playoff record for most made free throws without a miss, breaking the old mark of 21 set by Boston's Paul Pierce in 2003. Nowitzki also hit 12 of 15 shots from the field, falling just two points shy of his single-game playoff record without even attempting a 3-pointer. Jason Terry took care of the long-distance scoring, burying four 3s to finish with 24 points off the bench. J.J. Barea added 21, including 12 straight Dallas points during a pivotal fourth-quarter stretch. Oklahoma City simply couldn't keep up with the Mavericks' relentless offense, with the pick-and-roll working to near-perfection throughout the game.
WHO'S HOT/WHO'S NOT: Nowitzki is shooting 62 percent (62 for 100) from the floor over his last six games, including 8 for 12 from beyond the arc. Westbook has made just 7 of 27 shots over the past two outings, and hasn't attempted a 3-pointer in either of them.
KEY STATISTIC: 50-22 - Dallas' advantage in bench scoring in Game 1. With Nowitzki and Durant expected to cancel each other out, the Thunder cannot afford to see their reserves outscored so handily moving forward.
LAST WORD: "He's a man on a mission right now." - Mavericks center Tyson Chandler, speaking about Nowitzki.