Mavericks at Thunder
THE STORY: It may be difficult to determine which team has more momentum heading into Game 4 of the NBA's Western Conference final Monday night in Oklahoma City. The Dallas Mavericks gained the upper hand in the best-of-seven with a 93-87 win Saturday, but not before nearly squandering a 23-point advantage to the upstart Thunder.
TV: 9 p.m. ET, ESPN
ABOUT THE THUNDER: Poor execution plagued Oklahoma City throughout Game 3, but the Thunder still found themselves within striking range down the stretch. A trio of missed 3-point attempts and a costly turnover with under two minutes remaining wound up leaving Oklahoma City just short of coming all the way back. Long-range shooting was the Thunder's undoing in this one, as they missed their first 16 3-point shots before Russell Westbrook hit one in the final minute. Getting those shots to fall will be critical for an Oklahoma City team that hasn't lost consecutive games yet int the postseason.
ABOUT THE MAVERICKS: Phew. That was the sound of collective relief from the Mavericks' locker room after a fourth-quarter collapse almost cost Dallas a pivotal road victory. Dirk Nowitzki had 10 of his 18 points in the fourth, and said afterward he knew it was his responsibility to keep the Mavs out in front despite struggling from the field. "We didn’t really have a lot going in the second half offensively, so I’ve got to keep attacking for this team like I have for the last 13 years," said Nowitzki, who shot 7 for 21 from the floor. “This team needs me to score and to keep being aggressive."
WHO'S HOT/WHO'S NOT: Westbrook and Kevin Durant had 54 points in defeat but hit just 15 of 42 shots on the night. Durant missed all eight of his 3-point attempts. Mavericks G Jason Kidd had another well-rounded game Saturday with 13 points, eight assists, seven rebounds and four steals. He's averaging better than two swipes per game in the postseason.
KEY STATISTIC: 12 - The number of minutes Westbrook played in the fourth quarter Saturday. Westbrook was benched for the entire final period in Game 2, a decision coach Scott Brooks defended by saying his team's reserves were playing too well to take out.
LAST WORD: "They got us playing on our heels, and that’s not how we play. The start was tough to overcome." - Brooks on his team's slow start