Mavericks 93, Thunder 87
Shawn Marion and Dirk Nowitzki scored 18 points apiece and the Dallas Mavericks took advantage of a horrid 3-point performance by Oklahoma City en route to a 93-87 win over the host Thunder on Saturday in Game 3 of the NBA Western Conference finals.
Jason Kidd added 13 points and eight assists for the Mavericks, who lead the best-of-seven series 2-1. Game 4 is Monday in Oklahoma City.
Russell Westbrook led the way with 30 points while Kevin Durant had 24 points and 12 rebounds for the Thunder, who stormed back from a 23-point deficit but couldn't overcome a 1-for-17 effort from beyond the arc.
Up by 16 entering the second half, the Mavericks scored the first six points of the third to make it 58-36, but the Thunder fought back to trail only 70-56 after three.
A Westbrook driving layup with 6:33 left cut Dallas' lead to single digits for the first time since midway through the opening quarter. The Thunder closed to within six before the Mavericks put the game away on a pair of foul-line jumpers from Nowitzki.
The Thunder came out flatter than they had been all postseason, making just four of 17 first-quarter shots. Peja Stojakovic and Kidd hit consecutive 3-pointers late in the quarter and Marion added an emphatic dunk with a minute left as Dallas led 27-12 after one.
The chasm grew to as many as 23 points early in the second quarter on a Brendan Haywood layup. Westbrook and Durant scored 14 straight Oklahoma City points to help whittle away at the deficit, but Dallas still enjoyed a 52-36 advantage at the break.