Dirk Nowitzki scored 40 points with 5 rebounds as the Dallas Mavericks erased a 15-point deficit with less than 5 minutes remaining to win Game Four, 112-105, in overtime against the Oklahoma City Thunder (OKC) at the Oklahoma City Arena on May 23.
The comeback victory gives the Mavericks a commanding 3-1 series lead over the Thunder, placing Dallas just one win away from reaching the NBA Finals for the first time since 2006.
OKC led comfortably throughout most of the game Monday night as Thunder guard Kevin Durant helped his team make their first nine shot attempts to leap out to a double-digit lead; Durant finished with 29 points and 15 rebounds. OKC forward Nick Collison performed well off the bench, scoring 12 points with 7 rebounds and defending Nowitzki well for most of the game. But Dirk eventually warmed up in the fourth quarter, making an array of tough shots that ignited the Dallas comeback. Nowitzki has scored at least 40 points in two games so far this series.
“We kept believing,” Nowitzki said. “I think finally we got some rebounds. I think that was killing us all night long. We got second-chance points, tipouts. In the last couple minutes we got great stops, finally got some rebounds, and it really helped us (with) our flow.”
The Mavericks can close out the series on Wednesday, May 25 at 8 p.m. But Durant told reporters he doesn’t plan to make that easy for the Mavericks.
“It’s not over yet,” Durant said,” It’s not over!”