Final: Thunder 131, Mavs 102
Box Score | Highlights
Behind the Box Score
In the third quarter Dirk Nowitzki moved past Wilt Chamberlain for 16th place on the NBA’s all-time career playoff scoring list. The German now has 3,610 points in the postseason. Next up on the list is Elgin Baylor.
The Mavs attempted 15 free throws in the second quarter, hitting nine of them. That was certainly a boost as Dallas shot just 35.0 percent from the field in the frame. All the fouling also put Kevin Durant into foul trouble, as he finished the opening act with three.
Notebook
With Deron Williams sitting tonight, J.J. Barea got the start after missing Game 2. The Puerto Rican point guard appeared to move alright, although he might not have been quite at 100 percent. Still, he contributed nine points and four assists. Meanwhile, David Lee returned to action after missing the first two games of the series with a plantar fascia injury. Dirk Nowitzki also played despite suffering a bone bruise in his knee toward the beginning of Game 2. The “Masking Tape Mavs,” as head coach Rick Carlisle jokingly called them after the final game of the season, appear to be inching closer to fielding a full roster.
In the middle of the third quarter, there was an altercation between Raymond Felton and Steven Adams while the two were boxing out for a rebound. Just before then, Salah Mejri took an elbow going for a rebound after a free throw. Felton and Adams were both slapped with technical fouls, but more importantly the Mavs and their fans really seemed to kick it up a notch. Dallas launched a 10-3 run which forced OKC to call timeout as the road team’s lead, once at 17 points, was reduced to 10. Shortly thereafter, Nowitzki got into Andre Roberson’s face after the OKC guard committed a pretty rough foul when fighting through a screen. This is the playoffs; there’s nothing wrong with a little intensity.
What’s Next
Game 4 is Saturday at American Airlines Center. Tip-off is at 7 p.m. Central.
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