Result: Oklahoma beat Dallas 106-100
What that means: Reserves spark Thunder to 1-1 series tie with Mavs
How it happened: Thunder coach Scott Brooks had a big decision to make.
With Game 2 of the Western Conference finals on the line, he either had to stick with a lineup of four reserves who were playing well or switch to the group he usually trusts late in the fourth quarter.
He bet on the backups. And now the series is headed back to Oklahoma City all tied up, thanks to his gutsy call.
James Harden, Eric Maynor, Nick Collison and Daequan Cook teamed with Kevin Durant to build a healthy lead late in the fourth quarter, then made it hold up for a 106-100 victory over the Dallas Mavericks on Thursday night.
“We’ve always felt confident in the bench,” Brooks said. “They really did a good job. But it’s always a team effort when you win.”
All-Star point guard Russell Westbrook sat alongside Brooks as Maynor guided the Thunder’s offense down the stretch. Serge Ibaka and Kendrick Perkins cheered on Collison as he tried to slow Dirk Nowitzki. And while Durant was the lone starter mixed in with the backups, he was their offensive liability — he made two of six shots, compared to 9 of 11 for the other guys.
“If you tell me they leave Westbrook out in the whole fourth quarter and we don’t get stops to win, that would have been tough,” Nowitzki said. “But you have to give Maynor credit. … Their reserves came out swinging and really took it to us.”
Harden and Durant are part of Brooks’ typical crew of closers. Sometimes Collison. So Maynor and Cook were the exceptions. But there was never really a chance — or a reason — for Brooks to make a change.
Oklahoma City went into the fourth quarter leading by one following a four-point play by Harden in the final seconds of the third quarter. The guys who were asked to protect that slim lead never gave it up. They even stretched it to 10 with 3:15 left following a 14-5 spurt capped by a tough jumper from Harden.
Brooks ended up not making a change until he had to — Collison fouled out with 37 seconds left. Brooks’ only other move was taking out Cook for the last 13 seconds.
“You can’t mess that chemistry up,” Durant said. “Coach made a good decision.”
By slowing Nowitzki and the Mavericks down the stretch, the Thunder reserves did something that Kobe Bryant and the Lakers couldn’t.
Dallas erased a pair of fourth-quarter deficits during a sweep of the two-time reigning NBA champs last round. Those wins were part of a seven-game streak the Mavs had been riding. They also had been 6-0 at home this postseason.
Like the Eastern Conference finals, this series is essentially starting over. The scene shifts about 200 miles up Interstate 35 for Game 3 on Saturday night, and Game 4 on Monday night. A return trip to Dallas for Game 5 on Wednesday night is guaranteed, too.
“It should be fun back at our place,” Durant said.
- additional reporting AP
