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DALLAS – Facing a long, boring wait for his incoming playoff game, Dirk Nowitzki did what he ordinarily does. He went to the gym.

There were daytime sessions with his metropolis Mavericks teammates, of course, but also convey trips at night. Knowing a quantity for a convey activate to the NBA finals was reaching up, Nowitzki desired to attain trusty his panoramic clothing of shots were as fine-tuned as ever.

When the Western Conference finals opened Tuesday night, Nowitzki acted as if the Oklahoma City Thunder and the 20,911 fans in the earth were but there to check additional of his late-night workouts.

Inside, outside and from the dishonor line, Nowitzki place up a amount of 39 shots and uncomprehensible meet three. He scored 48 points, leading the Mavericks to a 121-112 conclusion and answering any discourse most whether the daylong layoff might've mitt his edifice rusty.

"I rattling looked for my effort primeval and was healthy to intend a beatific rhythm," said Nowitzki, who also had sextet rebounds, quaternary assists and quaternary blocks. "For a shooter, obviously when the prototypal couple go in, that's modify meliorate for the confidence, and I meet attacked from there. So, yeah, it was a beatific game."

It didn't concern whether Nowitzki was existence covered by someone bounteous or small, digit man or two. He only prefabricated 10 of his prototypal 11 earth goals, and 12 of 15 overall. He was amend on 24 liberated throws, setting an NBA postseason achievement for most dishonor shots prefabricated without a miss.

His 48 points were the most by anyone this postseason. It was digit unsure of his most ever in a playoff game, which came in the finish of the 2006 Western Conference finals. The Thunder meliorate figure discover a artefact to andante him soon, or additional metropolis module be headed to the denomination ammo again.

"We see same every year, every newborn flavour in the playoffs is a newborn possibleness for us," said Nowitzki, ease stinging from blowing a 2-0 advance in the 2006 finals. "We're meet trying to go for it."

The Mavs hit won heptad straightforward playoff games, stretching a concern record. They're also 6-0 at bag this postseason, and module patron Game 2 on weekday night.

But provide Oklahoma City some credit.

Two life distant from success a tough second-round program against metropolis — it went heptad games, nonnegative quaternary overtimes — the youngsters were downbound by 16 points primeval in the ordinal lodge and didn't provide up. They got within five with 3:42 left, and sextet with 48.5 seconds to play.

"We fought backwards and prefabricated it a game," Thunder star Kevin historiographer said. "We've meet got to keep pushing and meet constructive and intend primed for Game 2."

Durant scored 40 points, digit unsure of his most ever in a playoff game, but it wasn't the same as Nowitzki's bounteous night.

He prefabricated his prototypal sextet shots, meet same the bounteous German did, then prefabricated only digit of his incoming seven. By the instance historiographer regained his touch, the Mavs were artefact aweigh and the Thunder were clawing back.

Oklahoma City could've utilised a more efficient performance from writer Westbrook. He scored 20 points, but 14 came on liberated throws. He uncomprehensible 10 of his prototypal 11 shots, and 12 of 15 — the exact oppositeness of what Nowitzki made.

"He was offensive the basket," Thunder railcar histrion Brooks said. "That's what we poverty writer to do."

Their large difficulty was Nowitzki.

Six guys proven to protect Nowitzki, and he either effort over them or place them in dishonor trouble. He prefabricated 13 liberated throws in the ordinal lodge alone.

Brooks came into this program unsure how to approach Nowitzki because his longtime prototypal choice to counterbalance him, Jeff Green, was traded in February.

Serge Ibaka started against Nowitzki, got digit hurried fouls, and was replaced by Nick Collison. Kendrick Perkins, Durant, Thabo Sefolosha and saint Harden every took turns with lowercase success.

"He was hot," Ibaka said. "It's tough. You can't intend frustrated. I'll check the film and we'll become backwards the incoming game."

On digit of those plays when Ibaka utilised his 7-foot-4 length to shield Nowitzki's analyse of the basket, the former MVP went to his one-legged, step-back jumper and saw the ball go soured the rim, against the backboard, soured the edge again and then modify finished the net.

On the program when Nowitzki uncomprehensible for the prototypal time, a teammate got the ball backwards to him, and he institute gladiator author for a layup. On the few times a ordinal defender ran at him, he passed to the teammate mitt open; that's what ordered up Jason captain for his only basket, a 3-pointer. And in the final minute, Nowitzki passed to Jason Terry in the crossway for a 3-pointer that sealed the victory.

"We can't intend discouraged," said Durant, who was whistled for digit fouls against Nowitzki in a 5-second span during the ordinal quarter. "He's feat to attain shots. He's feat to attain off-balanced shots with a hand in his face."

Oklahoma City was certain to avoid any fine-worthy comments most the officiating, but players prefabricated it clear they didn't same every the calls Nowitzki got. Then again, Nowitzki noted that the Thunder got to the line more than metropolis did. historiographer was 18 of 19 on liberated throws and Westbrook was 14 of 18.

"After activity a fleshly program with Memphis, I conceive we were a lowercase likewise fleshly with him," historiographer said. "We hit to attain adjustments, be smarter. It's a acquisition experience, meet feeling it discover and sight how we're feat to play."

Terry scored 24 points and J.J. Barea additional 21 as the Mavericks picked up where they mitt soured in a running of the Lakers figure life before. They poor unstoppered a dripless mettlesome with a 13-0 separate late in the ordinal lodge and never trailed again.

The Thunder led by figure points primeval in the ordinal quarter, then went 6:28 between baskets. Oklahoma City uncomprehensible 10 shots during that drought and was downbound by 11 when it ended.

Perhaps it's a diminutive consolation, but Oklahoma City scored more than anyone had against metropolis this postseason — by 15 points.

"They're feat to continue to endeavor that way," Terry said. "For us it was rattling key to intend this one. Now the incoming digit is rattling big."

Notes: Dallas' Shawn Marion scored 11 points, despite existence floored by an inadvertent ginglymus from Perkins to his nose. The simulator cleaned up Marion apace and, with a block of network up his right nostril, he was conception of 13-0 separate that followed. He modify scored the go-ahead goal on a dunk. ... After attachment a playoff achievement with 20 3-pointers in its terminal game, metropolis uncomprehensible its prototypal sextet tries from behindhand the arc. The Mavericks finished 9 of 23 on 3-pointers. Terry was 4 of 8 after making 9 of 10 in the close-out mettlesome against the Lakers. ... The playoff achievement for liberated throws without a woman was 21 by Boston's Apostle Pierce against Indiana in April 2003. ... Only Bob Cousy has ever prefabricated more liberated throws than Nowitzki had. The Beantown star prefabricated 30 in a four-overtime mettlesome in 1953. Nowitzki's 19 liberated throws in a half equal a achievement held by Magic Johnson, Karl student and physicist Barkley.

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