Thunder Holds Off Late Run to Clinch Playoff Berth

Originally Published: Apr 3, 2010 10:55 PM CDT

Corey DeMoss
Oklahoma Sports Staff Writer

DALLAS – The Oklahoma City Thunder nearly gave away a huge fourth-quarter lead, but managed to clinch a playoff berth with a 121-116 victory over the Dallas Mavericks Saturday.

The Thunder (47-28) took a nine-point lead into the fourth quarter and eventually led by as much as 19, but went completely cold from the field midway through the period. OKC went more than five minutes without hitting a field goal, and the Mavericks (50-27) went on a 17-2 run to cut the lead to four.

With 28 seconds left and the Thunder up by four, rookie Eric Maynor stepped up and made the biggest basket of the game. After a fake pass that drew defenders away from him, Maynor hit an open 3-pointer to make it a three-possession game. Dallas did not have enough time to eliminate the lead.

Maynor finished with 14 points off the bench, thanks to 5-of-8 shooting and two 3-pointers. He was one of six different Thunder players – including three off the bench – to score in double figures.

Kevin Durant led Oklahoma City with 23 points while also recording five rebounds, five assists and five steals. Jeff Green scored 22, and Russell Westbrook and Nick Collison each added 17.

Dirk Nowitzi led all scorers with 30 points for Dallas, and Jason Kidd added 24. Dallas finished shooting 53 percent from the field, thanks in large part to an explosive first quarter.

The Mavericks shot 75 percent from the floor in the first, but led by only two going into the second quarter. The Thunder took over at the start of the second, going on an 11-3 run to take a six-point lead. OKC stretched that lead to 67-59 going to halftime, and was a perfect 17-of-17 from the free-throw line in the half.

The Thunder’s strong play continued into the third quarter, when it built a lead of as much as 16 points. Kidd hit two consecutive 3-pointers to keep Dallas in the game, sending things into the fourth quarter with a 94-85 score and setting up the frantic finish.

The Thunder is now guaranteed its first playoff berth since moving to Oklahoma City, but its seed is still very much in the air. The Mavericks’ loss caused a four-way logjam for the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference. Dallas, Denver, Utah and Phoenix are now all tied in second, with the Thunder trailing them by two games.

OKC has now won two straight close games over playoff-bound teams, and will get a brief reprieve when it returns home to face the Minnesota Timberwolves at 6 p.m. Sunday. Immediately after that, the Thunder will have to face Utah, Denver and Phoenix in three consecutive games. Those games will likely go a long way toward shaping the playoff race in the West.