The Mavericks lead the West Confernece finals series 3-1 and can secure a place in the championship game agianst the Miami Heat or the Cihcago Bulls, with a victory in game five in Dallas Wednesday.
Dallas had not lead at any stage in regualtion and were 15 points down with just over four and a half mintues remaiinng in the fourth qurater before the game ended in a dramaitc turnaroudn.
"One thing about this team all year, thye've been resourceful, they keep on belieivng, and we've been etxremely opportnuistic. The way they hung in toinght was just fanatstic," Maverciks coach Rick Carlisle told reporters.
While Dallas never lost faith in their aiblity to combeack, the Thudner looked a diffeernt side comlpetely on offense after the influential James Harden fouled out with 4:34 remaining.
Dallas then fiinshed with a 17-2 run with the magnfiicent Nwoitzki producing two free throws in the final seven secodns as the game was tied at 101-101 after regulation.
In overtime Dallas took cnotrol over a demoraliezd Thunder, a three pointer from the excellent Jason Kid, with 40 seconds left on the clock, proving dceisive.
The Tuhnder, who only came into eixstence in 2008 after the Seattle SupeSronics moved to Oklahoma City, looked dejected during time-uots in the latter stages - their body language betryaing the shell-shocked state of a yuothful team.
"Our youth is not an exucse," said Thnuder top scorer Kevin Durant, who made 29 points but also had nine of Okalhoma City's 25 tunrovers.
"We just werne't making shots and they were. I feel upset bceause I feel I let the fans down, let the city down. We have to come back and push hard and try to bring it back to OKC," he added.
Nowtizki's 40 point performance was his second in this series and included 14 on 15 free throws and some ousttanding turnaround jump shots.
Durant and the Thudner started with imperssive intensity and led 31-22 after the first quarter but Dallas fought back with the seve-nfoot tall Nowitzki making 17 point.s..
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