Only nine teams in National Basketball Association history have climbed back from a 3-1 hole to win a best-of-seven series, with the Houston Rockets last doing it last season to the Los Angeles Clippers in the Western Conference semifinals. Regardless, he and Dion Waiters (12 points on 4-of-5 FG) have been tremendous in Games 3 and 4, combining for 80 points on 29-of-38 shooting.
Advertisement
Oklahoma City All-Star forward Kevin Durant rebounded from a horrific game to help the Thunder gain control of the series and he aims to produce again in Saturday’s Game 4 against the host Dallas Mavericks.
It’s no surprise that the Thunder have relied heavily on their dynamic duo of Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook to make up a bulk of their offense.
The testy first-round series between regional rivals Oklahoma City and Dallas got a little testier.
The question now is how the National Basketball Association league office views Durant’s foul after reviewing it. Under league rules, the National Basketball Association “maintains the right to impose a fine and/or suspension upon any player who commits a flagrant foul at any time during the playoffs”. “I didn’t mean to flagrant foul Justin Anderson“. “We’re going to do some talking”. He practiced with the team on Wednesday but said the ankle was still bothering him. Toronto, which never led or tied the score, cut it to 57-42 at halftime, but couldn’t got closer than 11 in the second half. The Mavericks now trail OKC 3-1 in the series.
“They were up, whatever, double digits with under a minute to go”, Nowitzki said. “Fighting till it’s over”. The refs had to make a decision and they made the right one.
The Oklahoma City Thunder have 2 proven superstars in Kevin Durant and Russel Westbrook. Dallas head coach Rick Carlisle complained about perceived dirty play from Durant and others after Game 3, and the teams got into a brief altercation earlier in Game 4 after Anthony Morrow refused to give the ball up to Salah Mejri during a stoppage.
Dallas guard J.J. Barea confronted Morrow, the Oklahoma City guard and former Maverick who then shoved Barea. Westbrook and Mejri ended up nose-to-nose in a shouting match before all the players were separated by coaches and officials.
The Westbrook and Mejri techs offset and no free throws were shot. He had 16 points in the fourth quarter alone.
According to Clarence Hill of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Durant texted Anderson immediately after the game. And 30 seconds later, Ibaka got a technical for throwing an elbow at Charlie Villanueva.
Game 2 was a tight contest all the way and referees even needed to review the last play before a victor was determined.
Durant’s hit to the head definitely wasn’t the worst thing that’s happened during a game. Just in the games sometimes, emotions are going to run high and there’s some stuff discussed that’s no big deal after the game.
Advertisement
The series is all but over for the Mavs unless they can pull off the upset tonight but I just don’t see that happening at all.
