Dallas — Kyrie Irving undoubtedly questioned whether his remarkable streak of career closeout wins without a defeat was finally coming to an end.
The Dallas Mavericks are headed to the Western Conference finals for the second time in three seasons, and the streak continues.
Saturday night, the Mavs defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder 117-116 after trailing by 17 points at halftime. P.J. Washington Jr. finished the second-round series with two free throws and an intentional miss with 2.5 seconds remaining.
Similar to how they did in the first round against the Los Angeles Clippers, the Mavericks concluded the series in Game 6 at home against the Thunder.
Dallas, who fell down by nine points early in the fourth quarter and by 17 points early in the third, will host the Denver-Minnesota winner on Wednesday night to begin the West finals.
Irving, who is now 14-0 in closeout games and will play in the conference finals for the first time since 2017 with Cleveland, stated, “Being down 17 in a closeout game isn’t a position you want to be in.” But that’s where we came to be. We have to react as we have been responding throughout the season.
Washington was fouled by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander on a 3-point attempt after Chet Holmgren put the Thunder in front 116-115 with a dunk on an assist from his star guard with 20 seconds remaining.
Luka Doncic, who had 29 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists for his fourth triple-double this postseason, worked his way to the basket in the final seconds before passing to Washington in the corner. Washington pump-faked to get Gilgeous-Alexander in the air and the whistle blew as the shot fell short.
Oklahoma City challenged the call, but replay showed Gilgeous-Alexander making contact with Washington’s arm as he went up to shoot.
“Obviously if I had the moment back I wouldn’t have fouled him,” said Gilgeous-Alexander, who had a playoff career high with 36 points. “I would have just let him miss the shot. You wish you would take the moment back. Just have to learn from it, and I will.”
After making the first two free throws to put Dallas in front, Washington missed on purpose with the Thunder out of timeouts after the challenge. Holmgren passed to Jalen Williams, whose desperation shot from well behind half court wasn’t close.
“If it was a clear-as-day foul, I obviously wouldn’t have challenged it and held the timeout,” Oklahoma City coach Mark Daigneault said. “Even if you advance the ball with 2.5 seconds at a deficit, your chances are very low.”
The final sequence capped a riveting fourth quarter with five lead changes and two ties in the final five minutes after the Thunder led for all but one minute until then.
Irving and Derrick Jones Jr. scored 22 points apiece for Dallas. It was the second consecutive game with a playoff career high for Jones.
“It wasn’t Luka or Kai making the game winner,” Dallas coach Jason Kidd said. “It was the trust of Luka and the ball touches the paint, they collapse, he trusted P.J. We find a way to win.”
Washington — the second-leading scorer for Dallas in this series, ahead of Irving — didn’t have a point until the fourth quarter. He scored nine, with tying and go-ahead 3s before the winning free throws.
“I think we just stay together,” Doncic said. “We always talk on the bench, stay together, positive energy. And today was a good example of it.”
Doncic didn’t have Irving in leading the Mavs to the West finals in 2022, when Dallas lost to defending champ Golden State in five games.
The first two months of the Doncic-Irving pairing after the blockbuster deal last year were a dud for the players now with 13 All-Star appearances between them. More trade deadline moves this year from general manager Nico Harrison worked this time.
The Mavericks finished 24-9 to rise to fifth in the West and ousted the Clippers in the first round with the same sequence of wins and losses that beat Oklahoma City.
The Thunder lost four out of five games following a 5-0 start to the playoffs.
Led by the MVP runner-up in Gilgeous-Alexander and two more key pieces of a young core in Williams and Holmgren, Oklahoma City tied defending champion Denver for the best record in the West at 57-25.
Williams had 22 points, nine rebounds and eight assists as the Thunder were ousted. Holmgren scored 21.
Just two seasons ago, the Thunder finished 24-58 in a second consecutive year of fewer than 25 victories.
Dallas, who fell down by nine points early in the fourth quarter and by 17 points early in the third, will host the Denver-Minnesota winner on Wednesday night to begin the West finals.
Irving, who is now 14-0 in closeout games and will play in the conference finals for the first time since 2017 with Cleveland, stated, “Being down 17 in a closeout game isn’t a position you want to be in.” But that’s where we came to be. We have to react as we have been responding throughout the season.
