German playmaker Nowitzki went 12-of-15 from the field and sank the most free throws without a miss in a play-off game in NBA history as the Mavericks seized the lead in their best-of-seven Western Conference championship series.
"I was really looking to shoot early," he said.
"I was able to get my rhythm, make my first couple of shots and really got going."
Nowitzki, seeking his first NBA title, staged a shooting clinic as well as swatting aside four shots in a spectacular effort, breaking the perfect play-off free throw mark of 21 set by Boston's Paul Pierce in 2008.
"He played great," Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle said.
"Dirk spends a lot of time working on his game and keeping himself ready. He got going early, did a good job of mixing his drives with his jump shots."
Oklahoma City used six different players against Nowitzki to no avail.
Showing no sign of problems after a nine-day lay-off since ousting the reigning champion Los Angeles Lakers, the Mavericks won their seventh play-off game in a row by holding off a determined Thunder squad down the stretch.
NBA scoring champion Kevin Durant, the top playmaker on the NBA's youngest squad, scored 40 points while Russell Westbrook added 20 points despite 3-for-15 shooting from the field and Serge Ibaka contributed 17.
Jason Terry added 24 points, including a game-sealing three-pointer in the dying seconds, and JJ Barea added 21 points for the Mavericks.
Nowitzki, two points shy of his career play-off high, scored 17 points in the third quarter as Dallas pulled ahead by as many as 16 points and led 90-79 entering the fourth quarter.
- AFP
Tags: sport, basketball, united-states First posted May 18, 2011 14:55:00
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