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Mavericks advance to Western Conference Finals

Originally posted on The Predictors | By Miles Jordan | Last updated 5/20/24

The Dallas Mavericks completed their 17-point comeback to defeat the Oklahoma City Thunder 117-116 in Game 6 of the Western Conference Semi-Finals, capturing the series 4-2 and advancing to the Western Conference Finals.

The Mavericks were down 17 points early in the third quarter and trailed by nine points early in the fourth. All-Star guard Luka Doncic led the Mavericks in their comeback, capturing a 29-point, ten rebounds, and ten assists triple-double to help Dallas appear in their second Western Conference Finals in the past three seasons.

Kyrie Irving and Daniel Jones Jr. finished the game with 22 points each, joining Doncic as the only Mavericks to score 20+ points in Game 7. Irving improved his record to 14-0 in closeout games in the playoffs, which is the best record in NBA history.

Mavericks forward PJ Washington finished the game with nine points. However, two of those points were the game-clinching free throws with seconds remaining in the game, which put the Mavericks up one and sealed the series against the No. 1 seeded Thunder.

P.J. WASHINGTON FREE THROWS CLINCH SERIES FOR MAVS pic.twitter.com/Lf99RgBtBm
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) May 19, 2024

Oklahoma City guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander finished the game with a game-high 36 points, eight assists, and three rebounds. However, his 30+ point performance was not enough to force a Game 7 against Dallas. All five of the Thunder’s starting lineup finished the game with 10+ points, which has become a regularity for Oklahoma City.

The Dallas Mavericks will take on the winner of the Game 7 matchup between the defending champion Denver Nuggets and the Minnesota Timberwolves.

This article first appeared on The Predictors and was syndicated with permission.

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