| |
|
NBA -- Thunder dismiss Mavs, set semis showdown with Spurs
By Homer D. Sayson
PhilBoxing.com
Wed, 27 Apr 2016
CHICAGO -- With Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant providing a lethal 1-2 punch, the Oklahoma City Thunder eliminated the Dallas Mavericks on Monday night, winning Game 5 of their opening round series, 118-104 at the Chesapeake Energy Arena.
Westbrook fell one assist shy of a triple-double with 36 points, 12 rebounds and 9 dimes while Durant drilled 11 of 24 field goals for 33 points as the Thunder closed out the best-of-7 affair, 4-1.
The triumph set the stage for a Western Conference semifinals showdown between the No.3 seed Thunder and the No.1 ranked San Antonio Spurs, who advanced to the second round of the playoffs with a 4-0 sweep over the Memphis Grizzlies.
Playing on a blistering pace, the Thunder shot 50.6 percent from the field (41-of-81) and 33.3 percent from 3-point range (10-of-30). Steven Adams played well manning the paint -- 15 points and 10 rebounds -- while Dion Waiters chipped in 11 points from the bench.
The defeat sent the Mavs off to early vacation. But they didn't go out without a fight.
"We battled hard. We battled unbelievably hard even to get to the sixth seed, winning six in a row when everybody thought we were dead. So I'm proud of the guys. We gave it all we had," said Dirk Nowitzki, who led Dallas' gallant stand with 24 points.
Despite playing without Chandler Parsons (torn meniscus), David Lee (partial plantar fascists tear) and Deron Williams (sports hernia), the Mavs inched to within 101-98 with 7:51 left in the fourth quarter. But the Thunder silenced the uprising with a 15-5 run that put OKC ahead 116-103 in the final 53 seconds.
Photo: Dirk Nowitzki finds himself surrounded by two OKC players on Monday night at the Chesapeake Energy Arena in OKC where the Thunder advanced to the second round of playoffs by dispatching the Mavericks in five games.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Homer D. Sayson.
Recent PhilBoxing.com In-House articles:
JONES VS. GUALTIERI FINAL PRESS CONFERENCE
, Thu, 21 May 2026Round 12 with Mauricio Sulaiman: From Madrid to Johannesburg – The Legacy of the WBC in South Africa
By Mauricio Sulaimán, , Thu, 21 May 2026TYSON VS. MAYWEATHER EXHIBITION IS ON— TYSON BROKEN HAND PUSHES EVENT FROM SPRING TO FALL OF 2026
, Thu, 21 May 2026Three Lions Promotions Building pro boxing back to Glory days in Metro Vancouver
, Thu, 21 May 2026Jenn Perella shines, Bobby Laing stops Russ Kimber in 1st round
, Thu, 21 May 2026TRAINING CAMP NOTES: Gustavo Trujillo Looks to Continue his Rise in the Heavyweight Division
, Thu, 21 May 2026Filipino Francisco "Django" Bustamante rules 2026 Buffalo’s Pro Classic 1 Ball One Pocket Division
By Marlon Bernardino, , Thu, 21 May 2026USA Boxing Elite High Performance Squad Secures Eight More Victories on Day Three of 2026 Copa America
, Thu, 21 May 2026THE PAST WEEK IN ACTION 19 MAY 2026: Davis Outpoints Albright; Kuse Dethrones Jerusalem; Donovan Defeats Chukhadzhian; Hrgovic Stops Allen
By Eric Armit, , Wed, 20 May 20262026 NBA Playoffs: Knicks Rally from 22 Points Down to Beat Cavs 115-104 in OT
By Reylan Loberternos, , Wed, 20 May 2026Filipino grabs second place in the National Canada Chess Challenge 2026
By Marlon Bernardino, , Wed, 20 May 2026Spotlight on Mexico City: boxers speak ahead of IBA Pro 18
, Wed, 20 May 20262026 NBA Playoffs: Wembanyama Outshines MVP Gilgeous-Alexander as Spurs Beat Thunder 122-115 in Double Overtime Thriller
By Reylan Loberternos, , Wed, 20 May 20260 MUST GO: SELDON JR. vs. POPPER — JUNE 13 AT THE TROP
, Wed, 20 May 2026CARL “THE COBRA” FROCH REUNITES WITH ANDRE WARD ON ART OF WARD FOR FIRST IN-DEPTH SIT-DOWN SINCE THEIR LEGENDARY SUPER SIX FINAL
, Wed, 20 May 2026BOXING LEGEND DARREN BARKER ANNOUNCES 'THE LONGEST ROUND' – A WORLD-FIRST ENDURANCE CHALLENGE FOR MEN'S MENTAL HEALTH
, Wed, 20 May 2026IBA stands ready to organise Jon Jones professional boxing fight in Russia
, Wed, 20 May 2026USA Boxing Elite High Performance Squad Earns Eight More Wins on Day Two at 2026 Copa America
, Wed, 20 May 2026QC ends PCAP Season 6 All-Filipino conference campaign
By Marlon Bernardino, , Wed, 20 May 2026It’s in the blood
By Joaquin Henson, , Tue, 19 May 2026“The fans will be the true winners” – Angel Ayala ready for IBA PRO 18 in Mexico City
, Tue, 19 May 2026Rematch option for Melvin
By Joaquin Henson, , Tue, 19 May 2026World-class stablemates John ‘Scrappy’ Ramirez & Darius ‘DFG’ Fulghum fighting on same card Friday night in San Jose
, Tue, 19 May 2026Ignacio Defeats Malayan to Claim Title and USD 10,000 Prize
By Marlon Bernardino, , Tue, 19 May 2026USA Boxing Elite High Performance Squad Dominates Day One of 2026 Copa America with 11-0 Record
, Tue, 19 May 2026 |
|
|
|
|
|
